The Genetics and Epigenetics Program (G&E) was established in 2017. Many of its faculty and students were formerly in three different GSBS programs, which were phased-out in 2017: Epigenetics & Molecular Carcinogenesis (EMC), Genes & Development (G&D), and Human Molecular Genetics (HMG). In 2017, the students in these three programs elected to be “unofficially affiliated” with the G&E program and are therefore listed here. 

2021 Graduates

Amelie Albrecht, PhD (Advisor: Xuetong Shen, PhD) - EMC
PhD Thesis: “The functional analysis of a major tyrosine phosphorylation site on actin”
Position after graduation: Postdoctoral Fellow, Lab of Fan Liu, PhD,Leibniz-Forschungsinstitut für molekulare Pharmakologie (FMP), Berlin, Germany

Erin Atkinson, PhD (Advisor: Bin Wang, PhD) - G&E
PhD Thesis: “NPSD4: A new player in the DNA damage response”
Position after graduation: Genetic Counseling Program student, MD Anderson UTHealth Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences, Houston, TX

Ruth Barros De Paula, MS (Advisor: John Tainer, PhD) - G&E
MS Thesis: “Unveiling global roles of G-quadruplexes and G4-22 in human genetics”
Position after graduation: PhD Student, Baylor College of Medicine PhD Program, Houston, TX

Alexandria Blackburn, PhD (Advisor: Rachel Miller, PhD) - G&E
PhD Thesis: “A novel role for DYRK1A in kidney development”
Position after graduation: Clinical Research Program Coordinator, Department of Investigational Cancer Therapeutics, MD Anderson, Houston, TX

Jianji Chen, PhD (Advisor: Mark Bedford, PhD) - EMC
PhD Thesis: “Discovery of novel ubiquitin- and methylation-dependent interactions using protein domain microarrays”
Position after graduation: Sr. Biomarker Discovery Scientist, IDEXX, Westbrook, ME

Ahmed Emam, MS (Advisor: Bin Wang, PhD) - G&E
MS Thesis: “Investigating the role of Abro1 in DNA damage-induced immune response”
Position after graduation: PhD Student, MD Anderson UTHealth Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences, Houston, TX

I-Lin Ho, PhD (Advisors: Giulio Draetta, MD,PhD and Andrea Viale, MD) - G&D
PhD Thesis: “Epithelial memory of resolved inflammation limits tissue damage while promoting pancreatic tumorigenesis”
Position after graduation: Postdoctoral Fellow, Lab of Andrea Viale, MD, MD Anderson, Houston, TX

Zian Liao, MS (Advisor: Wenbo Li, PhD) - G&E
MS Thesis: Manipulating enhancer RNA activity to study their roles in gene regulation and cancer”
Position after graduation: PhD Student, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX

Lorena Maili, PhD (Advisor: Jacqueline Hecht, PhD) - HMG
PhD Thesis: “Genetic pathway analysis of abnormal facial development in nonsyndromic cleft lip and palate”
Position after graduation: Postdoctoral Fellow, Lab of Jacqueline Hecht, PhD, McGovern Medical School, Uthealth, Houston, TX

Shucheng (Anna) Miao, MS (Advisors: Michelle Barton, PhD and Gigi Lozano, PhD) - G&E
MS Thesis: “TRIM24 promotes mammary tumor development by upregulating metabolic reducing power”
Position after graduation: PhD Student, MD Anderson UTHealth Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences, Houston, TX

Odemaris Narváez del Pilar, PhD (Advisor: Jichao Chen, PhD)- G&E
PhD Thesis: “Regulation of lung mesenchymal cells by epithelial Wnt ligands”
Position after graduation: Current Position: Completing medical school in Puerto Rico

Phuoc Nyguen, MS (Advisor: Wenbo Li, PhD) - G&E
MS Thesis: TBA
Position after graduation: PhD Student, MD Anderson UTHealth Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences, Houston, TX

Melinda Soeung, PhD (Advisors: Giulio Draetta, MD,PhD and Giannicola Genovese, MD,PhD) - G&D
PhD Thesis: “Understanding the pathogenesis of renal medullary carcinoma”
Position after graduation: Postdoctoral Fellow, Lab of Giulio Draetta, MD,PhD, MD Anderson, Houston, TX