Center for Combinatorial Gene Regulation News

Eden Harris, a junior at North Carolina Agricultural and Technical State University, wrapped up her second internship with the Duke Center for Combinatorial Gene Regulation (CCGR) with enhanced communication skills and a new passion for science. 

The genetics and genomics workforce lacks diversity and does not represent the U.S.
population. According to the American Society of Human Genetics, it is reported that only 1.5%
of the genetic and genomics workforce identify as African-American or Black. Building diversity
in this field of science is imperative because it fosters change in health issues that are widely
affected by genomics and genetics.

Doctoral students Richard Doty, Mia Hamilton, Susan Liu, and Maria ter Weele work collaboratively across disciplines, collectively representing three different PhD programs within School of Medicine and Pratt School of Engineering.

Schuyler Melore is a Duke University graduate student in the Reddy Lab, and currently works on wet lab technology development for the Center for Combinatorial Gene Regulation. He is originally from Northport, New York.

Alex Ochoa is co-investigator and statistical geneticist in the Center for Combinatorial Gene Regulation. He is originally from El Paso, Texas, which is near Juarez, Mexico. Ochoa enjoys the cuisine and visiting old friends when he visits.

Andrew Allen is a principal investigator in the Center for Combinatorial Gene Regulation. He is originally from Los Alamos, New Mexico, which is completely surrounded by national forests and outdoor activities were always his favorite things to do.

Alejandro Barrera is a senior bioinformatician in the Center for Combinatorial Gene Regulation. He is originally from Madrid, Spain and loves the people and activities. Barrera enjoys spending time with his child, building structures, playing with the family dog.

The Duke Center for Combinatorial Gene Regulation (CCGR), an NHGRI Center of Excellence in Genome Sciences (CEGS), hosted the annual CEGS meeting October 18-20.

Shannon Clarke is the project manager for the Center for Combinatorial Gene Regulation research project. She also serves as assistant director of strategy and operations for the Division of Integrative Genomics in the Department of Biostatistics and Bioinformatics. Clarke earned a bachelor’s degree in Psychology at Miami University.