San Francisco, California, United States
PhD epidemiologist and statistical geneticist, with experience in GWAS, TWAS, exome sequencing analyses, polygenic scores, large-scale biobanks, biostatistics, linear/non-linear regression, dimensionality reduction/PCA, clustering/WGCNA, multi-omics, ancestry analyses in admixed populations, and data visualization, working with rare genetic disease, cancer, renal disease, cardiovascular disease, and aging phenotypes. • Passionate about using genomics to make a difference for patient populations with large unmet needs • Collaborative with diverse groups of scientists, clinicians, and other stakeholders • 10 years of research experience, including computational work in Python, R/Bioconductor, bash, SAS, and git, with additional experience in fullstack web development
Collaborated with the executive team to support and mentor project managers.
Hired and supervised 6 consultants, managed client relationships, worked with the CSO of a Series A company, led client and team meetings, and delivered visually compelling presentations.
Collaboratively identified 96 therapeutic targets for diseases of aging and interviewed 21 key opinion leaders.
Conducted cancer genomic epidemiology research, including GWAS, exome sequencing / rare variant analyses, and bioinformatics for CRISPR screening studies, using R and a Slurm based HPC cluster. Published 3 manuscripts and presented work at 11 genetics and cancer conferences, receiving 3 awards. Mentored 5 graduate students and provided 2 guest lectures for medical students. Projects included: • Improving genetic breast cancer prediction using rare exome variants and polygenic risk scores together • Examining genetic factors associated with multiple primary cancers in the same individual using genome-wide association study (GWAS) meta analysis on >500k participants • Delving into genetic risk factors for breast cancer in Latinas using exome sequencing analysis
I conducted multi-omic research on blood pressure and kidney function, using R and SAS in a high performance computing (HPC) environment. I published 4 first author and 9 other manuscripts, presented at conferences, and served as a teaching assistant for 18 semester-long courses in epidemiology, data analysis, and genetics. My PhD projects included: • Examined genetic evidence suggesting different mechanisms in blood pressure's relationship with cardiovascular disease and kidney disease, using polygenic risk scores (PRS) • Identified 51 novel metabolite associations with kidney function and examined metabolome-wide trends in associations with kidney function • Discovered metabolite associations with walking speed and grip strength among middle-aged adults, and subsequent declines in physical performance over 3 years of follow up • Found that genetic risk for high blood pressure was associated with smaller changes in blood pressure with alterations in dietary sodium and potassium, using a polygenic risk score analysis
• Recruited over 40 participants, reviewed study protocols, and participated in study planning for the Bogalusa Gut Study • Abstracted mortality data, reviewed records, and entered data for the Chronic Renal Insufficiency Cohort (CRIC)
• Designed and implemented a ZOHO Creator database used by multiple disaster relief organizations • Obtained $600,000 of grant funding to provide families with gift cards and appliances • Designed the candidate interview process for a $2.35 million green building grant funded by the Robin Hood Foundation and the Hurricane Sandy New Jersey Relief Fund • Analyzed municipal and disaster relief data, surveyed municipality and mapped storm damage • Managed demolition of 243 Hurricane Sandy damaged structures at no cost to homeowners • Coordinated volunteers, wrote grant applications, and presented data to government agencies