The Mission of the CVG

The University-wide Center for Vertebrate Genomics has several goals related to the enhancement of research and education in vertebrate genetics and functional genomics at Cornell. These include:

• Conducting activities to foster academic and research interactions among faculty with interests in genetics and genome-scale biology across campus.
   
• Enhancing the undergraduate, graduate, and post-doctoral research environment in genomics with trainee-focused initiatives (including some that are led or hosted by the trainees themselves).
   
• Assisting in the recruitment of outstanding, diverse scientists with expertise in genetics and genomics.
   
• Promoting cutting-edge, collaborative, and inter-disciplinary research that leverages genome-scale biology.

To accomplish these goals, the Center administers a variety of programs, such as scholarships for trainees; seed funding for faculty research projects; travel to meetings and conferences; the monthly Vertebrate Genomics (a.k.a. "Verge") seminars; the monthly trainee genomics journal club; the "CVG stories" journey to science events; the annual symposium; and more. For a full list, please see Activities and Funding Opportunities on the top menu bar. The Center was launched in the Fall of 2004 by John Schimenti, who remained as director until 2019. Praveen Sethupathy served as Director from 2019 to 2024. William Lai was then appointed as Interim Director in 2024. We currently have approximately 100 faculty and associate members. View our membership information to learn about the conditions of membership, the benefits, and how to apply.

The CVG is made possible by the generous support of the Office of the Vice President for Research and Innovation (OVPRI).