People
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The main reason why I decided to create the VGL is to push Genomics forward. In my life time, I want to see perfect genome assemblies of all living vertebrates. Not only I want to witness this achievement but I also want to be a major player.
Erich D. Jarvis, Director of the VGL
Jennifer Balacco
Lab operation lead
Jen is a molecular biologist and expert in isolating ultra-High Molecular Weight DNA and in many long read technologies such as PacBio and Bionano.
Giulio Formenti
Bioinformatics lead
Giulio is a bioinformatician interested in genome assembly. He has developed several methods for genome assembly, polishing, and evaluation.
Lauren Shalmiyev
Management and Administration Lead
Lauren oversees VGL finances, communications, and is a liaison for the lab.
Melanie Couture
Import/export
Melanie is a field biologist specialized in bird capture. She has an extensive knowledge of sample collection, import, and export permits.
Nivesh Jain
Research scientist
Nivesh is a molecular biologist specialized in ultra-High Molecular Weight DNA isolation, Bionano, and Oxford Nanopore.
Bonhwang Koo
Data Support Assistan
Bonhwang is a data support assistant at the VGL, supporting the lab in wrangling genomic data and metadata.
Kathleen Horan
Project manager
Kathleen is our Project Manager. She facilitates samples exchange between institutions and coordinates new genomic projects.
Nadolina Brajuka
Research Scientist
Nadolina is a bioinformatician specialized in genome assembly and curation. She is interested in the intersection between data science, computation and -omic research.
Conor Whelan
Research Scientist
Conor is a molecular biologist specialized in next-generation sequencing technologies..
Patrick Traore
Research Scientist
Patrick is a molecular biologist specialized in ultra-High Molecular Weight DNA isolation.
Linelle Abueg
Research Scientist
Linelle is a bioinformatician specialized in genome assembly. She is passionated about biodiversity and loves popcorn more than anything.
Sabrina Burmeister
Visiting Professor
Sabrina is a visiting professor from UNC Chapel Hill. She uses an integrative approach that combines behavioral, anatomical, and molecular biology techniques to discover the neural mechanisms of the behavior of natural animals with a focus on social and spatial cognition.
Cassidy Jonhson
Graduate Student
Cassidy is a PhD student in the Jarvis lab. She graduated from Vanderbilt University with a B.A. in Molecular & Cellular Biology. As an undergraduate she investigated the activation factors of conserved mitochondrial stress response mechanisms in Caenorhabditis elegans. Transitioning to computational biology here, Cassidy studies the regulatory elements of vocal learning associated genes across vocal learning taxa, and their evolutionary history. She does not like Mondays or dissections.
Emily Houton
Administrative Assistant
Emily is an administrative assistant at VGL, bringing a wealth of experience from her background in schizophrenia research and behavioral health eating disorder treatment. Her time in these specialized fields has shaped her into a skilled administrative professional. Emily is enthusiastic about applying her knowledge to the dynamic environment at VGL, where she is committed to supporting the team and facilitating efficient operations.
Jack A. Medico
Graduate Student
Jack is a graduate student at Rockefeller University. At the VGL, he is developing software for genome assembly characterization and is interested in the evolution of complex genomic regions.
Kirsty McCaffrey
Bioinformatics Assistant
Kirsty is a Bioinformatics Assistant II in the Vertebrate Genome Lab, working on the curation of high-quality reference genomes. Her background is in human genomics, with a focus on the implementation of quality regulations within bioinformatics.
