Genetics and Genomics is one of the four areas of specialty of the program in Molecular and Cell Biology (MCB). Students interested in pursuing research in this area are accepted through the MCB PhD program and follow the MCB program’s timeline. During the first semester, research rotations provide students the opportunity to explore diverse research interests before selecting a thesis lab. Starting from the second semester, students join a laboratory and delve into more specialized courses in Genetics and Genomics.
Faculty in Genetics and Genomics are leaders in their fields and are funded through competitive grants from multiple funding agencies including the National Institute of Science and the National Science Foundation. Faculty have primary affiliation with the Department of Molecular and Cell Biology and are members of the University of Connecticut Institute for Systems Genomics. Our laboratories are located in the Engineering and Science and Biology and Biophysics buildings in the heart of the Storrs campus.
Research topics in Genetics and Genomics include genome evolution, transcriptional regulation, gene regulatory networks, genomic imprinting, centromere biology, chromosome biology, genome organization, molecular evolution, stem cell biology and comparative genomics. Genetics and Genomics laboratories employ a broad range of model species, including humans, mouse, marsupials, primates, marine invertebrates, Drosophila and bacteria and take advantage of cutting-edge genomics and genome editing technologies. Research is supported by a state-of-the-art sequencing center, bioinformatics and confocal, super-resolution microscopy and electron microscopy.
PhD graduates from our program have gone on to postdoctoral (e.g. Johns Hopkins University, University of Pennsylvania, and UMass Medical school), clinical (e.g. Jackson Laboratory, Children's Hospital of Philadelphia), research support (e.g. Mount Sinai, Dartmouth) and industry (e.g. Thermo Fisher, Genewiz, Roche, Akaoya Biosciences, Celldex Therapeutics, Molecular Devices) as well as faculty (e.g. Swarthmore College, Rowan University, University of Bridgeport, and UConn) positions.