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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

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

Sunday, June 15, 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...

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...

Events

Antimicrobial Stewardship Series: Antimicrobial Stewardship in Dental Practice: Principles and Practice promotional image

Antimicrobial Stewardship Series: Antimicrobial Stewardship in Dental Practice: Principles and Practice

Friday, June 27, 2025 12:00pm to 1:00pm
Virtual
Iowa Statewide Antimicrobial Stewardship Initiative – a partnership between Iowa Health and Human Services and UI College of Pharmacy in conjunction with the UI Carver College of Medicine Department of Continuing Education present the following seminar by Karen Baker, MS:"Antimicrobial Stewardship Series: Antimicrobial Stewardship in Dental Practice: Principles and Practice"Continuing education available.
Molecular Medicine Interdisciplinary Program Thesis Defense Seminar: Nathan Witmer promotional image

Molecular Medicine Interdisciplinary Program Thesis Defense Seminar: Nathan Witmer

Monday, June 30, 2025 10:00am
Medical Laboratories
Nathan Witmer is a PhD candidate in the Biomedical Science (Molecular Medicine) Interdisciplinary Graduate Program. His research has been conducted in Ryan Boudreau's laboratory.If you are not able to attend in person, please consider showing your support by attending via Zoom. https://uiowa.zoom.us/j/95883392288
Topics in Human Genetics promotional image

Topics in Human Genetics

Monday, June 30, 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...