Current Fellows in the Laboratory of Translational Genomics
Meet the fellows in the Laboratory of Translational Genomics (LTG) and learn about their work.
Laufey Amundadottir Lab
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Katelyn E. Connelly, Ph.D.
Dr. Connelly, postdoctoral fellow in LTG, is investigating the functional roles of germline variants, identified by genome-wide association studies, in pancreatic cancer risk. Her mentor is Laufey Amundadottir, Ph.D.
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Aidan O’Brien, M.Pharm., M.Sc.
Mr. O'Brien, predoctoral fellow in LTG, studies the functional characterization of susceptibility variants identified through genome-wide association studies and the identification of novel non-coding driver mutations in pancreatic cancer. His mentor is Laufey Amundadottir, Ph.D.
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Minal B. Patel, Ph.D.
Dr. Patel, postdoctoral fellow in LTG, focuses her research on the functional characterization of inherited variants identified through genome-wide association studies and their role in pancreatic cancer risk. Her mentor is Laufey Amundadottir, Ph.D.
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Gauri Prasad, Ph.D.
Dr. Prasad, postdoctoral fellow with a joint appointment to the laboratories of Dr. Laufey Amundadottir, LTG, and Dr. Efsun Arda, CCR. Dr. Prasad focuses her research on understanding the effects of genetic variation on pancreas cancer risk using a systems biology approach that integrates genetic variation with cell-type resolved gene expression, DNA methylation, open chromatin features, and three-dimensional chromatin interactions under the mentorship of Dr. Amundadottir and Dr. Arda.
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Jun Zhong, Ph.D.
Dr. Zhong, research fellow in LTG, focuses his research on identifying inherited variants associated with risk of pancreatic cancer using various genome-wide approaches, understanding the biology of germline risk variants using genomic technologies, and identifying non-coding somatic mutations that drive pancreatic carcinogenesis. His mentor is Laufey Amundadottir, Ph.D.
Kevin Brown Lab
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Rohit Thakur, Ph.D.
Dr. Thakur, research fellow in LTG, studies genetic susceptibility to melanoma, genetic-environmental risk factor interactions, and leads development of computational tools directly relevant to DCEG and other scientists. His mentors are Kevin M. Brown, Ph.D., LTG, and Mitchell Machiela, Sc.D., M.P.H., Integrative Tumor Epidemiology Branch.
Jiyeon Choi Lab
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Bolun Li, M.D., Ph.D.
Dr. Bolun Li, postdoctoral fellow in LTG, is characterizing the transcript diversity of different cell types and further identify cell-type specific isoform-level sQTLs in human lung tissues using single-cell splice-QTL with long-read sequencing. His mentors are Jiyeon Choi, Ph.D., Head, Jiyeon Choi Laboratory and Haoyu Zhang, Ph.D., both Earl Stadtman investigators.
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Thong Luong, Ph.D.
In LTG, Dr. Luong, postdoctoral fellow, is currently working on characterizing the chromatin landscape in lung cell models to functionally link how genomic variants may lead to lung cancer development. His mentors are Jiyeon Choi, Ph.D., Head, Jiyeon Choi Laboratory and Tongwu Zhang, Ph.D., both Earl Stadtman investigators.
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Sama Mikhail, B.S.
Ms. Mikhail, postbaccalaureate fellow in LTG, is working on functionally characterizing how variants identified in genome-wide associated studies (GWAS) can contribute to lung cancer development using cell-based systems. Her mentor is Jiyeon Choi, Ph.D., M.S.
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Elelta Sisay, B.A.
Ms. Sisay, postbaccalaureate fellow in LTG, is aiding in projects characterizing the role of variants identified by genome-wide associated studies in increasing susceptibility to lung cancer. Her mentors are Jiyeon Choi, Ph.D. and Thong Luong, Ph.D.
Michael Dean Lab
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Sonam Tulsyan, Ph.D.
Dr. Tulsyan, postdoctoral fellow in the Laboratory of Translational Genomics, is working on projects related to whole-genome sequencing of head and neck squamous cell carcinoma tumor samples and breakage bridge fusion events in different cervical cancer cell lines by long-read sequencing, under the mentorship of Michael Dean, Ph.D.
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Tawnjerae Joe, B.S.
Ms. Joe, an iCURE predoctoral fellow in LTG, aims to understand, at the molecular level, the development of cervical precancer and cancer from rare high-risk HPV types, under the mentorship of Michael Dean, Ph.D. , in the Laboratory of Translational Genomics, and Lisa Mirabello, Ph.D., in the Clinical Genetics Branch.
Ludmila Prokunina-Olsson Lab
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Atuahene Adu-Gyamfi, B.S.
Mr. Adu-Gyamfi, iCURE postbaccalaureate fellow in LTG, investigates GWAS signals for childhood Burkitt lymphoma. His mentors are Ludmila Prokunina-Olsson, Ph.D., LTG and Sam Mbulaiteye, M.D., IIB.
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Michelle Ho, Ph.D.
Dr. Ho, postdoctoral fellow in LTG, is using CRISPR-based methods to screen genetic risk variants and functionally characterize their relationships to bladder cancer development. Her mentor is Ludmila Prokunina-Olsson, Ph.D.
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Maxwell H. Hogshead, B.S.
Mr. Hogshead, postbaccalaureate and iCURE Scholar, is exploring the interplay between genetic variants, environmental exposures and bladder cancer risk, with a special focus on epitranscriptomics and long-read sequencing applications, under the mentorship of Ludmila Prokunina-Olsson, Ph.D.
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Brenen Papenberg, Ph.D.
Dr. Papenberg, postdoctoral fellow in LTG, uses computational and laboratory methods to investigate several genomic regions that are associated with increased risk of bladder cancer. His mentor is Ludmila Prokunina-Olsson, Ph.D.