VARIANT EFFECTS SEMINAR SERIES (VESS)

In this series, early-career scientists from around the globe share and discuss their research related to interpreting human genetic variation.

 

EVENT DETAILS

Seminars are held on the 1st Tuesday each month from 9-10am Pacific (4-5pm UTC) timezone converter

NEXT SEMINAR: May 7th

9-10am Pacific (4-5pm UTC) timezone converter

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Anna Axakova

Pronouns: She/Her

The Roth Lab, University of Toronto

Presentation Date: May 7th 2024 (1st speaker)

Systematically and proactively testing variant effects for the autoimmune regulator gene

Anna Axakova is a Molecular Genetics PhD candidate at the University of Toronto.


Gonzalo Parra

Pronouns: He/Him

Barcelona Supercomputing Center

Presentation Date: May 7th 2024 (2nd speaker)

Local Energetic Frustration Through Time and Species

Gonzalo Parra is an Argentine scientist who got a Bioinformatics degree from Universidad Nacional de Entre Rios followed by a Ph.D. from Buenos Aires University in Argentina. He was an EMBO postdoctoral researcher in the group of Dr. Johannes Soeding at the Max Planck Institute for Biophysical Chemistry in Goettingen, Germany. Then moved to work as a postdoctoral researcher in the group of Prof. Oliver Stegle at the European Molecular Biology Laboratory and the German Cancer Research Center in Germany. Since 2021, Gonzalo works at the Barcelona Supercomputing Center where he tries to understand the molecular mechanisms behind protein evolution, stability, function and dynamics both in healthy conditions as in disease. In addition, Gonzalo participates in multiple international forums to make science a more equal, diverse and inclusive environment. Gonzalo is currently a member of the International Society for Computational Biology (ISCB) Board of Directors, he is one of the co-chairs of the ISCB 3DSig COSI, a member of the ISCB EDI committee, a steering committee member of the 3DBioinfo Elixir community, a member of the advisory board of the Bioinfo4Women programme and a Working Group lead within the Machine Learning for Non

Globular Proteins COST action.


Max Staller

Pronouns: He/Him

Staller Lab, University of California, Berkeley

Presentation Date: June 4th 2024 (2nd speaker)

Evolution of transcriptional activation domains

Max’s lab experience began with Sean Connolly and Jorge Benach at Stony Brook University. Max graduated from Princeton University with a major in Molecular Biology and a minor in Quantitative and Computational Biology, completing a senior thesis with David Botstein. Max completed graduate studies in the Systems Biology program at Harvard University, where he worked with Angela DePace. Max pursued his postdoctoral work at Washington University in St. Louis working with Barak Cohen and Rohit Pappu. Outside of lab, Max enjoys hiking, skiing and cooking.

 

Social: @maxvstaller

Matthew Durrant

Patrick Hsu Lab, Arc Institute

Presentation Date: July 2nd 2024 (1st speakers)

Bridge RNAs direct programmable recombination of target and donor DNA

Matt Durrant received his PhD from Stanford University in 2020, working in the labs of Ami Bhatt and Stephen Montgomery on computationally characterizing mobile genetic elements. He continued on to a short postdoc in the lab of Patrick Hsu at UC Berkeley, where he discovered and characterized new large serine recombinases (LSRs) that could efficiently integrate DNA cargos into the genomes of human cells. He then transitioned to a senior scientist position in the Hsu Lab at the Arc Institute, where he continues his work with a focus on programmable recombinases and genome design.

Social: @mgdurrant

Nicholas Perry

Nicholas Perry is a current PhD student in the UC Berkeley - UCSF Joint Bioengineering program. He is conducting his research in Patrick Hsu's Lab at the Arc Institute, focusing on discovery and characterization of programmable recombinases.

Social: @ntperry13

SEMINAR SERIES FAQs

    • 1st Tuesday of each month (9am Pacific)

    • Start time is 9am, 12pm, 2am, 4pm (Pacific, Eastern, Australia East, UTC)

    • We have members and presenters from around the globe (multiple time zones)

    • Our seminars are one hour long and are free and open to the public.

  • Early career scientists: Students, postdocs, and new faculty (<1 year in position)

    If you are interested in presenting or would like to recommend someone, please fill out this online > SPEAKER NOMINATION FORM

    • One hour long virtual meetings (zoom)

    • Each month, two presenters discuss their work in 20-minute talks, followed by lively Q&A sessions.

    • Questions from the audience can be asked using chat or Q&A during the webinar

    • Our meetings are over Zoom and anyone is welcome to attend.

    • We use the webinar format, but participants can ask the speaker questions using the chat or Q&A

    • Anyone can attend. However, if you are interested in becoming a member of the Alliance, please sign up > HERE

  • The Variant Effect Seminar Series Committee members are listed here https://www.varianteffect.org/vess-committee

    • Speakers can also now link their VESS talks to bioRxiv preprints! For more information contact organizer Diego Calderon (dcal@uw.edu)

    • You can also find a list of previous speakers and talks > HERE

Future Seminars:

We are looking for speakers, including students, postdocs, and new faculty (<1 year in position)!!

If you are interested in presenting or would like to recommend someone, please fill out this online >> SPEAKER NOMINATION FORM