Dr. Brett Pickett is an Assistant Professor in the Microbiology and Molecular Biology Department. Before joining the faculty, he completed his B.S degree in Microbiology from BYU in 2005, his Ph.D. training in Microbiology at the University of Alabama at Birmingham, and his postdoctoral training in Pathology at the University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center at Dallas. He then obtained additional experience in industry, and at the J. Craig Venter Institute. He applies his past training to perform genome sequencing and comparative genomics analyses of human pathogens and cancers. He works to develop data mining workflows, apply machine learning techniques, and use advanced statistical workflows on the Fulton high-performance computing environment at BYU to better understand how human cells respond during infection acute infection or chronic disease (e.g. flu, Streptococcus, cancer, etc). The results from these analyses will then be used to generate hypotheses that can be tested in the wet lab. Dr. Pickett enjoys waterskiing, playing the piano, archery, and spending time with his wonderful wife Laura and their six children.
Research Interests
The research in our group can be divided into two distinct but complementary categories: comparative genomics of pathogens, and the human transcriptional response to a stimulus (i.e. infection, cancer, etc).
To perform comparative genomics, we begin by either assembling consensus genomes or retrieving them from public databases. We then generate multiple sequence alignments, reconstruct phylogenetic trees, identify significant changes between groups of sequences, and apply other relevant methods. Our goal is to better understand how the pathogens evolve over time, what advantages certain mutations may confer, and whether we can predict future changes before they occur.
To analyze the human transcriptional during acute infection (e.g. influenza, Streptococcus) or chronic disease (e.g. cancer, autoimmunity), we begin by retrieving raw sequencing data from the National Center for Biotechnology Information. These sequences are then subjected to an analytical pipeline that quantifies how many times each mRNA in the sample is present. We can then run statistics to identify significant 1) differentially-expressed genes, 2) functional enrichment of terms, and 3) signaling pathways that are represented. The signaling pathway results can then be cross-referenced to other data sources to find drugs that target host processes that the infection or chronic condition generally affects. By targeting such "key pathways", we can potentially reduce the severity, symptoms, and/or progression of these acute or chronic diseases.
The results from either research category can then be combined and subjected to machine learning algorithms. These types of analyses can identify prominent and/or subtle trends that can then be tested for biological relevance and function in the laboratory.
Teaching Interests
Molecular Biology Genomics
Education
Ph.D., Microbiology , University of Alabama at Birmingham (2010)
B.S., Microbiology , Brigham Young University (2005)
Honors and Awards
Inspiring Learning Award - Career Champion, BYU Career and Experiential Learning
(2021 - 2021)
Hiramoto Travel Award, University of Alabama at Birmingham, Department of Microbiology
(2009 - 2009)
T32 Training Grant, National Institutes of Health
(2007 - 2008)
Student Travel Award, Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory
(2007 - 2007)
Eagle Scout, Boy Scouts of America
(1995 - 1995)
Memberships
American Society for Microbiology (2017 - Present)
European Virus Bioinformatics Center (2017 - Present)
American Society for Virology (2009 - Present)
Sigma Delta Pi (2004 - Present)
Scientists and Engineers for America (2009 - 2010)
Officer, American Society for Microbiology, Intermountain Branch (2022 - 2023)
Courses Taught
Publications
Mauri Dobbs SpendloveTrent GibsonShaney McCainBenjamin C StoneTristan GillBrett Earl PickettJeffrey ClancyCurtis S HoffmannBrett Earl PickettKennedy TL GiffordBrett Earl PickettMadison GrayIsrael Guerrero-ArgueroAntonio Solis-LealRichard A RobisonBradford K BergesBrett Earl PickettTiana M ScottAntonio Solis-LealJ Brandon LopezRichard A RobisonBradford K BergesBrett Earl PickettNaomi Rapier-SharmanJeffrey ClancyBrett Earl PickettIvan SpechtKian SaniBryn C LoftnessCurtis HoffmannGabrielle GionetAmy BronsonJohn MarshallCraig DeckerLanden BaileyTomi SiyanbadeMolly KemballBrett Earl PickettWilliam P HanageTodd BrownPardis C SabetiAndres ColubriCraig DeckerNaomi Lydia SharmanBrett Earl PickettNaomi Rapier-SharmanJeffrey ClancyBrett Earl PickettAfsheen AsalMasood A. ShariffVictor Perez-GutierrezAmnah KhalidChristina PiliAnjana PillaiUsha VenugopalMoiz KasubhaiBalvenkatesh KannaBrian Douglas PooleBrett Earl PickettDavid S. ReddVIdya MenonAnnalie MartinAnne BabbittAllison G PickensBrett PickettJonathon T HillArminda SuliTiana M ScottSamuel JensenBrett Earl PickettIsrael Guerrero-ArgueroClaudia M Tellez-FreitasKelly Scott WeberBradford K BergesRichard A RobisonBrett Earl PickettBrett Earl PickettMaria del Pilar Martinez ViedmaStephen PanossianKennedy GiffordKimberly GarciaIsis FigueroaLeda ParhamLaise de MoraesLillian Nunes GomesTamara Garcia-SalumCecilia PerretDaniela WeiskopfGene S TanAntonio Augusto SilvaViviane BoaventuraGuillermo M. Ruiz-PalaciosAlessandro SetteAruna Dharshan De SilvaRafael A MedinaIvette LorenzanaKevan M AkramiRicardo KhouriDaniel OlsonBrett Earl PickettNaomi Rapier-SharmanJohn KrapohlEthan J BeausoleilKennedy T.L. GiffordBenjamin R HinatsuCurtis S HoffmannMakayla KomerTiana M ScottBrett Earl PickettMariana G FerrariniAvantika LalRita RebolloAndreas J GruberAndrea GuarracinoItziar Martinez GonzalezTaylor FloydDaniel Siqueira de OliveiraJustin ShanklinEthan BeausoleilTaneli PusaBrett Earl PickettVanessa Aguiar-PulidoKara L PhippsKetaki GantiNathan T JacobsCY LeeSilvia CarnacciniMC WhiteMiglena ManandharBrett Earl PickettGene S TanLucas M FerreriDaniel R PerezAnice C LowenD KaulR RathnasingheM FerresGene S TanA BarreraBrett Earl PickettBA MetheSuman R DasI BudnikRebecca A HalpinDavid WentworthM SchmolkeI MenaRA AlbrechtIndresh SinghKaren E NelsonAdolfo García-SastreChristopher L DupontRafael A MedinaMaria Del Pilar Martinez ViedmaNirgun KoseLeda ParhamAngel BalmasedaGuillermina KuanIvette LorenzanaEva HarrisJames E. CroweBrett Earl PickettSean M BialosukniaYi TanSteven D ZinkCheri A KoetznerJoseph G MaffeiRebecca A HalpinEmmi A MuellerMark NovotnyMeghan ShiltsNadia B FedorovaPaolo AmedeoSuman R DasBrett Earl PickettLaura D KramerAlexander T CiotaMaria Del Pilar Martinez ViedmaVinita PuriLauren M. OldfieldReed S ShabmanGene S TanBrett Earl PickettBashar IbrahimKsenia ArkhipovaArno C AndewegSusana Posada-CespedesFrancois EnaultArthur GruberEugene V KooninAnne KupczokPhilippe LemeyAlice C McHardyDino P McMahonBrett Earl PickettDavid L RobertsonRichard H ScheuermannAlexandra ZhernakovaMark P ZwartAlexander SchonhuthBas E DutilhManja MarzMaria del Pilar Martinez ViedmaBrett Earl PickettYi TanBrett Earl PickettSusmita ShrivastavaLionel GreshAngel BalmasedaPaolo AmedeoLihui HuVinita PuriNadia B. FedorovaRebecca A. HalpinMatthew P LaPointeMR ConeL Heberlein-Larson Laura D KramerAlexander T CiotaA GordonReed S ShabmanSuman R DasEva HarrisLindsey A MoserBrendan T BoylanFernando R MoreiraLaurel J MyersEmma L SvensonNadia B FedorovaBrett Earl PickettKristen A BernardSusmita ShrivastavaVinita PuriKarrie A DilleyErika NgouajioJessica ShifflettLauren M OldfieldNadia B FedorovaLihui HuTorrey WilliamsAlan DurbinPaolo AmedeoS RashidReed S ShabmanBrett Earl PickettMartin M NyagaYi TanMapaseka L SeheriRebecca A HalpinAsmik AkopovKarla M StuckerNadia B FedorovaSusmita ShrivastavaA Duncan SteeleJason M MwendaBrett Earl PickettSR DasJM Mphahlele Alex J LeeRoshni BhattacharyaRichard H ScheuermannBrett Earl PickettYun ZhangBrian D AevermannTavis K AndersonDavid F BurkeGwenaelle DauphinZhiping GuSherry HeSanjeev KumarChristopher N LarsenAlexandra J LeeX LiCatherine MackenC MahaffeyBrett Earl PickettB ReardonT SmithL StewartC SulowayG SunL TongAL VincentB WaltersSam ZarembaH ZhaoL ZhouChristian ZmasekEd B KlemRichard H ScheuermannMark A MillerTerri SchwartzBrett Earl PickettSherry HeEdward B KlemRichard H ScheuermannMaria PassarottiSeth KaufmanMaureen A O'LearyAlexandra J LeeSuman R DasWei WangTheresa FitzgeraldBrett Earl PickettBrian D AevermannDavid J TophamAnn R FalseyRichard H ScheuermannBrian D AevermannBrett Earl PickettSanjeev KumarEdward B KlemSudhakar AgnihothramPeter S AskovichArmand Bankhead, IIIMeagen BollesVictoria CarterJean ChangTR ClaussP DashAH DiercksAJ EisfeldA EllisS FanMT FerrisLE GralinskiRR GreenMA GritsenkoM HattaRA HeegelJM JacobsS JengL JossetSM KaiserS KellyGL LawC LiJ LiC LongML LunaM MatzkeJ McDermottV MenacheryTO MetzH MitchellME MonroeG NavarroGabi NeumannRL PodyminoginSO PurvineCM RosenbergerCJ SandersAA SchepmoesAK ShuklaA SimsP SovaVC TamN TchitchekPG ThomasSC Tilton A ToturaJ WangBJ Webb-RobertsonJ WenJM WeissF YangB YountQ ZhangS McWeeneyRD SmithKatrina M WatersYoshihiro KawaokaRalph BaricAlan AderemMG KatzeRichard H ScheuermannVG DuganSJ EmrichGI Giraldo-CalderónOS HarbRM NewmanBrett Earl PickettLM SchrimlTB Stockwell CJ Stoeckert JrDE SullivanIndresh SinghDV Ward Alison YaoJ ZhengTanya BarrettBruce BirrenLauren BrinkacVM BrunoE CalerS ChapmanFH CollinsCA CuomoValentina Di FrancescoS DurkinM EppingerM FeldgardenC FraserWF FrickeMaria GiovanniMatthew R HennE HineJD HotoppIlene Karsch-MizrachiJC KissingerEM LeeP MathurEF MongodinCI MurphyG MyersDE NeafseyKaren E NelsonWilliam C NiermanJulia PuzakD RaskoDavid S RoosL SadzewiczJC SilvaBruno SobralR Burke SquiresRL StevensL TallonH TettelinD WentworthOwen WhiteR WillJennifer WortmanYun ZhangRichard H ScheuermannR Burke SquiresBrett Earl PickettSajal DasRichard H ScheuermannBrett Earl PickettM LiuEL SadatRB SquiresJM NoronhaS HeW JenS ZarembaZ GuL ZhouChris N LarsenIrene BoschL GehrkeMonnie McGeeEd B KlemRichard H ScheuermannR Burke SquiresJyothi NoronhaVictoria HuntAdolfo Garcia-SastreCatherine MackenNicole BaumgarthDavid SuarezBrett Earl PickettYun ZhangChris N LarsenA RamseyL ZhouSam ZarembaS KumarJ DeitrichEd KlemRichard H ScheuermannJyothi M NoronhaMengya LiuR Burke SquiresBrett Earl PickettBenjamin G HaleGillian M AirSummer E GallowayToru TakimotoMirco SchmolkeVictoria HuntEdward KlemAdolfo García-SastreMonnie McGeeRichard H ScheuermannBrett Earl PickettDouglas GreerYun ZhangLucy StewartLiwei ZhouGuangyu SunZhiping GuSanjeev KumarSam ZarembaChristopher N LarsenW JenEd B KlemRichard H ScheuermannDJ SchmidtBrett Earl PickettD CamachoG ComachK XhajaNJ LennonK RizzoloN De BoschA BecerraML NogueiraA MondiniE V da SilvaP F VasconcelosJ L Muñoz-JordánG A SantiagoR OcazionezLee GehrkeElliot L LefkowitzBruce W BirrenMatthew R HennIrene BoschBrett Earl PickettRob StrikerElliot J LefkowitzGregory S WhiteBrett Earl PickettElliot J LefkowitzAmelia G JohnsonChristy OttendorferLillian M StarkThomas R UnnaschBrett Earl PickettEva L SadatYun ZhangJyothi M NoronhaR Burke SquiresVictoria HuntMengya LiuSanjeev KumarSam ZarembaZhiping GuL ZhouChris N LarsenJohn DietrichEd B KlemRichard H ScheuermannBrett Earl PickettElliot J Lefkowitz
Presentations
Tiana M ScottSam JensenBrett Earl Pickett
Caroline A JacksonTiana M ScottJacquelyne HowellGene S TanAnice LowenBrett Earl Pickett
Madison GrayIsrael Guerrero-ArgueroAntonio Solis LealRichard A RobisonBradford K BergesBrett Earl Pickett
Madison GrayIsrael Guerrero-ArgueroAntonio Solis LealRichard A RobisonBradford K BergesBrett Earl Pickett
Edwin J VelazquezDavid M BelliniRachel A SkabelundTyler B HumpherysJonathan R SkidmoreBrett Earl PickettStephen R PiccoloKim L O'Neill
Brett Earl Pickett
Jacquelyne HowellCaroline JacksonTiana M ScottAnice C LowenGene S TanBrett Earl Pickett
