Translational Genetics and Genomics Summer Intern Program

By Dr. Trudy Mackay

Faculty from the TGG Program met regularly during the Fall 2016 semester to develop ideas for collaborative research projects between at least two CMI members to launch in the 2017 Spring semester, involving undergraduate students. We held a ‘speed-dating’ event the evening of January 19, 2017, attended by faculty project leaders and 15 undergraduate students.

The faculty gave brief presentations of their projects, and then the students visited each faculty team in which they were interested. At the end of the evening, the students ranked the projects in which they wanted to participate. Currently, the faculty teams are conducting further interviews to select the students. We are able to award eight TGG undergraduate research internships. The students will present their research results at the Undergraduate Summer Research Symposium and the annual CMI Research Symposium.

The projects and faculty teams are:

Project 1: A Translational Model for Canine Hereditary Ataxia in Drosophila. PIs: Robert Anholt (COS), Natasha Olby (CVM), Mary Anna Carbone (COS), Trudy Mackay (COS)

Project 2: Allele-Specific Gene Expression in Animal Hybrids. PIs: David Aylor (COS), Trudy Mackay (COS), Kate Meurs (CVM), Freya Mowat (CVM), Reade Roberts (COS), Jeff Yoder (CVM) (** Two interns)

Project 3: Genetics of Host Resistance to Lethal Salmonella Infection. PIs: Johanna Elfenbein (CVM), Trudy Mackay (COS)

Project 4: Host Genetic Control of Human Skin Microbiota. PIs: Julie Horvath (NC Museum of Natural Sciences), Reade Roberts (COS)

Project 5: Whole Genome Sequence Analysis of Red Wolves to Identify Genetic Mutations Causing Blindness. PIs: Freya Mowat (CVM), Matthew Breen (CVM)

Project 6: A Solution to Peto’s Paradox: p53 Copy Number in Large-Bodied Marine Mammals. PIs: Jason Somarelli (Duke University), Seth Faith (CVM)

Project 7: Cardiac Expression Patterns Associated with Feline Cardiomyopathy. PIs Mary Anna Carbone (COS), Kathryn Meurs (CVM), Trudy Mackay (COS), Joshua Slaydon (CMI undergraduate intern, COS)