We're thrilled to have had so many wonderful people come through the lab. 


Pooja Narang, Ph.D, Research ScientistPooja received her PhD degree from Indian Institute of Technology Delhi, India in the field of Computational Chemistry. She has four years of postdoctoral research experience in computational data-analysis, bioi…

Pooja Narang, Ph.D, Research Scientist

Pooja received her PhD degree from Indian Institute of Technology Delhi, India in the field of Computational Chemistry. She has four years of postdoctoral research experience in computational data-analysis, bioinformatics, molecular modeling and in silico drug discovery. Her research interests include understanding the male mutation bias in mammals and understanding evolution of sex chromosomes and their relationship to diseases like cancer.

Tanya Phung, PhD, Research ScientistTanya studies population genetics and genomics and is working on studying sex differences in human health and disease.

Tanya Phung, PhD, Research Scientist

Tanya studies population genetics and genomics and is working on studying sex differences in human health and disease.

Tim Webster, Ph.D. , Postdoctoral scholarTim is broadly interested in using genomic diversity and divergence to understand evolution and demography. His dissertation research explored the genomic signals of speciation and diversification in the adap…

Tim Webster, Ph.D. , Postdoctoral scholar

Tim is broadly interested in using genomic diversity and divergence to understand evolution and demography. His dissertation research explored the genomic signals of speciation and diversification in the adaptive radiation of macaques, a group of monkeys found in Africa and Asia. In the Wilson Sayres lab, he is interested in contrasting information from the sex chromosomes with that from the autosomes to better understand the role of sex-specific evolutionary and demographic processes in shaping diversity.

Heini Natri, Ph.D. , Postdoctoral scholarHeini is a Center for Evolution and Medicine postdoctoral fellow with a background in evolution and cancer research. Her research interests focus around genetic architecture, sex bias, and evolution of cancer.

Heini Natri, Ph.D. , Postdoctoral scholar

Heini is a Center for Evolution and Medicine postdoctoral fellow with a background in evolution and cancer research. Her research interests focus around genetic architecture, sex bias, and evolution of cancer.


GRADUATE RESEARCHERS: PhD students

Kimberly Olney, Ph.D. Evolutionary Biology, May 2021Thesis: Characterizing gene expression in human tissues to better understand sex differences in health and disease

Kimberly Olney, Ph.D. Evolutionary Biology, May 2021

Thesis: Characterizing gene expression in human tissues to better understand sex differences in health and disease

Annika Vannan, Ph.D. Neuroscience, April 2022

Co-advised with Dr. Janet Neisewander

Thesis: Coding and non-coding RNA expression in rodent models of cocaine craving

Angela Taravella Oill, Ph.D. Evolutionary Biology , July 2022

Co-advised with Dr. Anne Stone.

Thesis: Assessment of genetic variation in globally diverse human populations and its implications for human health and disease.

GRADUATE RESEARCHERS: MS students

Shawn Rupp, M.S. Biology: Computational Life Sciences, August 2017Thesis: Comparative Genomics and Novel Bioinformatics Methodology Applied to the Green Anole Reveal Unique Sex Chromosome Evolution

Shawn Rupp, M.S. Biology: Computational Life Sciences, August 2017

Thesis: Comparative Genomics and Novel Bioinformatics Methodology Applied to the Green Anole Reveal Unique Sex Chromosome Evolution

Lidia Peon, M.S. Biology, May 2018.Thesis: Assessment of a Glossary on Patient Satisfaction and Anxiety Levels in an Oncology Genetic Counseling Clinic

Lidia Peon, M.S. Biology, May 2018.

Thesis: Assessment of a Glossary on Patient Satisfaction and Anxiety Levels in an Oncology Genetic Counseling Clinic

Avery Underwood, M.S. Biology, May 2019.Thesis: A Search for Parent-of-Origin Effects in the Parasitoid Jewel Wasp Nasonia vitripennis

Avery Underwood, M.S. Biology, May 2019.

Thesis: A Search for Parent-of-Origin Effects in the Parasitoid Jewel Wasp Nasonia vitripennis

Yan Yap, MS Microbiology, May 2021Thesis: Human leukocyte antigen association with Hepatitis B virus-mediated liver cancer

Yan Yap, MS Microbiology, May 2021

Thesis: Human leukocyte antigen association with Hepatitis B virus-mediated liver cancer


BARRETT HONORS THESES

Kara Schaffer, 2015, Evolutionary perspective suggests candidate genes for variation in Turner Syndrome phenotype
Darius Gallegos, 2017, Building diverse resources for exploratory School of Life Sciences students
Sarah Brotman, 2017, Standard mapping protocols misestimate sex-biased gene expression
Ariel Baber, 2018, Career options for students seeking a degree in the School of Life Sciences
Daniel Cotter, 2018, Genetic diversity across the pseudoautosomal boundary varies across human populations
Anagha Deshpande, 2019, Isoform variation across triple negative breast cancer and prostate cancer
Austin Evanovich, 2019, Patterns of sex-biased gene expression in the human brain
Ndey Bassin Jobe, 2019, The evolution of lactase persistence in the Turkana
Lovender Phiri, 2019, The effects of sex-specific reference on variant calling in hepatocellular carcinoma (liver cancer)


UNDERGRADUATE RESEARCHERS

William Martelly, undergraduate Fall 2014

William Martelly, undergraduate
Fall 2014

David Barclay, undergraduate Fall 2014-Spring 2015

David Barclay, undergraduate
Fall 2014-Spring 2015

Melinda Jenner, undergraduate Fall 2014-Spring 2015

Melinda Jenner, undergraduate
Fall 2014-Spring 2015

Ethan Bate, undergraduate Fall 2015

Ethan Bate, undergraduate
Fall 2015

Chris Negrich, undergraduate Fall 2014-Spring 2015

Chris Negrich, undergraduate
Fall 2014-Spring 2015

Jackie Williams, undergraduate Fall 2014-Spring 2015

Jackie Williams, undergraduate
Fall 2014-Spring 2015

Jacinda Garcia, undergraduate Fall 2015

Jacinda Garcia, undergraduate
Fall 2015

Jada Wang, undergraduate Fall 2014-Spring 2016

Jada Wang, undergraduate
Fall 2014-Spring 2016

Kellie Kodama, undergraduate Summer 2016

Kellie Kodama, undergraduate
Summer 2016

Darius Gallegos, Barrett thesis Fall 2016-Spring 2017

Darius Gallegos, Barrett thesis
Fall 2016-Spring 2017

Ka'anani Amanonce, Fall 2017

Ka'anani Amanonce, Fall 2017

Alyssa Harris, Mindlin Foundation funded, Spring 2016-Fall 2017

Alyssa Harris, Mindlin Foundation funded, Spring 2016-Fall 2017

Brock Williams, Fall 2016-Fall 2018

Brock Williams, Fall 2016-Fall 2018

Arisha Khan, Barrett Honors, Fall 2018-Spring 2019

Arisha Khan, Barrett Honors, Fall 2018-Spring 2019

Anagha Deshpande, Barrett Honors, Fall 2016-Spring 2019

Anagha Deshpande, Barrett Honors, Fall 2016-Spring 2019

Emma Howell, Fall 2018-Spring 2019

Emma Howell, Fall 2018-Spring 2019

Caroline Erickson, undergraduate Fall 2014-Spring 2015

Caroline Erickson, undergraduate
Fall 2014-Spring 2015

Marshall Styers, undergraduate Fall 2014-Spring 2015

Marshall Styers, undergraduate
Fall 2014-Spring 2015

Joy Cruz, undergraduate Spring 2015-Summer 2015

Joy Cruz, undergraduate
Spring 2015-Summer 2015

Kirk Flamm, undergraduate Fall 2016

Kirk Flamm, undergraduate
Fall 2016

Hein Vu, undergraduate Fall 2014-Spring 2016

Hein Vu, undergraduate
Fall 2014-Spring 2016

Sarah Brotman, Barrett thesis Fall 2014-Summer 2017

Sarah Brotman, Barrett thesis
Fall 2014-Summer 2017

Jocelyn Andrews Fall 2016-Spring 2018

Jocelyn Andrews
Fall 2016-Spring 2018

Ephrance Peninah Kalungi, CLAS USE, Fall 2015-Spring 2017

Ephrance Peninah Kalungi, CLAS USE, Fall 2015-Spring 2017

Michelle Weinstein, Summer 2017-Fall 2017

Michelle Weinstein, Summer 2017-Fall 2017

Selena Cortez, Summer 2017-Spring 2019

Selena Cortez, Summer 2017-Spring 2019

Karina Morris, Barrett Honors College, Fall 2018-Spring 2019

Karina Morris, Barrett Honors College, Fall 2018-Spring 2019

Ryan Maner, Fall 2018-Spring 2019

Ryan Maner, Fall 2018-Spring 2019

Alix Marinello, undergraduate Fall 2014-Spring 2015

Alix Marinello, undergraduate
Fall 2014-Spring 2015

Reena Ygot, undergraduate Fall 2014-Spring 2015

Reena Ygot, undergraduate
Fall 2014-Spring 2015

Carlos Meza-Torres, undergraduate; Fall 2016

Carlos Meza-Torres, undergraduate; Fall 2016

Parker Shea, undergraduate Summer 2016

Parker Shea, undergraduate
Summer 2016

Christopher Sleiman, undergraduate Spring 2017

Christopher Sleiman, undergraduate
Spring 2017

Sam Daly, undergraduate Fall 2014-Summer 2017

Sam Daly, undergraduate
Fall 2014-Summer 2017

Ariel Baber, Barrett Honors College, Summer 2017-Spring 2018

Ariel Baber, Barrett Honors College, Summer 2017-Spring 2018

Afeefah Rashid, Spring 2017-Fall 2017

Afeefah Rashid, Spring 2017-Fall 2017

Amanda Wolf, Fall 2016-Summer 2018

Amanda Wolf, Fall 2016-Summer 2018

Grant Dembrock, Spring 2018-Summer 2019

Grant Dembrock, Spring 2018-Summer 2019

Lovender Phiri, Barrett Honors, Fall 2017-Spring 2019

Lovender Phiri, Barrett Honors, Fall 2017-Spring 2019

Vika Laloudikis, Fall 2020-Spring 2021

Vika Laloudikis, Fall 2020-Spring 2021

Kara Schaffer, Barrett thesis Fall 2014-Fall 2015

Kara Schaffer, Barrett thesis
Fall 2014-Fall 2015

Maggie Walters, undergraduate Fall 2015

Maggie Walters, undergraduate
Fall 2015

Ashley Amidan, undergraduate Fall 2014-Spring 2016

Ashley Amidan, undergraduate
Fall 2014-Spring 2016

Victoria Reid, undergraduate Summer 2016-Fall 2016

Victoria Reid, undergraduate
Summer 2016-Fall 2016

Mostafa Adina, undergraduate Spring 2017

Mostafa Adina, undergraduate
Spring 2017

Sarah Bearman, undergraduate Fall 2016-Summer 2017

Sarah Bearman, undergraduate
Fall 2016-Summer 2017

Daniel Cotter, Barrett Honors College, Fall 2014-Spring 2018

Daniel Cotter, Barrett Honors College, Fall 2014-Spring 2018

Valeria Valverde-Vesling, IMSD Fall 2015-Fall 2017

Valeria Valverde-Vesling, IMSD Fall 2015-Fall 2017

David Levy, Summer 2016-Spring 2018

David Levy, Summer 2016-Spring 2018

Austin Evanovich, Fall 2017-Summer 2019

Austin Evanovich, Fall 2017-Summer 2019

Suhail Ghafoor Fall 2017-Spring 2019

Suhail Ghafoor
Fall 2017-Spring 2019

Brittney Jimenez, Fall 2020-Spring 2021

Brittney Jimenez, Fall 2020-Spring 2021