Dr Matthew Hobbs

Dr Matthew Hobbs trained in genetics and then molecular biology. As a postdoctoral researcher at the University of Queensland, and later at the University of Sydney, he worked on projects analysing sequences of genes responsible for production of prominent polymorphic bacterial surface antigens.

Subsequently he abandoned experimental benchwork and pursued his interest in computational biology. He worked as a bioinformatician with the Australian National Genomic Information Service and also with private companies providing bioinformatics services and training.

When genomic sequencing approaches were introduced to research in animal species he joined a group at the University of Sydney applying genomic technologies to the Australian dairy industry. While with this group he was involved in the bovine genome sequencing project.

Immediately before joining the Garvan Institute of Medical Research, Matthew was with the Australian Museum’s Wildlife Genomics group working on the transcriptome and genome of the koala. He remains involved in the maintenance and development of the Online Mendelian Inheritance in Animals (OMIA) database and website.

At Garvan he is working on a project characterising the roles of tiny RNAs in animal epigenetics.