Laura Reinholdt, Ph.D.

Associate Professor

Dr. Reinholdt’s research focuses on comparative and functional mammalian genomics, reproductive development and stem cell biology.

Dr. Reinholdt’s research interests are in the development and application of genetic approaches for understanding the etiology and functional consequences of genome variation in the germ line and in pluripotent cells. Dr. Reinholdt is also committed to genetic resource development and has made significant contributions to the early development of high throughput sequencing approaches for genomic discovery in the mouse genome, and more recently the development of novel ES and iPSC cell lines from genetically diverse mice that are enabling platforms for cellular systems genetics.

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Education and experience

Dr. Reinholdt received her Ph.D. in Genetics from the University of Connecticut, Department of Molecular and Cellular Biology in 2001 and this was followed by a post-doctoral fellowship in Drs. John Schimenti and Mary Ann Handel’s laboratories. Dr. Reinholdt joined the Genetic Resource Science group at The Jackson Laboratory in 2008 as a Research Scientist and was promoted to Senior Research Scientist in 2015. As a principal investigator in the Mutant Mouse Resource and Research Center, as well as the Special Mouse Strains Resource and the Mouse Mutant Resource she is an expert in mouse model development, mammalian genetics and technology development. She also serves as a domain expert in Reproductive phenotyping for the Knockout Mouse Project (KOMP2) at JAX.

In addition to the development and implementation of high throughput sequencing based approaches for spontaneous mutation, transgene insertion site and translocation breakpoint discovery, Dr. Reinholdt’s laboratory developed a novel protocol for derivation of embryonic stem cell line from a variety of strains that were previously deemed recalcitrant after years of failed attempts by the scientific community. This approach is now being used to derive embryonic stem cells from a variety of strains including disease models from which in vitro tools are in demand, including mouse models of Alzheimer’s disease, cytogenetic disorders (Turner’s syndrome and Down syndrome), and tool strains for systems genetics.