Jim Brody is a professor in the Department of Biomedical Engineering at the University of California, Irvine, where his current research operates at the intersection of genomics, data science, and predictive medicine. His work is centered on applying machine learning and artificial intelligence to predict disease and other phenotypes from germline DNA. The cornerstone of his approach is rooted in data science: representing the entire genome with a small number of parameters and increasing training dataset sizes through data augmentation strategies. This methodology is used to develop robust genetic risk scores for a range of complex diseases. By utilizing large public datasets like the NIH All of Us Research Program, his research aims to translate big data into clinically relevant tools, creating the next generation of DNA-based tests for early disease detection and personalized risk assessment.
Dr. Brody grew up outside of Mt. Clemens, Michigan, and received his BS in Physics from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology and his PhD in Physics from Princeton University. His doctoral thesis detailed the dynamics of the red blood cell cytoskeleton using a microfabricated device. Following his PhD, he joined the faculty of the University of Washington, where he was instrumental in developing early microfluidics technology. He co-founded Micronics, a microfluidics company that was eventually sold to Sony, and is an inventor on several key microfluidics patents.
In 2000, Dr. Brody joined the University of California, Irvine, as the first professor hired by the new Biomedical Engineering department. He played a foundational role in the department’s development, serving as its first Chair of Graduate Studies and leading the creation of the graduate degree program. He has held numerous leadership positions across the School of Engineering and the UCI campus, including service as chair of the School’s graduate and undergraduate committees and, most recently, as the Chair of the Academic Program Review Board. In recognition of his leadership, he received the 2025-2026 Distinguished Mid-Career Faculty Award for Service from the Academic Senate.
An award-winning teacher, Dr. Brody is best known for creating and teaching the general education course, BME 3: Engineering Innovations in the Treatment of Diabetes. The course is one of the largest in the country, regularly enrolling over 3,000 students and reaching hundreds more across other UC campuses. In recognition of his contributions, he received the Excellence in Digital Learning Award in 2025 and the 2022 Mid-Career Faculty Innovation in Teaching award.