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Aydin Selcan Aydin, Ph.D. |
Bar Harbor, ME |
My research interest lie at the intersection of genetic diversity and environmental variability, with the goal of elucidating how GxE interactions alter cell fate decisions.
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My long-term goal is to obtain the necessary skills to develop an independent research program focused on studying the effects of genetic and environmental variation on cell-fate decisions using a multi-disciplinary approach that combines wet-lab experiments with mathematical modeling. Towards this goal, I have sought interdisciplinary training in molecular biology, computational and systems biology, and quantitative genetics. As a postdoc in Munger lab, I aim to complement and enhance these skills by training in mouse genetics and developmental biology. As a graduate student working with Drs. Nick Buchler and Paul Magwene, I characterized the effects of natural genetic variation in budding yeast on growth dynamics in response to hyper-osmotic stress. I showed that this phenotype was highly variable in our genetically diverse collection of yeast strains, and then applied bulk segregant analysis to identify genetic variants that mediated this variable response. In my postdoctoral research, I have started exploring GxE interactions in a higher model organism (mouse) within embryonic stem cells. In addition to research, I am actively involved in teaching, mentoring and scientific outreach efforts at JAX. Outside of lab I enjoy the outdoors by hiking, snowshoeing and gardening!
Visit Selcan Aydin on ORCID
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Complex Traits|Computational Biology|Genetics and Genomics |
Complex Traits|Computational Biology|Genetics and Genomics |
The Munger Lab |
Postdoctoral Associate |
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Barakat Yehya Barakat |
Bar Harbor, ME |
I am interested in improving drug discovery for neuropsychiatric disorders using genetics and bioinformatics.
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I worked as a pharmacist following my undergraduate education. Shortly in my clinical work, I was frustrated with the progress of pharmaceuticals in the field of neuropsychiatric disorders. I was especially moved by my friend's struggles with limerence, a disorder that is still undiagnosable and with very little literature surrounding it. I was motivated to go into a research-based program in Boston; there I received my Master's degree in pharmacology and drug development. I got immersed in the field of neurogenetics by my previous mentor Dr. Leon Reijmers and I have decided that's the type of training I want to focus on. I got accepted to the Tufts-JAX collaborative Ph.D. program in neuroscience and I have never made a better choice than to join this program. Under the mentorship of Dr. Vivek Kumar, I feel I will get the training I need to ask and answer critical questions that can lead to better drug targets for neuropsychiatric disorders with unmet needs.
My project is involved in understanding the causal mechanisms involved in age dependent hyperactivity disorder and its relationship to cortical cell death.
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Behavioral Disorders|Bioinformatics|Complex Traits|Genetics and Genomics |
Behavioral Disorders|Bioinformatics|Complex Traits|Genetics and Genomics |
The Kumar Lab |
Predoc |
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Castro Rodrigo Castro, Ph.D. |
Bar Harbor, ME |
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Rodrigo graduated from Georgia State University with a doctoral degree in mathematics, focusing in deep learning research. As a postdoctoral associate in the Tewhey lab, Rodrigo works on generative deep-learning models for cis-regulatory elements and deriving new synthetic elements for desired regulatory functions. In his spare time, Rodrigo enjoys practicing music, biking, and learning about new AI advances.
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Bioinformatics |
Bioinformatics |
The Tewhey Lab |
Lab Staff|Postdoctoral Associate |
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Englander Ryan Englander |
Farmington, CT |
I am investigating splicing-derived neo-antigens in breast and lung cancer using long-read RNA-sequencing in collaboration with the Palucka Lab.
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Leveraging emergent techniques in genetics and immunology to identify and exploit therapeutic vulnerabilities in cancer
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Bioinformatics|Cancer|Genetics and Genomics|Immune Disorders |
Bioinformatics|Cancer|Genetics and Genomics|Immune Disorders |
The Anczukow Lab|The Palucka Lab |
Predoc |
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Ferraj Ardian Ferraj, MS |
Farmington, CT |
Investigates the impact of structural variants in diverse genomes with a focus on transposable elements in early development.
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Ardian is a graduate student affiliated with UConn Health and The Jackson Laboratory. Under the supervision of Dr. Christine Beck, he is studying the impact of structural variants on diverse genomes, focusing on the effects of transposable element variants on stem cell transcription.
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Bioinformatics|Computational Biology|Genetics and Genomics |
Bioinformatics|Computational Biology|Genetics and Genomics |
The Beck Lab |
Lab Staff|Predoc |
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Forougi Pour Ali Forougi Pour, Ph.D. |
Farmington, CT |
Applications of mathematical modeling, statistical models, and machine learning to develop predictive models for integrative data analysis.
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I mostly work on selection and extraction on biological and morphological features that are indicative of outcomes such as response to treatment, risk of relapse, etc. I am also interested on integrating such features across data types for reliable prediction.
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Bioinformatics|Cancer|Computational Biology |
Bioinformatics|Cancer|Computational Biology |
The Chuang Lab |
Postdoctoral Associate |
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Garretson Alexis Garretson, MS |
Bar Harbor, ME |
Leveraging genetic diversity and computational techniques to investigate the architecture of complex traits
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Genetically diverse animal models are critical to understanding complex traits. While the use of classical inbred strains has enabled significant genetic research, these strains do not adequately represent the genetic diversity amongst humans. Multiparent populations like the collaborative cross mice and outbred populations like the diversity outbred mice allow us to model human diversity and better understand the genetic architecture of complex traits. Genetic variation itself, however, can also be considered a complex trait that arises from mutation, recombination, and chromosome assortment. Using diverse mouse strains and computational tools, I am investigating how candidate genes can alter mutation rates and resulting population genetic variability.
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Bioinformatics|Complex Traits|Computational Biology|Genetics and Genomics |
Bioinformatics|Complex Traits|Computational Biology|Genetics and Genomics |
The Dumont Lab |
Predoc |
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Gong Minghao Gong, Ph.D. |
Farmington, CT |
Works in the crossroads of microbiology, immunology, and multi-omics analyses (esp. Metabolomics), focused on the metabolomic tools development and the applications of metabolomics in microbe-host interaction and immunological studies.
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I have been working across multiple disciplines including immunology, microbiology, and bioinformatics. My research efforts during my Ph. D has built towards the application of multi-omics approaches to understanding microbe-host interaction. Thrilled by the recent development of metabolomics, I committed my efforts to develop metabolomic tools and analysis pipelines to decipher metabolic phenotypes in immune-related disorders and other diseases.
My current research includes developing metabolomic tools to the reconstruction of biochemical networks. The milestone towards this will be developing tools to upgrade genome scale metabolic models by using mass spectrometry data, via a combination of computational, genetic, cellular and isotope tracing techniques.
Minghao Gong on ORCID
Minghao Gong on Google Scholar
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Bioinformatics|Computational Biology|Immune Disorders|Infectious Disease Research |
Bioinformatics|Computational Biology|Immune Disorders|Infectious Disease Research |
The Li Lab |
Postdoctoral Associate |
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Hadad Niran Hadad, Ph.D. |
Bar Harbor, ME |
My primary research focus is on leveraging genetically diverse mouse populations to uncover genetic and epigenetic mechanisms that govern organismal cognitive aging
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I graduated from The University of Oklahoma with a PhD in neuroscience, and shortly thereafter joined the Kaczorowski lab as a postdoctoral associate. I am intent on leveraging genetically diverse mouse populations to uncover genetic and epigenetic mechanisms that govern organismal aging, and determine to what extent these mechanisms are acting in the brain to confer risk and resilience to Alzheimer's disease. Most of the known risk variants associated with Alzheimer's disease occur in non-coding regions in the genome and are proposed to influence gene targets that are (1) different than those classically been associated with, and (2) act in a cell type specific manner. I use single-cell technologies to characterize the effects of risk variants on their target genes and explore their influence on molecular networks associated with aging and Alzheimer's disease. My goal is test whether identified genetic variants alter the epigenetic landscape, and whether these variants can be targeted to delay or prevent age-related cognitive decline and dementia.
Niran Hadad on ORCID
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Aging|Computational Biology|Genetics and Genomics|Neurodegenerative and Neuromuscular Diseases |
Aging|Computational Biology|Genetics and Genomics|Neurodegenerative and Neuromuscular Diseases |
The Kaczorowski Lab |
Postdoctoral Associate |
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Heuer Sarah Heuer, B.Sc. |
Bar Harbor, ME |
I am interested in understanding how microglia activation states cause neurodegenerative phenotypes in Alzheimer's disease and dementia.
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Alzheimer's disease (AD) is the leading cause of age-related dementia, but the underlying causal mechanisms of AD neurodegenerative phenotypes are relatively unknown. Microglia, the resident immune cells of the central nervous system, are known to participate in pruning of neuronal synapses under homeostatic conditions, and produce diverse activation states in the AD brain with relatively unknown consequence. By combining the Howell lab's expertise in mouse genetics and neurodegeneration, my background in immunology and genetics, and collaborative resources at JAX, we are investigating how states of activated microglia cause susceptibility to neurodegenerative phenotypes at the level of the neuronal synapse.
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Aging|Bioinformatics|Genetics and Genomics|Immune Disorders |
Aging|Bioinformatics|Genetics and Genomics|Immune Disorders |
The Howell Lab |
Predoc |
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Kim Kwondo Kim, Ph.D. |
Farmington, CT |
My studies focus on evolution and function implications of structural variations in human population.
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Bioinformatics|Computational Biology|Genetics and Genomics |
Bioinformatics|Computational Biology|Genetics and Genomics |
The Lee Lab |
Postdoctoral Associate |
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Kuffler Lauren Kuffler |
Bar Harbor, ME |
Studying the genomics of complex diseases.
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Lauren is a Ph.D. student in the Tufts University Mammalian Genetics program.
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Bioinformatics|Data Science at JAX|Complex Traits |
Bioinformatics|Data Science at JAX|Complex Traits |
The Carter Lab |
Predoc |
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Kumar Swarup Kumar, MD |
Farmington, CT |
My research focuses on interpreting high-throughput genomic and phenotypic analysis of tumor samples specifically that of the breast tumor micro-environment
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I am a clinical fellow with the University of Connecticut in Hematology and Medical oncology. I also hold a physician fellow - visiting scientist position at the Jackson Laboratory for training in cancer genomics for a period of 1.5 years. My research interest lies in studying the interactions of immunity with tumors as well as identifying strategies to effect treatment of cancers. My focus is on computing gene expression profiling of tumor samples as well as experimental design and methodology. I have previously worked as a research trainee at Mayo Clinic Rochester with the department of Gastroenterology and Hepatology.
Swarup Kumar on ORCIDID
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Cancer|Bioinformatics|Computational Biology |
Cancer|Bioinformatics|Computational Biology |
The Palucka Lab |
Predoc |
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Larson Peter Larson, BS |
Farmington, CT |
Engineering the human skin microbiome to treat diseases and prevent infections.
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I've brought my background in synthetic biology to the Oh Lab with the aspiration to leverage the human microbiome (the bacteria, fungi, viruses, and other microbes that live on us) to promote health, prevent infections, and treat diseases. Here I have been engineering Staphylococcus epidermidis, a ubiquitous skin commensal, to detect and kill pathogens, as well as secrete therapeutics. Additionally, I have been conducting a sizable clinical metagenome study investigating the relationship between aging, health, and the microbiome. This study should help us understand how we can leverage the microbiome to promote healthy aging, combat chronic illnesses, and prevent infections commonly acquired by older adults in healthcare settings. Finally, I have been exploring the use of human skin explants and stem cell derived skin “organoids” to model human skin microbiome interactions. This will allow us and others to test engineered skin microbiome therapeutics, and better identify mechanisms by which the skin microbiome modulates health and disease.
Download CV
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Aging|Bioinformatics|Computational Biology|Genetics and Genomics |
Aging|Bioinformatics|Computational Biology|Genetics and Genomics |
The Oh Lab |
Predoc |
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Lawal Raman Akinyanju Lawal, Ph.D. |
Bar Harbor, ME |
Unraveling the evolutionary forces that give rise to the observed genetic diversity in the house mouse
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Genetic diversity is critical for the survival of any species. It is also central to the understanding of why one population, under similar environmental challenges, survives over another. I am primarily focused on determining the underlying evolutionary mechanisms shaping the observed genetic diversity found in the wild house mice. The wild house mice are invasive species with a long history of adaptation to new and the most extreme habitat. Unraveling the mystery of such adaptation is important for biomedical discoveries.
View Raman Lawal on Research Gate
View Raman Lawal on Google Scholar
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Computational Biology|Genetics and Genomics |
Computational Biology|Genetics and Genomics |
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Postdoctoral Associate |
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O'Neill Francis O'Neill, M.D., M.A. |
Farmington, CT |
My primary area of research is the identification of cancer specific proteins and the development of novel anti-cancer immunotherapies for solid tumors, such as osteosarcoma.
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My primary area of research is the identification of cancer specific proteins and the development of novel anti-cancer immunotherapies for solid tumors, such as osteosarcoma. Utilizing high performance computing, we combine RNA sequencing and protein analysis in a proteogenomics workflow. The Jackson Laboratory for Genomic performs both long-read sequencing (Pacific Biosciences platform) and short-read sequencing (Illumina platform) on oncology patient samples. Our hybrid sequencing approach allows for generating a highly accurate cancer transcriptome upon which we can explore multiple biological mechanisms, such as RNA splicing and chromosomal rearrangements, leading to cancer specific mRNA isoforms. Mass spectrometry identification of isoform specific peptides aids in selecting candidates for validation in the laboratory. A central goal of my research is to expand current cancer treatment options and provide novel therapeutic agents with improved tumor specificity.
Francis O'Neil on ORCID
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Bioinformatics|Cancer|Computational Biology|Diabetes and Obesity |
Bioinformatics|Cancer|Computational Biology|Diabetes and Obesity |
The Lau Lab |
Postdoctoral Associate |
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Pan Ziwei Pan |
Farmington, CT |
I am interested in applying machine learning and advanced statistical modelling into biological questions.
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I am a graduate student in Biomedical Sciences in Uconn Health with the supervisor of Dr. Sheng Li. I am interested in applying machine learning and advanced statistical modeling into biological questions.
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Bioinformatics|Computational Biology|Genetics and Genomics|Cancer |
Bioinformatics|Computational Biology|Genetics and Genomics|Cancer |
The Li Lab |
Predoc |
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Taylor Aaron Taylor, Ph.D. |
Farmington, CT |
Multi-omic profiling of pediatric brain and bone cancer to discover novel prognostic biomarkers and therapeutic targets.
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The purpose of my research at the Ching Lau Lab is to examine genomic and epigenomic data from pediatric cancers in order to discover molecular phenotypes, prognostic biomarkers, and candidate therapeutic targets. My work includes method and pipeline development for integration of multi-omic data in the analysis of pediatric brain and bone tumors to develop a better molecular understanding of these often-lethal cancers. Currently, my research focuses on osteosarcoma, ependymoma, and intracranial germ cell tumors.
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Cancer|Bioinformatics|Computational Biology|Genetics and Genomics |
Cancer|Bioinformatics|Computational Biology|Genetics and Genomics |
The Lau Lab |
Postdoctoral Associate |
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Wooldridge Lydia Wooldridge, Ph.D. |
Bar Harbor, ME |
To study the evolution of genes related to fertility and sexual reproduction, and to use this information to understand infertility in humans.
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The broad goal of my research is to understand causes of infertility. Currently, I am studying meiotic recombination rate. Too few recombination events leads to infertility, therefore proper recombination is essential for gamete production and thus species survival. It is well established that recombination rate varies widely across species, individuals, and even within an individual's gamete pool. However, the exact loci and mechanisms controlling these variations are largely unknown. I am working to identify the loci responsible for recombination rate variation, as well as working to understand the exact relationship between recombination rate and fertility.
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Lidya Wooldridge on ORCID
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Computational Biology|Genetics and Genomics|Reproductive Disorders |
Computational Biology|Genetics and Genomics|Reproductive Disorders |
The Dumont Lab |
Postdoctoral Associate |