Professional Information
Richard Kennedy
Department of Biostatistics
Virginia Commonwealth University
P.O. Box 980032
Richmond, Virginia 23298-0032
(804) 828-9824
E-mail: rkennedy@vcu.edu
Webpage: http://home.att.net/~richard-kennedy
Software
SScore
The original S-Score algorithm was developed in the Miles laboratory by Dr. Li Zhang (J Mol Biol 2001; 225-235). These files contain an implementation of the S-Score algorithm in the R programming environment. The latest version is 1.1.1, created 12/08/2005.
Download .tar.gz file
Download .zip file
Curriculum Vitae
Click here to download full curriculum vitae in PDF format
Click here to download NIH biosketch in PDF format
Computer Science
I have been working with computers since the age of 12, when I took my first computer programming class in BASIC (using the TRS-80 Model III). I taught myself Z-80 assembly language and Pascal in high school, and also worked as an instructor for computer programming classes for all ages. I earned my undergraduate degree in computer science with a minor in mathematics from the University of Mississippi in 1990. During that time, I developed proficiency in several other languages (including C, FORTRAN, and 80x86/68x00 assembler). I also worked as a computer programmer in the Department of Chemistry under NSF grant DIR 88-10621 (Dr. Maurice Eftink, principal investigator). In this position, I customized a commercially available Pascal program for controlling lasers used in fluorescence spectroscopy. I also developed software for a computer-controlled system for acquisition of multichannel fluorescence spectroscopy data with the sequential addition of a chemical quencher. For my senior project, I collaborated with a fellow student to develop a prototype system that would compare transcripts to the university catalog to determine if students met the published graduation requirements.
Molecular Biology & Neuroscience
After completing my undergraduate work, I earned an M.D. degree from the University of Mississippi Medical Center. In addition to classes in molecular biology and neuroscience, I worked as a research assistant for both Dr. James B. Hutchins (Department of Neuroanatomy) and Dr. Chris Meade (Department of Parasitology). My work with Dr. Hutchins focused on the development of mammalian visual systems. In particular, we developed in situ hybridization techniques for the labeling of retinal choline acetyltransferase using a non-radioactive probe. With Dr. Meade, I developed a cDNA library for the study of Leishmania.
Neuropsychiatry
After medical school, I completed a transitional (rotating) internship and psychiatry residency at the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences. This was followed by a consultation-liaison (C/L, or psychosomatic medicine) fellowship at Virginia Commonwealth University, Medical College of Virginia campus. My focus during this training was on neuropsychiatry - the interface between neurological and psychiatric disorders. At UAMS, I worked primarily with Alzheimer's disease and other dementias. I assisted collaborators at the nationally recognized Centers for Outcomes Research Effectiveness (CORE) in drafting an outcomes module for dementia. At VCU, I worked primarily with individuals who have experienced traumatic brain injury (TBI). After completing my training, I returned to the University of Mississippi Medical Center as Assistant Professor of Psychiatry, and served as the sole psychiatric consultant for our affiliated TBI unit.
Biostatistics/Bioinformatics
Since my return to VCU in 2001 as Assistant Professor of Psychiatry, I have continued to develop as a clinical and translational researcher. I enrolled in the Biostatistics program at VCU in 2002 to improve my skills in this area. It was during this time that I was exposed to the field of bioinformatics and became interested in making it my career focus. Bioinformatics represents a natural blending of my various interests of mathematics, computer science, molecular biology, and neuroscience. I am a recipient of a National Institutes of Health (NIH) F37 Individual Biomedical Informatics Fellowship, which is administered by the National Library of Medicine. My anticipated graduation date is Summer 2007.
Last updated on 1/14/06