the evolution of aging

Interests

In the broadest terms possible: Different organisms have different biology. These differences are made apparent through the study of how phenotypes manifest and change over time.

Differences in an organism's genome are the wellspring of population-level phenotypic variation, observed amongst individuals that otherwise share overarching consensus in their biology. The assortment and emergence of aging phenotypes in species are determined by genetics, environment, and the interaction between the two. As time progresses, the processes that maintain "healthy" biology begin to deteriorate in both common and unique ways across the tree of life: but why?

Dread it, run from it, destiny arrives all the same.
- Thanos

In my doctoral work, I am interested in exploring the evolution of aging and genomic instability, with a particular interest in characterizing mutations in the aging germline. I am especially interested in structural variation, defined as large (50 bp+) aberrations that pose significant risk of deleterious phenotypic impact.

Techniques

In my work, I use a combination of experimental manipulations and sequencing techniques. In the wet lab, I develop linked-read and long-read sequencing methods that allow me to quantify genetic variation in high throughput, enabling population-scale surveys of genetic variation in natural populations. In the dry lab, I develop methods to characterize mutations using the aforementioned data types.

Undergraduates

If you would like to discuss research opportunities in the wet or dry lab, please email me stacy_li (αt) berkeley (dοt) edu with a short description of your interests and a resume/CV, along with “Website” in the subject line.