Dr Ian M. Carr

Profile

After training as a molecular biologist and working in Leeds on projects that identified genes involved in cleft palate and microcephaly, I became increasingly aware of the need for simpler, more practical software tools to support day‑to‑day molecular biology research. This led me to develop strong programming skills and to create bespoke applications that automate routine but time‑consuming data‑analysis tasks.

For Windows desktop development, I focus on the .NET ecosystem, while for Linux‑based servers I use a combination of C++, Python, R, and Bash to enable rapid application development. I am a Microsoft Certified Solutions Developer, and this background has allowed me to deliver fast, targeted solutions to key bottlenecks in both laboratory data analysis (including sequence and genotyping workflows) and clinical data collection, using both standalone and web‑based applications.

To date, I have developed and published numerous software tools spanning a wide range of disciplines, including autozygosity mapping, Sanger and NGS sequence analysis, epigenetics, copy‑number analysis, and transcriptional control.

Research interests

My research interests include rare‑disease gene discovery and variant detection using both long‑ and short‑read NGS data, ecological population structure and species distribution analysis, and the de novo genome assembly of viruses, bacteria, and eukaryotes.

Qualifications

  • BSc J hons
  • PhD

Student education

Module lead in Human Medicine MSc

Research groups and institutes

  • Leeds Institute of Medical Research
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