Stowers Institute Appoints Charles McAnany as Second AI Fellow

Since joining the Institute in 2019, McAnany has worked within the lab of Investigator Julia Zeitlinger, who spearheaded the AI Initiative launched in 2024. His research centers on the language of DNA, specifically the regulatory instructions dictating gene activity. By developing methods to visualize how machine learning models interpret genomic data, McAnany bridges the gap between opaque computational outputs and actionable biological insights.

His new role involves scaling these deep learning approaches across the broader research community, supporting scientists in fields ranging from structural biology to complex data analysis. Joining Sumner Magruder, the Institute’s first AI Fellow appointed in 2025, McAnany represents a commitment to supporting early-career researchers who operate at the intersection of high-level computation and laboratory experimentation. According to Scientific Director Kausik Si, Ph.D., this synthesis is essential for identifying patterns that have historically remained obscured by the sheer scale of modern biological datasets.