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Students studying outdoors at Iowa Memorial Union

Genetics Cluster Initiative

Genetics transcends departments, colleges and disciplines and generates both needs and services in the basic sciences, health care, bioethics, law, bioinformatics and communications.

>1400

Education event attendees

Career Day

> 50 %

Acceptance rate to graduate programs

Mentorship for Prospective Students in Genetic Counseling

Interns 2013-2023

49

Summer interns

Internship Program in Genetic Counseling and Bioinformatics

Applying to Genetic Counseling Graduate Programs

Recent Publications

The impact of PCR duplication on RNAseq data generated using NovaSeq 6000, NovaSeq X, AVITI, and G4 sequencers

Wednesday, May 28, 2025
Natalia Zajac
CONCLUSIONS: Data generated with each of the four sequencing platforms presents similar associations between starting material amount and the number of PCR cycles on PCR duplicates, a similar number of detected genes, and comparable gene expression profiles.

MixOmics Integration of Biological Datasets Identifies Highly Correlated Variables of COVID-19 Severity

Wednesday, May 28, 2025
Noa C Harriott
Despite several years passing since the COVID-19 pandemic was declared, challenges remain in understanding the factors that can predict the severity of COVID-19 disease and complications of SARS-CoV-2 infection. While many large-scale multi-omic datasets have been published, integration of these datasets has the potential to substantially increase the biological insight gained, allowing a more complex comprehension of the disease pathogenesis. Such insight may improve our ability to predict...

Maternal α-cypermethrin and permethrin exert differential effects on fetal growth, placental morphology, and fetal neurodevelopment in mice

Tuesday, April 1, 2025
Benjamin A Elser
Pyrethroid insecticides represent a broad class of chemicals used widely in agriculture and household applications. Human studies show mixed effects of maternal pyrethroid exposure on fetal growth and neurodevelopment. Assessment of shared pyrethroid metabolites as a biomarker for exposure obscures effects of specific chemicals within this broader class. To better characterize pyrethroid effects on fetal development, we investigated maternal exposure to permethrin, a type I pyrethroid, and...

Ceramide-induced FGF13 impairs systemic metabolic health

Tuesday, April 1, 2025
Jamal Naderi
Ceramide accumulation impairs adipocytes' ability to efficiently store and utilize nutrients, leading to energy and glucose homeostasis deterioration. Using a comparative transcriptomic screen, we identified the non-canonical, non-secreted fibroblast growth factor FGF13 as a ceramide-regulated factor that impairs adipocyte function. Obesity robustly induces FGF13 expression in adipose tissue in mice and humans and is positively associated with glycemic indices of type 2 diabetes. Pharmacological...

Transcriptional repressor Capicua is a gatekeeper of cell-intrinsic interferon responses

Tuesday, March 25, 2025
Senthamizharasi Manivasagam
Early detection of viral infection and rapid activation of host antiviral defenses through transcriptional upregulation of interferons (IFNs) and IFN-stimulated genes (ISGs) are critical for controlling infection. However, aberrant production of IFN in the absence of viral infection leads to auto-inflammation and can be detrimental to the host. Here, we show that the DNA-binding transcriptional repressor complex composed of Capicua (CIC) and Ataxin-1 like (ATXN1L) binds to an 8-nucleotide motif...

Events

2025 Iowa Eye Annual Meeting and Centennial Celebration promotional image

2025 Iowa Eye Annual Meeting and Centennial Celebration

Friday, June 13, 2025 7:30am to 9:00pm
Medical Education Research Facility
The 2025 Iowa Eye Annual Meeting and Centennial Celebration will take place on Friday & Saturday, June 13-14! This year we will also hold events on the evening of Thursday, June 12 and all day on Saturday, June 14 in celebration of the Ophthalmology Department turning 100! Travel days will be Thursday, June 12, 2025 and Sunday, June 15, 2025.The meeting features lectures, case presentations, and discussions covering numerous topics of interest to the practicing ophthalmologist. Plus, timely...
2025 Iowa Eye Annual Meeting and Centennial Celebration promotional image

2025 Iowa Eye Annual Meeting and Centennial Celebration

Saturday, June 14, 2025 7:30am to 9:00pm
Medical Education Research Facility
The 2025 Iowa Eye Annual Meeting and Centennial Celebration will take place on Friday & Saturday, June 13-14! This year we will also hold events on the evening of Thursday, June 12 and all day on Saturday, June 14 in celebration of the Ophthalmology Department turning 100! Travel days will be Thursday, June 12, 2025 and Sunday, June 15, 2025.The meeting features lectures, case presentations, and discussions covering numerous topics of interest to the practicing ophthalmologist. Plus, timely...
Topics in Human Genetics promotional image

Topics in Human Genetics

Monday, June 16, 2025 12:00pm to 1:00pm
Pappajohn Biomedical Discovery Building
The course is open to individuals wishing to learn more about current topics in Human Genetics who meet the following criteria; individuals must have completed a course in genetics and are currently in a genetics lab, or have past genetics research experience. Genetics educators are also welcome to attend the course.The objective of the course is to provide persons familiar with genetics a broad overview of gene identification, molecular genetics, complex disease, next generation sequencing...