A Case Western Reserve University computer and data sciences researcher is working to shore up privacy protections for people whose genomic information is stored in a vast global collection of vital, personal data.

Erman Ayday pursued novel methods for identifying and analyzing privacy vulnerabilities in the genomic data sharing network known commonly as “the Beacons.”

Personal genomic data refers to each person’s unique genome, his or her genetic makeup, information that can be gleaned from DNA analysis of a blood test, or saliva sample.