Genetics

About

Research in Genetics, zoomed in photo of gene sequence  Research in Genetics at UVA seeks to understand how genetic information is encoded, inherited, decoded, and differentially regulated to produce the vast diversity observed in biology.While the genome revolution has generated vast amounts of data on sequences and expression, genetics bridges the gap between structure (sequence) and biological function.  Fueled by powerful technologies for determining DNA sequences and surveying gene expression, geneticists seek to determine the function of every gene in the genome.  Functional data from genetic screens holds great promise for medicine, agriculture, pharmaceuticals and many other aspects of our lives.

The genetics program at the University of Virginia provides training opportunities with numerous faculty members across grounds.  It encompasses the full spectrum of genetic research, from genes to genomes to populations, in a diverse range of biological systems. We train graduates for careers in genetics at academic institutions, biotechnology and pharmaceutical companies, private research institutes, and government research laboratories.

Faculty

  • Abbas, Tarek A.

    The Ubiquitin System and Human Cancer

  • Agaisse, Hervé

    Genetic approaches, cellular and molecular biology of intracellular pathogen infection

  • Auble, David T.

    Molecular Mechanisms of Transcriptional Regulation

  • Bielinsky, Anja Katrin

    Genome instability syndromes in cancer and immune deficiencies

  • Bland, Michelle

    Molecular mechanisms linking innate immune and insulin signaling to control cell growth and metabolism

  • Bochkis, Irina

    Epigenetic and genetic mechanisms underlying metabolic disease

  • Brown, Michael G.

    Natural Killer Cells, Viral Immunity, Genetic basis of host resistance to viral infection, Tumor immunity, Immune cell regulation

  • Civelek, Mete

    Systems Genetics Approaches to Understand Cardiometabolic Traits

  • Connelly, Jessica J.

    Epigenetic mechanisms involved in complex human disease

  • Coutinho-Budd, Jaeda

    Neuron-glia and glial-glial interactions

  • Derré, Isabelle

    Host/pathogen Interaction - Chlamydia Infection

  • Dwyer, Noelle

    Neural Development; Cell Division in Neural Stem Cells; Axon Outgrowth and Guidance

  • Farber, Charles R.

    Systems Genetics of Skeletal Development and Maintenance

  • Felder, Robin A.

    Clinical Chemistry and Toxicology. Medical Automation Research. Neurotransmitters, cell surface receptors and intracellular second messengers.

  • Grainger, Robert M.

    Molecular embryology--gene regulation in cells committed to specific developmental lineages

  • Halme, Adrian J.

    Regeneration and Systemic Responses to Tissue Damage

  • Jiang, Hao

    Regulation of stem cell function and tumorigenesis by epigenetics and biomolecular condensation (phase separation)

  • Kendall, Melissa M.

    Bacterial cell signaling, host-pathogen interactions, intestinal pathogens

  • Kucenas, Sarah C.

    The role of glia in the development, maintenance and regeneration of the nervous system

  • Kuyumcu-Martinez, Muge N

    RNA regulatory networks and RNA binding proteins during cardiovascular development and in cardiovascular disease

  • Li, Hui

    Gene regulation in cancer, RNA processing; Epigenetic modification; Stem cell and development

  • Lu, Xiaowei

    Wnt/PCP signaling in inner ear development Mouse models for human deafness Wnt/PCP signaling in neural tube closure

  • Mahadevan, Mani S.

    Molecular Mechanisms of Myotonic Muscular Dystrophy

  • Manichaikul, Ani W.

    Statistical Genetics, Genetic Epidemiology, Biostatistics, Network analysis

  • Miller, Clint L.

    Genetic variation, Complex diseases, Coronary artery disease, Genomics, Epigenomics, Regulatory mechanisms, Vascular biology, Pharmacology and Physiology

  • Mohi, Golam

    Cell signaling, stem cell biology, molecular and epigenetic mechanisms of blood and breast cancers

  • O’Rourke, Eyleen Jorgelina

    Obesity and Aging

  • Pani, Ariel

    Investigating the cell-biological foundations of development

  • Parichy, David

    Developmental Genetics, Evolution and Regeneration

  • Park, Kwon-Sik

    Mechanisms of tissue/organ homeostasis and tumorigeensis

  • Pemberton, Lucy F.

    Nuclear Transport in Chromatin Assembly and Transcriptional Regulation

  • Ratan, Aakrosh

    Genomics, Molecular Evolution, Algorithm Design and Analysis

  • Rekosh, David M.

    Human Immunodeficiency Virus Gene Expression; Human Endogenous Viruses; SARS-CoV-2 Protein Trafficking; Post-transcriptional Gene Regulation

  • Rich, Stephen S.

    Genetic basis of common human disease, including type 1 diabetes, diabetic complications, ischemic stroke, atherosclerosis

  • Sheynkman, Gloria M.

    Proteoform Systems Biology: proteogenomic approaches to uncover the role of proteomic variation in human disease

  • Shi, Weibin

    Molecular and genetic determinants of atherosclerosis and cardiometabolic disorders.

  • Siegrist, Sarah

    Regulation of neural stem cell proliferation during development and adulthood

  • Smith, Jeffrey S.

    Transcriptional Silencing and Aging in Yeast

  • Stukenberg, P. Todd

    Mechanisms of chromosome segregation in Mitosis and generation of Chromosomal Instability in tumors

  • Swiatecka-Urban, Agnieszka

    Regulation of cell-surface stability and intracellular trafficking of membrane proteins in epithelial cells

  • Trinh, Bon Q

    Understanding Protein and RNA regulations of gene expression via chromatin structure in myeloid cell development and diseases

  • Wang, Yuh-Hwa

    Genome instability in cancer and repeat expansion diseases

  • Wolf, Matthew J

    Identification of genes and pathways that cause or modify cardiac hypertrophy and heart failure.

  • Wotton, David

    Regulation of Gene Expression, Development and Tumor Progression by TGF beta Signaling

  • Zang, Chongzhi

    Bioinformatics methodology development; Epigenetics and chromatin biology; Transcriptional regulation; Cancer genomics and epigenomics; Statistical methods for biomedical data integration; Advanced machine learning; Theoretical and computational biophysic

  • Zong, Hui

    Early detection, cancer prevention, and tumor microenvironment