2026 – 2027 Cohort
We are excited to introduce the new 2026 – 2027 Cohort of Genetics & Genomics Scholars. These PhD students are from multidisciplinary fields and are participating in a first-year core curriculum that integrates foundational conceptual training in genetics and genome-scale techniques with big data analysis and professional development.
I love being a part of a cohort of students from different fields, building a network with my fellow GG scholars, and having class together to discuss our perspectives on different topics in genetics.
The interdisciplinary graduate experience lets me rotate through different labs & graduate programs giving me the chance to find a project & labs that best fit my interests!
The GGS program provides many more opportunities than any one program could, including exposure to several scientific disciplines & scientists outside of my field of study.
Lily Mersel
Genetics and Genomics
I am originally from Virginia Beach, VA and moved to North Carolina to spend my undergraduate career at NC State University, where I obtained a B.S. in Genetics with a minor in Biotechnology. Here, I worked closely with Dr. Hudson Ashrafi in his Blueberry Genetics and Genomics Laboratory. I spent the summer of 2025 assisting with a project aimed at examining how mutations in the core developmental gene WUSCHEL may influence blueberry tissue culture propagation resistance. During the 2025-2026 academic year, I transitioned to performing high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) analysis on hundreds of blueberry samples to determine their organic acid and sugar contents. I also conducted both selfing and cross-pollinations with different blueberry varieties in the greenhouse. My time in the Ashrafi Laboratory solidified my profound interest in agricultural genetic engineering, and I hope to apply my molecular biotechnology/genetics skills and interests to exciting, meaningful research efforts within this field. My primary goal is to produce immense benefits for industry and consumers alike, whether it be focusing on crop sensory quality enhancement, uncovering developmental mechanisms, or other related endeavors. Outside of the research scene, I enjoy cooking international recipes for myself and my friends, spending time outdoors at Lake Raleigh, and trying new hobbies. I am incredibly eager to begin my PhD in Genetics and Genomics and experience the uplifting and hardworking environment the GGS community has to offer!
Justin Crookston
GGS Undeclared
I was born and raised outside of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. I obtained my undergraduate degree at the University of Pittsburgh at Greensburg, where I received a Bachelor of Philosophy in Biological Sciences with a minor in Music. This is where my love of molecular biology began. I became fascinated with how alterations at the molecular level could create potent impacts across species and how manipulations of those same systems could provide solutions to the diverse problems our world is facing. During my undergraduate studies, I worked in Dr. Matthew Logan Johnson’s lab where I researched zinc finger transcription factors responsible for epigenetic regulation. My research involved engineering the fusion gene JAZF1/SUZ12, a genetic hallmark of Endometrial Stromal Sarcomas for functional analysis in Drosophila melanogaster and Saccharomyces cerevisiae. I plan to continue expanding upon my knowledge of genetic engineering and bridge my interest into plant models, where similar approaches can be used to improve agriculture, sustainability, and human health. Outside of academics, I often spend my time songwriting and playing my music at local venues. Other hobbies of mine include gardening, golf, collecting physical media, and having some laughs with my friends.
Claire Heinly
Biomathematics
I grew up in Chapel Hill, North Carolina and graduated from American University in Washington, DC with a B.S. in Mathematics and a minor in Spanish. During my undergraduate career, I worked with Dr. Julia Chifman on a bioinformatics independent research capstone evaluating the expression of immune signatures in female reproductive cancers. I also spent two summers working as a research apprentice at the Walter Reed Army Institute of Research in the Military HIV Research Program researching CRF01_AE, a circulating recombinant form of HIV-1, where I performed phylogenetic analyses of the virus’ introduction to the Thai population and helped develop primers for its latent reservoir. Since graduating American University in the Spring of 2024, I have been working as a Postbac Research Fellow at the National Institutes of Health in the Human Brain Collection Core (HBCC). In my current research, I have two main research projects: 1) Developing a putative map of interneuronal connectivity from single-cell RNA-sequencing data to assess cell-to-cell communication in the mouse and human neocortex and 2) characterizing sex differences in the central nucleus of the human amygdala using spatial transcriptomics. While I am still exploring my research interests, I am broadly interested in infectious disease, epidemiology, and microbiology and look forward to continuing explorations on the power of mathematics as the basis for biological research while in the Biomathematics program. Outside of research, you’ll usually find me in the kitchen making anything from homemade bread and pasta to weekly meal prep, or staying active at the gym and out on the road — I recently ran my second marathon!
Blair Blakeney
Genetics and Genomics
I grew up in Wilmington, North Carolina, and earned my B.S. in Biology from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. During my undergraduate studies, I discovered my interest in evolutionary genetics through coursework, which led me to join Dr. Christina Burch’s lab. There, I used computational simulations to study transitions from biparental to uniparental reproduction, exploring why some reproductive modes may evolve more readily than others. That experience solidified my interest in the process of scientific discovery and motivated me to expand my skill set by working with empirical genomic data. After graduating in 2024, I joined Dr. Anne Yoder’s lab at Duke University as an Associate in Research. My current work focuses on estimating recombination rates in mouse lemurs using sequence data from both captive pedigrees and wild populations. I’m excited to join the Genetics and Genomics PhD program at NC State, where I hope to combine theoretical and empirical approaches with wet lab experiments to better understand key evolutionary forces like recombination. Outside of research, I enjoy reading, watching movies with friends, practicing yoga, and hiking all around the Triangle.
Xuliana O
Physics
I am from Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania and received two B.S from Virginia Commonwealth University in Physics and Biology. I researched under Dr. Franklin in a microbial ecology lab investigating antibiotic resistance genes in urban waterways. I also received a fellowship at the National Institute of Standards and Technology where I researched how salinity, lipid charge and composition affect solvent assisted lipid membrane self-assembly. And I spent time at Clemson University developing a protocol to remove degraded protein chains from atomic force microscope probes for reuse in single molecule experiments as part of an NSF REU. I have been so blessed to have had multiple outlets to explore physics in biological systems and many opportunities to share my research. I love making unique posters and presentations to make science communication more accessible. Outside of science, I fall in love with hiking trails easily, play drums and guitar too loud, adore my cat Rex, will always want to dance often and wherever. I am elated to be doing all of that and joining researchers from many backgrounds to discuss and discover any and everything we can at the intersection of genetics and genomics.
Katie Pelikan
Biomathematics
I grew up in Greensboro, North Carolina and I graduated in December of 2025 from UNC Greensboro with a B.S. in Mathematics and a B.S. in Biology. I am entering the Biomathematics program this fall with the hopes of using mathematical modeling to prevent and manage environmental and ecological disasters. I am passionate about conservation genetics and the protection of endangered species and actually interned this past summer as a zookeeper at the Greensboro Science Center. In my undergraduate research I studied the phylogenetic history of ground squirrels and worked on establishing the confidence in certain phylogenetic relationships through coding in RStudio. I am really looking forward to being a part of the GGS Program to further narrow my research interests and make new connections as a first year PhD student. Outside of academics I am usually performing in a local musical, playing video games, reading, or crocheting.
Bailey Pelt
Microbiology
I was raised in Youngsville, North Carolina and earned a bachelor’s in Zoology and Biological Oceanography from NC State University. As an undergraduate I worked in the Paerl Lab examining the effect of light on cyanobacteria and whether proteins can impact vitamin acquisition in marine bacteria. After graduating I started working in the Bradshaw Lab on fungal genetics, fungal-bacterial relationships, and biocontrol development. My research interests are focused on marine fungi, specifically in coral reef systems and their potential to act as a biocontrol to mitigate coral bleaching. My other interests include
phylogenetic relationships between marine and terrestrial fungi, especially their divergence from each other. I am excited to explore these interactions as a microbiology Ph.D. student and GG scholar at NC State. Outside of lab I enjoy spinning, choreographing, and coaching colorguard. I also enjoy reading and exploring different thrift stores around Raleigh.
Molly
Genetics and Genomics
I grew up in Wake Forest, North Carolina and attended Duke University, majoring in Biology and Theatre, with a minor in Sociology. During a summer course at the Duke University Marine Laboratory in Beaufort, NC, I conducted my first research project, which tickled the creative parts of my brain in unexpected ways. After long days of lectures and field work, I ran experiments late into the night. One such night, shuffling back to my dorm at sunrise to catch a few hours of sleep before class, I realized that research gives me the kind of up-all-night inspiration I want to fuel my life’s work. Guided by a sense of wonder, I have since then immersed myself in research from crustaceans to cetaceans, and have spent the past two years working in Dr. Adrianna San Roman’s lab at Duke, studying human sex differences at the genomic level. I am honored to have been awarded the National Science Foundation’s Graduate Research Fellowship and am ecstatic to grow alongside my fellow GG Scholars who share my enthusiasm for learning about life on earth at its most fundamental biological level. Outside of science, I enjoy performing with my comedy troupe, adventuring, and volunteering with Independent Animal Rescue.
Lydia Gillan
Biochemistry
I grew up in Cary, NC and completed my B.S. in Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering at NC State. I spent undergrad working with Dr. Belinda Akpa’s lab developing qualitative-to-quantitative predictive models to delineate the mechanisms plants use to regulate processes like nutrient homeostasis and stomatal movement, informing more targeted experimental strategies when resources or capabilities are limited. Despite my computational roots, I’ve fallen in love with wet-lab research after joining Dr. Colleen Doherty’s lab as a technician. Recently, I have been focused on developing higher-quality genomic resources for the rare earth element accumulating plant species phytolacca, more commonly known as pokeweed, to maximize its biomining potential. I’ve also been engineering a plant and microbial pipeline to remediate produced water, the largest waste stream from fracking, for reuse in irrigation. During my PhD, I’m excited to delve deeper into understanding how plants interact with the environment, and how these interactions can be harnessed to improve stress tolerance or clean up pollution. When I’m not working with plants, I enjoy reading, going to concerts, watching stop motion, or trying unusual crafts with my friends.
Frank Schaeffer
GGS Undeclared
I am very excited to continue pursuing biological research as a GG Scholar with North CarolinaState University! I grew up in Lancaster County, PA, where I became interested in genetics while test crossing exotic reptiles with my dad. My fascination with genetics and biological diversity led me to pursue a B.S. in Biology with a concentration in Plant Molecular Biology and Biotechnology at Millersville University (MU). I spent three years at MU working with Drs Maja Klosinska, Christopher Stieha, and Laura Ramos-Sepulveda to study the microbiomes of dioecious spinach, and how they respond to plant sex and life stage. I’m interested in applying network theory and multiomics analyses to investigate how plant traits mediate interactions in plant and microbial communities. When I’m not troubleshooting code, reading papers and writing, I am tending to the MU honeybees, looking around for plants and animals, or exploring a wilderness area somewhere. I’m very fortunate to have this opportunity to learn from everybody in the GGS cohort and program.
Bethany Nolta
Microbiology
I grew up in Michigan and graduated from Michigan State University with a degree in Environmental Biology and Microbiology. As an undergraduate researcher in the Lebeis Lab, I studied how bacterial strains influence plant health under alkaline stress, focusing on iron availability and secondary metabolites such as siderophores and coumarins. Broadly, I am interested in soil microbial ecology and the ways microbial communities influence plant resilience and ecosystem stability under abiotic stress. I am especially drawn to questions at the intersection of microbiology and environmental change. As a GG Scholar and Microbiology PhD student, I am excited to continue to investigate these questions! Outside of research, I enjoy camping, reading, and being involved in environmental outreach. I’m excited to join the GG scholars community and participate in interdisciplinary studies!