Team
Steve Reilly
Principal Investigator
Steve is a genomicist specializing in human genetics, evolution, and gene-regulation. He is specifically interested in furthering our understanding of non-coding variation, the main cache of human genetic diversity. He develops novel computational + experimental approaches to identify and functionally characterize human variation at scale. These tools include DeepSweep: a machine learning method to identify variants under positive selection, HCR-FlowFISH: a method to directly characterize the functional targets of regulatory elements, and application of the Massively Parallel Reporter Assay (MPRA) to understand the regulatory impact of genomic variation.
Steve completed his B.S. at Carnegie Mellon University, studying recursive splicing in the laboratory of Javier Lopez. He wouldn’t be a scientist today without the generous early mentorship and support he received from Beth Jones, the Beckman Scholars Program, and the HHMI summer researchers program. Steve completed his PhD from Yale University in the Department of Genetics. He studied the evolution of regulatory elements in the developing human cortex in the lab of James Noonan. He completed his postdoctoral work in the Sabeti lab at Harvard University and The Broad Institute. His awards include an NHGRI NIH Pathway to Independence Award (K99), an NHGRI Ruth L. Kirschstein National Research Service Award (NRSA), the Carolyn Slayman Thesis Prize, and was a Beckman Scholar awardee. Steve is passionate about making science more inclusive and improving training for students in the genomic age. Outside the lab, you can find him biking, taking an overly scientific approach to his garden, making beer, and glass blowing.
Catherine McGuinness
Laboratory ManagerCatherine is our Laboratory Manager. After completing her bachelor’s in Physics at Smith College, she studied blood coagulation as a research technician in Dr. Kenneth Mann’s lab at the University of Vermont. Catherine then earned her master's in Molecular Biophysics and Biochemistry here at Yale, studying microtubule dynamics with Joe Howard. She then spent a few years as the quality assurance manager at Stony Creek Brewery, and now is returning to academia as the Reilly lab manager. Outside of the lab, Catherine enjoys crafting, spending time with her family, volunteering, and exploring New Haven.
Erin Gilbertson
Postdoctoral Researcher
ORCID | Google Scholar | email
Erin is a postdoctoral researcher in the Reilly Lab starting in September 2024. She is interested in applying deep learning methods to understand the evolution of human gene regulation.
Erin completed her PhD in Biological and Medical Informatics at the University of California, San Francisco with Dr. Tony Capra, where she used machine learning to predict 3D genome contact patterns and study their variation across diverse human populations. Prior to her time at UCSF Erin worked with Dr. Suzanne McGaugh and Dr. Yaniv Brandvain during her undergraduate at the University of Minnesota where she received a B.S. in Genetics, Cell Biology and Development with a minor in Computer Science.
Outside of the lab she enjoys playing guitar, cooking and spending time outdoors (especially on the water).
Thanh-Thanh Nguyen
Postdoctoral ResearcherTwitter | Google Scholar | ORCID | email
Thanh Thanh Nguyen is a postdoctoral fellow in the Reilly and Brennand labs. She is interested in applying functional genomics to understand genetic risks underlying neuropsychiatric and neurodegenerative diseases, and the various contexts under which such risks can manifest. Thanh Thanh completed her PhD in Molecular Pharmacology at the Mayo Clinic, where she utilized a wide range of "-omic" techniques to dissect the interface between non-coding genetics and epigenetics in determining individual responses to drugs and the chemical environment. Born in Moscow, Russia and raised in Hanoi, Vietnam, she left to the U.S. to pursue further educational opportunities and intellectual freedom. Fortunate enough to have come across wise and dedicated mentors along her journey, she deeply values mentorship in academia and understands how impactful it can be.
Outside of the lab she loves cooking, baking, and spending time in nature and with family and friends. To her, every ordinary moment can turn extraordinary.
Tian Xia
Postdoctoral ResearcherTian is a postdoctoral researcher in the Reilly Lab, starting July 2024. He has a diverse educational background. After obtaining his bachelor’s degree in finance, he spent several years in the real estate and infrastructure investment business. Following completion of his MBA degree with a focus on real options, he returned to academia to pursue science. Tian completed his PhD in evolutionary anthropology at the University of Tokyo, where he applied population genetics methods and conducted selection scans to investigate genetic diversity related to complex diseases such as myopia and dyslipidemia, as well as their evolutionary origins among human populations. Currently, Tian is working with the team to train new machine learning tools for identifying and detecting positive selection. Outside the lab, he enjoys playing badminton, piano, and exploring nature.
Jared Akers
Graduate StudentJared is a PhD student who joined the Reilly Lab in August, 2022. His thesis work is on understanding how recent (0-200 KYA) selection in humans contributes to population-level variance in human molecular phenotypes, in this project he will work with Stephen and Madeline, utilizing MPRA and CRISPR-Cas systems to functionally characterize locally adaptive variation residing within non-coding elements.
Jared received his B.S. in Genetics from the University of Wisconsin - Madison in 2018; while a student he performed research in Dr. Qiang Chang’s Lab, and investigated the gene regulatory mechanisms underpinning folding of the developing human neocortex. Prior to transferring to UW-Madison he studied at Nicolet Area Technical College, a small community college close to his former home in Northern Wisconsin. After college graduation, Jared worked as a Laboratory Technician in Dr. Kamena Kostova’s Laboratory at the Carnegie Institution’s Department of Embryology, where he studied ribosome biogenesis.
In his free time, Jared enjoys tango, weight lifting, and almost anything outdoors.
Ovaun Latouche
Graduate StudentOvaun is a Ph.D. student in the Genetics Department who joined the lab in March 2023. He is co-mentored with Kristen Brennand. He is interested in understanding the genetic architecture of neurodegenerative diseases.
Ovaun completed a bachelor's in sociology from Stony Brook University, and then a master’s in biology from NYU in 2020. At NYU, he worked in the laboratory of Dr. Hernando-Monge, where he developed a novel piggyBac genome editing system to introduce point mutations in melanoma in vitro models. He then worked as a Research Associate in the laboratories of Panos Roussos and Kristen Brennand at Mount Sinai, where he utilized pooled CRISPR screens and hiPSC-derived stem cells to study gene regulation in neurodegenerative and neuropsychiatric disorders.
Outside of the lab, he enjoys board games and prides himself on being able to play any sport that has a ball.
Mackenzie Noon
Graduate StudentORCID | Google Scholar | email
Mackenzie Noon grew up in Redlands, California. He split his undergraduate degree across two schools, University of California, Davis, and University of California, Berkeley, attending each for two years. At Davis, he characterized a replication-stress induced nucleophagy pathway in the lab of Professor Ken Kaplan. At Berkeley, he joined the lab of Professor Lin He, and investigated the prevalence and function of retrotransposon-derived protein isoforms in preimplantation mouse development. After receiving his degree from Berkeley, he did a post-baccalaureate fellowship with Prof. Andrew Xiao at Yale. Here, he investigated the function of Alkbh1 in mouse development and sex determination. Mackenzie hopes to contribute to the understanding of mammalian development. In the Reilly lab, he hopes to disentangle the contributions of cis-regulatory sequences to early mammalian development. Outside of the lab, Mackenzie enjoys cycling and board games.
Elise Root
Post-graduate ResearcherElise is a postgraduate associate in the Reilly lab from Cranbury, New Jersey. She is joining the lab after graduating from Williams College with a degree in biology and math. At Williams, she worked on a thesis with Professor David Loehlin that investigated how different regulatory elements and distances in the genome could influence the gene expression of tandem duplicate Adh genes in fruit flies. In the Reilly lab, she is excited to learn more about computational techniques and genomics. Outside the lab, she enjoys knitting, reading, volunteering, and spending time with her family and friends.
Aviv Pinker
Undergraduate ResearcherAviv is an undergraduate researcher from Seattle, WA. He is majoring in MCDB, and hopes to fuse his interests in genetics and human biology with his passion for ecology. He has previously conducted summer research in medical genetics at the University of Washington. In the Reilly Lab, Aviv is exploring the evolution of the Homo sapiens, Denisovan, and Neanderthal lineages by analyzing variants in the 3’ UTR of genes. On campus, he sings a cappella with Mixed Company, shreds with the Yale Alpine Ski Team, and helps organize intramural sports. Aviv loves exploring the mountains, fishing, playing soccer, cooking, and scuba diving.
Madeline Pitre
Undergraduate ResearcherMadeline is a first-year undergraduate researcher at the Reilly Lab from Biloxi, Mississippi. At Yale, she currently plans on completing a Bachelor of Science in Molecular Biophysics and Biochemistry. She hopes to later attend graduate school to study genetics and pursue a career in biomedical research. In the lab, Madeline is working to characterize an adaptive variant in the 3’UTR region of the LEPR gene that appears to be involved with various evolutionary-linked traits, such as cold adaptation, obesity, and immunological functions. Outside of the lab, Madeline spends time going on runs around New Haven with the Club Running Team, volunteering at the Yale Community Kitchen, practicing piano with the Yale Jazz Collective, and working at the Chemistry Teaching Laboratories. She also enjoys reading, marathoning movies with friends, collecting vinyl, and spending way too much time making Spotify playlists.
Bahar Bouzarjomehri
Undergraduate ResearcherBahar is a third-year undergraduate researcher from Olympia, Washington. At Yale, she studies Molecular, Cellular, and Developmental Biology and hopes to later attend medical school. Under the supervision of Thanh Thanh, Bahar is co-mentored by the Brennand and Reilly labs where she studies non-coding genetic variants associated with neuropsychiatric and neurodegenerative diseases. Outside of the lab, Bahar is the co-director of the Yale Undergraduate Prison Project and enjoys volunteering at the Yale New Haven Hospital and HAVEN Free Clinic. She spends her free time rock climbing, baking, and sleeping.
You?
We’re always looking for inquisitive, creative, and passionate researchers (post-docs, graduate students, RAs, undergrads) to join our team. Diversity of backgrounds (scientific, academic, personal, etc), are always valued in our collaborative team.
Previous Lab Members
Undergraduates + High School Students
Nico Santiago (2016-2018) -> U. Penn undergrad
Natalia Fuentes (2019-> .) - Rocky Mountain Wildlife Alliance
Debbie Lilly (2023) -> Yale Undergraduate
Manuel Perez (2022-2024) -> Yale MPH student
Research Associates
Alan Gutierrez (2019-2021) -> Yale Medical School
Graduate Students
Joe Vitti (2016-2020 ) -> Seven Bridges
James Xue (2016->2023) -> MIT Postdoc with Gene-Wei Li and Jonathan Weissman
Sager Gosai (2017-> .) - Harvard Ph.D. Candidate
Post-doctoral associates
Stephen Rong (2022-2024) -> MRC Laboratory of Medical Sciences/Imperial College London (Twitter, Google Scholar, ORCID)
Post-graduate associates
Maggie Prentice (2022-2024) -> Ph.D student in Microbiology at Dartmouth
Rohit Ghosh (2023-2024)
Collaborators
Finucane Lab
Sabeti Lab
Tewhey Lab
Tucci Lab
Funding
NIH/NHGRI Pathway to Independence, K99/R00 (HG010669)
Ruth L. Kirschstein Postdoctoral Individual National Research Service Award (HG009226)