Natalie Powers, Ph.D.

Postdoctoral Associate

Researching the role of the histone methyltransferase PRDM9 in allocation and repair of meiotic double-strand breaks, which are necessary for the essential process of genetic recombination.

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About Natalie Powers, Ph.D.

I am mainly interested in how regulatory and epigenetic factors can influence the inheritance and expression of heritable traits, especially complex traits. My Ph.D. work primarily used human genetic methods, and I joined The Jackson Laboratory to expand my expertise with mice. My current research involves the role of the histone methyltransferase PRDM9 in allocation and repair of meiotic double-strand breaks, which are necessary for the essential process of genetic recombination. In mammals, PRDM9 is responsible for both initiating and localizing the sites of recombination within the genome. I have several ongoing projects in the lab, all of which involve the DNA-binding properties of PRDM9 in vivo, and the roles of PRDM9-dependent histone modifications in recombination.

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Grants, honors and accomplishments

2013 C.W. Cotterman Award, American Society of Human Genetics; Boston, MA

2005-2007 MBRS-RISE Scholarship, California State University, Fresno; Fresno, CA

2003 Lilaine D. Wells Scholarship, California State University, Fresno; Fresno, CA

2003 Biology Department Award, Antelope Valley College; Lancaster, CA

2001 International Baccalaureate Diploma, Quartz Hill High School; Quartz Hill, CA

2001 Valedictorian, Quartz Hill High School; Quartz Hill, CA

Tech CornerJune 17, 2019
The genome of Eve (the mouse)
C57BL/6—aka Black 6—is the most widely used mouse strain in research. Its reference genome was published in 2003 and has been carefully curated over the years since.
Search MagazineMay 22, 2019
JAX scientists speak out on the crisis of opioid addiction
JAX scientists are intensifying their efforts to shed light on the genetic and neurobiological causes of addiction, along with the impact of environmental influences.
Research HighlightMay 02, 2019
How can we take full advantage of EHR Data?
There has been an explosion of digital medical data in recent years, taking many forms. Much of the most valuable data—clinical patient data—is currently stored in electronic health record (EHR) systems, providing a theoretical gold mine for large-scale integration and analyses of patient traits, diseases, treatments, progression over time, outcomes and more.
Research HighlightMarch 12, 2019
A closer look at structural variants in the genome
A recent Cell paper uses long-read DNA sequencing and other advanced genomics tools and methods to shed light on genomic structural variants.

Featured ArticleMay 29, 2019
Making a community impact beyond the bench
A JAX postdoctoral associate was recently awarded a fellowship in Science Policy from the Society for Industrial and Applied Mathematics that will allow him to advocate for support of science research with federal officials and congressional staff.
Research HighlightMay 20, 2019
Revealing cellular traits, one cell at a time
Scientists have developed an expanded toolkit that enables investigations of cellular traits at the single cell level at an unprecedented level of detail.
Press ReleaseApril 16, 2019
A thorough characterization of structural variants in human genomes
A recent study used multiple advanced technologies to dive deeper into the human genome than ever before to comprehensively characterize the structural variants present in three families, and what their functional consequences might be.
Research HighlightMarch 08, 2019
Long-range connectivity and gene regulation networks
A complicated three-dimensional network involving proteins and specific DNA sequences helps regulate the expression of genes. New work led by JAX’s Chia-Lin Wei shows how one protein, SOX2, plays a significant role in neural stem cells, affecting many aspects of development and function.