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Genes & Society: Decolonizing Human Genetic Research Workshop Series

While the events over the last several years in the United States have placed an important focus on issues of race, diversity, and systemic inequalities; these issues are long-standing and embedded within institutions, academic disciplines, and the broader scientific community. In response to the most recent examples of these inequalities, NC State has stated that “Diversity is critical to NC State’s mission” and that “New perspectives deepen our understanding, strengthen our community and propel our innovation”.Building upon NC State’s mission statement and past successful race and science events, NC State’s Being an Ally in Academics (BAA) group has collaborated with Genetics and Genomics Academy, the Genetic Engineering and Society (GES) Center, and TriCEM to organize a new two-day workshop series titled, “Genes and Society: Decolonizing Human Genetic Research”.The goal of this series is to explore the current and historical intersections of racism, systemic inequalities, and human genetic research with an emphasis on inviting diverse and historically underrepresented groups as seminar speakers.

Fall 2022

Dr. Krystal Tsosie, Native BioData Consortium and Presidential Postdoctoral Fellow at Arizona State University

The BAA is pleased to host Dr. Kystal Tsosie (Diné) for the Fall 2022 Workshop Series. Dr. Tsosie is one of the co-founders of the Native BioData Consortium (NBDC), a nonprofit research institute led by Indigenous scientists and Tribal members in the United States with the goal of ensuring that advances in genetics and human health research benefits all Indigenous people. She has a Masters in Bioethics from Arizona State University, a Master’s of Public Health and PhD in Genomics and Health Disparities from Vanderbilt University.

Schedule of Events:

  • November 7th: GGA Seminar 5 – 6:30 PM
    • David Clark Labs Room 101
    • light refreshments served 5:00-5:30
    • Catering by Neomonde 6:30 – 8 PM
    • This event will be held In-Person and Livestreamed on Youtube
  • November 8th: GES Seminar 12 – 1 PM
    • This event will be held In-Person and on Zoom

Click here for the Event Poster and Google Drive Schedule

Spring 2023

To Be Announced

Sponsors

Past Events and Contests

Summer 2022 Contests

GGA Summer 2022 Teamwork Mini-Grants

The NC State’s Genetics and Genomics Academy (GGA) is inviting undergraduate students interested in or currently involved in Genetics & Genomics-related research to apply for GGA Summer Teamwork Mini-Grants together with their prospective or actual mentors who are current NC State graduate students, postdoctoral fellows or research scholars.

GGA will provide one-time awards of up to $3000 to help support the needs of collaborative research projects led by undergraduates working in GGA-affiliated laboratories on campus under the direct supervision of NC State postdoctoral fellows or graduate students. Each team of two applying for this competitive award can request up to $1000 in supplies, equipment, or software needed for the project, in addition to a $1000 stipend for the student and $1000 for their mentor. Up to 10 mini-grants will be awarded in 2022.

To apply, students and their trainers should complete this Google form, submit a one-page description of their proposed research to be conducted in the summer of 2022 outlining the respective roles of both team members, and a short budget listing the specific needs of the project. A letter of support from a faculty research mentor should be included in the form as an attachment. The deadline to apply is March 1st, 2022, with the results announced by April 1, 2022. The mini-grants can be received by undergraduates and their trainers on top of other forms of support (federal work-study, Provost’s professional experience program, REU, private scholarships, fellowships, grant funding, etc.). However, students and mentors are eligible for only one GGA award per year.

GGA Mini-Grants for 2022 have been awarded! Below are the award recipients:

Skylar Ashforth, Junior (Mentor: Sydney Harned)Abhishek Singh, Sophomore (Mentor: Caroline McKinney-Aguirre)
Lindsey Wilson, Junior (Mentor: Elizabeth Moore)Jennifer O’Neil, Junior (Mentor: Chris Estridge)
Caroline Batten, Junior (Mentor: Chengsong Zhao)Paulina Bonilla, Senior (Mentor: Dr. Nathan Maren)
Alex Marchi, Sophomore (Mentor: Matthew Neubauer)Alayna Moore, Junior (Mentor: Aldo Carmona Baez)
Jonathan Zirkel, Junior (Mentor: Grant Billings)Rachael Bieler, Sophomore (Mentor: Dana Hodorovich)
Amanda Merkel, Sophomore (Mentor: Hao Chen)Andi Barker, Senior (Mentor: Kara Carlson)
Hannah Pil, Sophomore (Mentor: Nirwan Tandukar
GGA Summer 2022 Teamwork Mini-Grants

GGA Graduate Student and Postdoc Travel Awards (Spring/Summer 2022)

The NC State’s Genetics and Genomics Academy (GGA) is pleased to announce the availability of travel funds to support NC State graduate students and postdoctoral fellows traveling to conferences, workshops, or collaborator institutions. GGA will provide a one-time reimbursement for up to $1000 to help defray the cost of attending conferences and other professional activities in the area of Genetics & Genomics to graduate students, postdoctoral fellows and research scholars being trained in GGA-affiliated labs. The cost of transportation, housing and conference registration fees are considered eligible travel expenses.

To apply, students and postdocs should complete this Google form, submit a short description of their travel plans (that will take place in the spring, summer and/or fall of 2022) and a justification of how this conference will benefit their career development and relates to the fields of Genetics and Genomics. Apply starting on January 15, 2021. Applications will be considered on a first-come, first-serve basis for as long as funds are available. Trainees receiving travels funds are asked to acknowledge the GGA in their presentations.

GGA Travel Funds for 2022 have been awarded! Below are the award recipients:

Modesta Abugu, Doctoral StudentPhillip Brown, Doctoral Student
Kara Carlson, Doctoral StudentCarly Catella, Doctoral Student
Leandra Caywood, Doctoral StudentHao Chen, Postdoc
Nicole Choquette, Doctoral StudentR. Chris Estridge, Doctoral Student
Mario Fenech Torres, PostdocKevin Lin, Doctoral Student
Morgan Maly, Doctoral StudentMarlonni Maurastoni Araujo, Postdoc
Megan Elizabeth Moore, PostdocLuis Rivera Burgos, Postdoc
Margot Ruffieux, Doctoral StudentEnrique Schwarzkopf Kratzer, Postdoc
Mark Simmers, Doctoral StudentPreethi Thunga, Doctoral Student
Chie Tamamoto-Mochizuki, PostdocJoseph Tolsma, Doctoral Student
Beatriz Tome Gouveia, PostdocAndrea Vu, Postdoc
Alison Waldman, Doctoral StudentKatherine Willman, Postdoc
GGA Graduate Student and Postdoc Travel Awards (Spring/Summer 2022)

Summer 2021 Contests

The Genetics and Genomics Initiative (GGI) at NC State University invited current graduate students and postdoctoral fellows to participate in two summer contests aimed at illuminating the breadth of research taking place in GGI-affiliated labs at NC State. The winners of these competitions were announced during the GGI 4th Annual Retreat and awarded cash prizes from our corporate sponsors.

3-Minute In-Person Flash Talks

Present a 3-min in-person flash talk about your genetics/genomics-related research at the GGI seminar series on August 16, 2021. This opportunity will enable you to hone your presentation skills and publicize your work in the GGI community. If you would like to participate, submit your name, the name of your PI, your proposed talk title, and a brief abstract (150-200 words) by July 15, 2021. Apply by filling out the Google form.

Participants will be notified by July 30, 2021, if their topic was selected for the 3-min presentation. Up to 10 student/postdoc speakers will be invited to present in person on August 16 to jump-start the 2021-2022 GGI seminar series.  The best talk will be selected by a panel of judges and the contest winner will be announced at the GGI retreat on August 20, 2021.

1ST PLACE WINNER: ANNA YASCHENKOGraduate Student | Stepanova LabTalk Title: Leveraging synthetic promoters to control gene expression
2ND PLACE WINNER: MARCO HAMINS-PUERTOLASGraduate Student | Rasmussen LabTalk Title: Inferring multiscale selection pressures from pathogen phylogenies using a Continuous Type Birth-Death Model
(TIE) 3RD PLACE WINNER: JESSICA MARTINEZ-BAIRDGraduate Student | Laplante LabTalk Title: Working together to Divide: Understanding the Roles of Lesser Known Myosin proteins in Cytokinesis
(TIE) 3RD PLACE WINNER: MEGAN DILLONGraduate Student | Breen & Burford Reiskind LabsTalk Title: The Dogs of Chernobyl: How long-term exposure to nuclear radiation has influenced the genome of a population of dogs
(TIE) 3RD PLACE WINNER: ADAM GREERGraduate Student | Gaddameedhi LabTalk Title: The Enigma of Sex Differences in Melanoma Skin Cancer
3-Minute In-Person Flash Talks Winners – 2021

GGI Paper of the Year – 2021

If your group has recently published an exciting research article (publication date of 2020-2021) in a peer-reviewed journal and the study includes genetics and/or genomics content, consider nominating the first author of your publication for the “GGI Paper of the Year” contest.  Encourage the leading student/postdoc author to enter the competition by having them submit a brief explanation (150-200 words) of what their contribution to the study was and why they believe their paper is especially impactful, along with a pdf of the article, by July 15, 2021. Apply by filling out the Google form.

Self-nominations from students and postdocs are welcome!  All submissions will be evaluated by a panel of judges.  The winner of the contest will be announced on August 16, 2021 at the first GGI seminar of the 2021-2022 seminar season and invited to present a 10-min live talk about the findings of the paper at the GGI retreat on August 20, 2021.

WINNER: ALISON WALDMANGraduate Student | Keung & Rao LabsPaper Title: Mapping the residue specificities of epigenome enzymes by yeast surface display
Read Alison’s paper here.
HONORABLE MENTION: JESSICA LEEGraduate Student | Keung LabPaper Title: Mapping the dynamic transfer functions of eukaryotic gene regulation
HONORABLE MENTION: EDDIE LAUERGraduate Student | Isik LabPaper Title: Major QTL confer race-nonspecific resistance in the co-evolved Cronartium quercuum f. sp. fusiforme-Pinus taeda pathosystem
HONORABLE MENTION: JENNIFER BALTZEGARPostdoctoral Scholar | Gould LabPaper Title: Rapid evolution of knockdown resistance haplotypes in response to pyrethroid selection in Aedes aegypti
GGI Paper of the Year – 2021

Summer 2020 Contest

The Genetics and Genomics Initiative (GGI) at NC State University invited current graduate students and postdoctoral fellows to participate in two summer contests aimed at illuminating the breadth of research taking place in GGI-affiliated labs at NC State. The winners of these competitions are shown below and were awarded cash prizes from our corporate sponsors.

3-Minute Zoom Flash Talks

Present a 3-min Zoom flash talk about your genetics/genomics-related research at the GGI seminar series on August 17, 2020. This opportunity will enable you to hone your presentation skills and publicize your work in the GGI community. If you would like to participate, submit your name, the name of your PI, your proposed talk title, and a brief abstract (150-200 words) no later than July 15, 2020. Apply by filling out the Google form.

You will be notified by July 22, 2020 if your topic was selected for the 3-min presentation. Up to 10 student/postdoc speakers will be invited to present via Zoom on August 17 to jump-start the 2020-2021 GGI seminar series. The best talk will be selected by a panel of judges and the contest winner will be announced at the GGI retreat on August 29, 2020.

1ST PLACE WINNER: KHUSHI GODAGraduate Student | Isik LabTalk Title: A multi-functional software for optimizing mating while minimizing inbreeding in monoecious species
2ND PLACE WINNER: ECHO PANGraduate Student | Barrangou LabTalk Title: Engineering Lactobacillus acidophilus for mucosal vaccine delivery
3RD PLACE WINNER: ERIN PETERSONGraduate Student | Roberts LabTalk Title: First confirmation of a 0W/00 sex determination system and its disruption in interspecies hybrids
3-Minute Zoom Flash Talk Winners – 2020

GGI Paper of the Year – 2020

If your group has recently published an exciting research article (publication date of 2019-2020) in a peer-reviewed journal and the study includes genetics and/or genomics content, consider nominating the first author of your publication for the “GGI Paper of the Year” contest. Encourage the leading student/postdoc author to enter the competition by having them submit a brief explanation (150-200 words) of what their contribution to the study was and why they believe their paper is especially impactful, along with a pdf of the article, by July 15, 2020. Apply by filling out the Google form.

Self-nominations from students and postdocs are welcome! All submissions will be evaluated by a panel of judges. The winner of the contest will be announced on August, 17 2020 at the first GGI seminar of the 2020-2021 seminar season and invited to present a 10-min Zoom talk about the findings of the paper at the GGI retreat on August 29, 2020.

We hope you will consider participating in both of these contests and we are looking forward to getting student and postdoc submissions from all GGI-affiliated labs.

WINNER: MICHAEL MCLARENPostdoc | Callahan LabPaper Title: Consistent and correctable bias in metagenomic sequencing experiments
Read Michael’s paper here.