Current Fellows in the Clinical Genetics Branch

Dr. de Andrade, research fellow in CGB, studies genetic and behavioral factors that could be associated with cancer risk, progression, and phenotypic variability in Li-Fraumeni Syndrome patients. His mentor is Sharon Savage, M.D.

Ms. Bess, postbaccalaureate fellow and iCURE scholar in CGB and TDRP/Connect, studies HPV 35 variation in HPV 35-associated cervical cancer and benign infections among women of African ancestry and worldwide, under the mentorship of Lisa Mirabello, Ph.D., senior investigator. In TDRP, she is working on the Connect for Cancer Prevention Cohort Study, under the mentorship of Mia Gaudet, Ph.D., senior scientist.

Ms. Black, postbaccalaureate Fellow in CGB, conducts various tasks in the CHARMS Study Enrollment System Migration such as data validations of forms, reports and surveys, along with entering backlogged study data. Her mentors are Sharon Savage, M.D., Renee Bremer, M.S., and Jessica Hatton, M.S.

Dr. Chapman Hannah, postdoctoral fellow in CGB, develops machine learning and statistical strategies to identify novel pathogenic variants in pediatric cancer. Her mentors are Douglas Stewart, M.D., and Hormuzd A. Katki, Ph.D. (Biostatistics Branch).

Dr. Forbes Shepherd, postdoctoral fellow in CGB, is building on earlier studies of the psychosocial challenges facing individuals with Li-Fraumeni syndrome by expanding his studies to those with inherited bone marrow failure syndromes. His primary goal is to develop psychosocial interventions for young people with high genetic risk of cancer. His mentors are Payal Khincha , M.B.B.S., M.S.H.S., and Sharon Savage, M.D.

Dr. Rajender Kumar, postdoctoral fellow in CGB, is working on developing image-based AI algorithms for classification of oral precancer and cancer under the mentorship of Anil Chaturvedi, Ph.D.

Dr. Kundrod, postdoctoral fellow in CGB, investigates approaches to HPV detection that have the potential to reduce cervical cancer disparities, under the mentorship of Dr. Philip Castle.

Dr. Landy, postdoctoral fellow in CGB, studies the natural history of human papillomavirus-related oropharyngeal cancers, and the appropriate use of risk estimation methods when evaluating cancer screening. Her mentors are Anil Chaturvedi, Ph.D., and Hormuzd Katki, Ph.D.

Dr. Mendez, postdoctoral fellow in CGB, investigates accelerated aging and biomarkers of aging (specifically, telomere length) among people who have received a hematopoietic stem cell transplant, under the mentorship of Shahinaz Gadalla, M.D., Ph.D.

Ms. Nagarkar, predoctoral fellow and scholar in CGB through the Medical Research Scholar Program, uses bioinformatics and biostatistics to investigate telomere function genes associated with numerous diseases including thyroid cancer, Coats plus syndrome, and melanoma. Her mentor is Sharon Savage, M.D.

Dr. Nelson, a research fellow in CGB, is working on studies within the DCEG Human Papillomavirus (HPV) Genomics Projects, with a focus on characterizing the molecular evolution of oncogenic HPVs and their relationships to disease progression. His mentor is Lisa Mirabello, Ph.D.

Ms. Nurelegne, postbaccalaureate fellow in CGB, investigates telomerase biology disorders and association with cancer risk. Her mentors are Sharon Savage, M.D, and Kelvin de Andrade, M.Sc.

Mr. O'Donnell, postbaccalaureate fellow in CGB, is building and validating absolute risk prediction models for ovarian cancer, as well as investigating changes in biomarker levels due to different handling and processing procedures in blood specimens taken from Connect cohort volunteers. His mentor is Nicolas Wentzensen, M.D., Ph.D., M.S.

Dr. Pearce, postdoctoral fellow in CGB, studies telomere length measurement and how donor telomere length impacts recipient survival after hematopoietic cell transplantation. Her mentor is Sharon A. Savage, M.D.

Dr. Pirsl, postdoctoral fellow in CGB, focuses on identifying associations of genetic markers with outcomes of hematopoietic stem cell transplant as well as sampling and healthy volunteer effects in cancer cohort studies, under the mentorship of Shahinaz Gadalla, M.D., Ph.D.

Dr. Rising, research fellow in CGB, focuses her research on developing a better understanding of health behaviors, communication behaviors, and psychosocial needs of individuals and families living with cancer predisposition syndromes, such as Li-Fraumeni syndrome and dyskeratosis congenita and related telomere biology disorders. Her mentors are Sharon A. Savage, M.D., Payal Khincha, M.B.B.S., M.S.H.S., and Sadie P. Hutson, Ph.D., R.N., F.A.A.N.

Dr. Wijayabahu, research fellow in CGB, focuses on understanding etiological relationships and modifiable risk factors of cancers that afflict women, with a special emphasis on endometrial cancer, under the mentorship of Megan Clarke, Ph.D.