Gerid A Ollison, Ph.D.
Professional Summary
Computational biologist and bioinformatics researcher with 8+ years of experience in microbial and viral genomics, multi-omics integration, and high-throughput sequencing analysis. Expert in next-generation sequencing (NGS) data processing, genome assembly, annotation, and variant detection across viral and protistan systems. Demonstrated leadership in designing and automating bioinformatics pipelines using Snakemake, R, Python, and Bash on HPC and cloud environments. Adept collaborator and scientific communicator with good publication record and mentoring experience.
Core Competencies
Viral & Microbial Bioinformatics • Multi-Omics Integration • NGS (Illumina, QC, Alignments) • Genome Assembly & Annotation • Variant Calling (samtools) • R • Python • Bash • Snakemake / Nextflow • Data Visualization (ggplot2, R Shiny, matplotlib) • HPC & Cloud Computing • Statistical Modeling • Leadership & Mentorship
Professional Experience
· Postdoctoral Researcher
The Ohio State University | 2023–Present
• Lead bioinformatics analyses of RNA viral genomes from metatranscriptomic datasets, utilizing probabilistic models to characterize viral gene clusters.
• Design and implement automated NGS data processing pipelines (QC, alignment, variant detection, and visualization) using Snakemake, R, Python, and Bash.
• Research on multi-omics (transcriptomics, proteomics, metabolomics) integration using multi-layer network analysis.
• Serve as bioinformatics lead for collaborative multi-institutional project cataloguing DNA and RNA virus diversity in the Chilean coast.
• Mentor Ph.D. students and research staff in computational biology, statistics, and workflow design.
• Present findings and co-author manuscripts for peer-reviewed publications.
· Graduate Researcher (Ph.D. Candidate)
University of Southern California | 2017–2023
• Performed metagenomic and metatranscriptomic analyses to model microbial community dynamics and genomic drivers of algal bloom formation.
• Conducted DNA/RNA extraction, normalization, and Illumina library preparation for sequencing natural microbial communities.
• Built bioinformatics pipelines for assembly, annotation, and variant analysis using Linux HPC systems.
• Developed R Shiny dashboards and data visualizations for multi-omics datasets.
• Authored multiple peer-reviewed manuscripts and presented research at national conferences.
· Graduate Researcher (M.S. Coursework)
San Francisco State University | 2015–2017
• Conducted comparative genomics and phylogenetic analyses to reconstruct splicing networks in Drosophila.
• Applied bioinformatics, qPCR, and microscopy to link molecular data to functional phenotypes.
· Research Associate
BioMarin Pharmaceuticals Inc. | 2014–2015
• Designed macros and training tools to optimize lab onboarding and data reproducibility. • Provided technical support and managed Watson LIMS operations, ensuring data integrity and regulatory compliance.
• Supported laboratory operations in a regulated biotechnology environment, developing and automating data management processes to enhance accuracy, traceability, and compliance with quality standards.
· Active Duty Service Member
United States Navy | 2002–2006
• Honored with the Navy & Marine Corps Achievement Medal for leadership and performance.
• Led diverse technical teams in mission-critical operations requiring analytical precision and teamwork.
Education
Ph.D. Biology, University of Southern California (2023)
M.S. (coursework) Molecular & Cell Biology, San Francisco State University (2017)
B.S. Molecular & Cell Biology, San Francisco State University (2014)
Publications
• Ollison, G.A., Hu, S.K., Hopper, J.V., Stewart, B.P., Beatty, J.L., and Caron, D.A. (2023) Physiology governing diatom vs. dinoflagellate bloom and decline in coastal Santa Monica Bay. Frontiers in Microbiology 14.
• Ollison, G.A., Hu, S.K., Hopper, J.V., Stewart, B.P., Smith, J., Beatty, J.L. et al. (2022) Daily dynamics of contrasting spring algal blooms in Santa Monica Bay (central Southern California Bight). Environmental Microbiology: 1-9.
• Ollison, G.A., Hu, S.K., Mesrop, L.Y., DeLong, E.F., and Caron, D.A. (2021) Come rain or shine: Depth not season shapes the active protistan community at station ALOHA in the North Pacific Subtropical Gyre. Deep Sea Research Part I: Oceanographic Research Papers 170: 103494.
• Gerid A. Ollison, Guillermo Dominguez-Huerta, Ahmed Zayed, James Wainaina, & Matthew B. Sullivan. (in review) Tara Oceans: Towards global ocean viromes: Book Chapter for ITSE
• Guillermo Dominguez-Huerta, Natalie Solonenko, Doris Juarez, Adriana Alberti, Yueh-Fen Li, Benjamin Bolduc, Marie Burris, Corinne Da Silva, Akbar Adjie Pratama, Jiarong Guo, Gerid A. Ollison, Alexander I. Culley, Dana E. Hunt, Matthew B. Sullivan. (in prep) Assessment and optimization of methods to study aquatic RNA virus communities captured by iron-chloride flocculation.
Teaching & Mentorship
• Developed and taught R- and Python-based bioinformatics workshops for undergraduate and graduate students.
• Mentored students in multi-omics data processing, statistical modeling, and visualization.
• Led training on reproducible research practices using Git, R Markdown, and Jupyter.
Awards & Honors
Order of Arete Award – Leadership and Scholarship, USC (2023)
William B. Trusten Award – Service and Research, USC (2022)
Genentech Dissertation Scholarship, SFSU (2017)
NIH RISE Fellowship, SFSU (2015–2017)
Navy & Marine Corps Achievement Medal (2006)