Genetics | Research Interests

Name	Email	PhD Program
Schrank, Travis EMAIL PUBLICATIONS	PHD PROGRAM Pathobiology & Translational Science RESEARCH INTEREST Bioinformatics, Biophysics, Cancer Biology, Cancer Signaling & Biochemistry, Chemical Biology, Computational Biology, Evolutionary Biology, Genetics, Genomics, Molecular Biology, Molecular Mechanisms of Disease, Translational Medicine, Virology	I am a surgeon-scientist specialized in head and neck cancers. My goal is to address translationalquestions with genomic data and bioinformatic methods, as well as benchtop experimentation. My clinical practice as a head and neck cancer surgeon also influences my research by helping me seek solutions to problems that will directly inform gaps in the current treatment protocols. I have developed a strong interest in HPV genomics as well as HPV/host genome integrations, as these factors are intrinsically related to transcriptional diversity and patient outcomes in HPV-associated head and neck cancers. Our work has helped to demonstrate that a novel mechanism of HPV-mediated oncogenesis requiring NF-kB activation is present in nearly 50% of oropharyngeal tumors. In this vein, we are aggressively investigating the cellular interplay between the NF-kB pathway and persistent HPV infection, tumor radiation response, NRF2 signaling, and more. Another outgrowth of this work has been investigating APOBEC3B and its non-canonical roles in regulating transcription. Our preliminary work has demonstrated that APOBEC3B has surprisingly strong transcriptional effects in HPV+ HNSCC cells and may promote oncogenesis and tumor maintenance by suppressing the innate immune response and influencing the HPV viral lifecycle. Our group also have a strong interest in translational genomic studies. Our group is working to develop methods that will make gene expression-based biomarkers more successful in the clinic, as well as studying many aspects of genomic alterations that contribute to the development of squamous cell carcinomas.
Chen, Jiakun WEBSITE EMAIL PUBLICATIONS	PHD PROGRAM Biology, Cell Biology & Physiology, Neuroscience RESEARCH INTEREST Brain Development, Cell Biology, Developmental Biology, Genetics, Model Organisms, Neurobiology, Neurodevelopmental Disorders	The goal of our research is to understand how astrocytes develop and how they interact with neural elements during nervous system formation, function, and maintenance. Our lab uses fruit fly Drosophila and zebrafish Danio rerio to explore fundamental aspects of astrocyte biology. We leverage the powerful genetics and unparalleled molecular toolsets in flies to uncover gene function, and we exploit the advanced live-imaging techniques in zebrafish to study astrocyte-neuron interactions in vivo.
Girault, Jessica WEBSITE EMAIL PUBLICATIONS	PHD PROGRAM Neuroscience RESEARCH INTEREST Behavior, Brain Development, Genetics, Neurodevelopmental Disorders	We are a lab using state-of-the art neuroimaging techniques to study brain development and its links to emerging cognition and behavior in young infants and children. We study both typically developing infants and those at risk for neurodevelopmental disorders, including autism spectrum disorder. We are particularly interested in how family study designs can help us understand genetic influences on brain development.
Liu, Qingyun EMAIL PUBLICATIONS	PHD PROGRAM Genetics & Molecular Biology, Microbiology & Immunology RESEARCH INTEREST Bacteriology, Bioinformatics, Ecology, Evolutionary Biology, Genetics, Genomics, Microscopy/Imaging, Molecular Biology, Molecular Mechanisms of Disease, Pathogenesis & Infection	Traditionally, basic science has sought to enter the translational pipeline through what can be referred to as “Bottom-Up” science, that is, studies that start with a hypothesis in the lab and aim to develop clinical relevance of the findings. In some cases, notably in conventional antibiotic development, this has worked well – but it assumes one-size fits all solutions that are only as good as our assumptions about the biology of many infectious diseases such as tuberculosis. By contrast, my research focuses on a “Top-Down” approach, leveraging the power of bacterial population genomics to identify bacterial processes important for Mtb success in people and to then employ cutting-edge experimental techniques to mechanistically dissect these processes with the goal of leveraging them using new translational tools. In my work to date, I have applied this “Top-Down” strategy to define bacterial determinants of treatment outcomes and transmission success, as evident in first-author/corresponding author publications in prestigious journals such as Science, Nature Ecology Evolution, Cell Host Microbe, Science Advances, Genome Biology, PNAS, etc. My work combines expertise in evolutionary biology and bacterial genomics, cutting-edge bacterial genetics and high-throughput experimental phenotyping. In my own lab, I will use these tools to (1) define the biological mechanisms that enable Mtb to survive antibiotic treatment; (2) identify bacterial determinants of TB transmission success; and (3) elucidate the evolutionary mechanisms underlying the emergence of new bacterial pathogens.
Burns, Ella EMAIL	PHD PROGRAM RESEARCH INTEREST Cell Biology, Genetics, Physiology	“I am interested in studying the pathogenesis of muco-obstructive lung diseases—in particular, cystic fibrosis. At present, my interest centres on the role of chronic hypoxia on the development of CF lung disease. With this, I am also very interested in the epigenetic components of pathogenic changes in CF lung disease, with a focus on elucidating the impact of chronic hypoxia on such, and in turn, proposing novel treatment strategies/disease modelling techniques. Further, I would also like to pursue research on CFTR expression and regulation in the lung.”
Duprey, Kelsey EMAIL	PHD PROGRAM RESEARCH INTEREST Biochemistry, Genetics, Molecular Biology	“I am interested in DNA repair and replication, cell cycle and chromosome segregation, epigenetics, and developmental biology. I am looking to work with Drosophila, C. elegans, zebrafish, or cell cultures.”
Muron, Savannah EMAIL	PHD PROGRAM RESEARCH INTEREST Genetics, Molecular Biology, Translational Medicine	“I am interested in the development and study of gene therapies and gene-editing technologies. I am most interested in studying potential effects of gene therapy in genetic diseases such as CF or in their technological development. I am also interested in understanding the molecular mechanisms by which gene editing technologies work and how they can be utilized to further their development and use in creating models and treating disease.”
Huang, Emma EMAIL	PHD PROGRAM RESEARCH INTEREST Bioinformatics, Computational Biology, Genetics	“I would like to focus on developing statistical methods for modeling the effect of genetic variation among immunologic phenotypes in lung diseases, especially asthma.”
Blondel, Leo EMAIL	PHD PROGRAM RESEARCH INTEREST Genetics, Neurobiology, Translational Medicine	“I am interested in taking part in research aiming to understand the causes and progression of neurodegenerative and neurodevelopmental diseases, as well as identifying potential therapeutic targets. I am interested in using my background in AAV gene therapy to participate in translational research projects and contribute to treatments for these conditions.”
Marquez Gonzalez, Ariana EMAIL	PHD PROGRAM RESEARCH INTEREST Cell Biology, Genetics, Neurobiology	” I am interested in the molecular mechanisms behind neural disorders. I would enjoy continuing working with iPSCs models studying neuronal development as well as cell interactions between neurons and glial cells. I want to study epigenetic changes that contribute to neural disorders. How the environment plays a role in brain plasticity, and I would like to employ bioinformatics to model neuronal networks.”

Research Interest: Genetics