kaitlyn
Director of the Genomics Core
Email: kaitly6@clemson.edu
Phone: 864-889-0535
Biosketch
Kaitlyn obtained her B.S. in Biochemistry at West Virginia University. While there, she worked in a molecular genetics lab; her research focus was investigating the effects of overexpressing and silencing relevant promoter genes of the anticancer glyceollin metabolic pathway in soybean. After graduating, she took a molecular technician position at the University of Texas at Austin in the Invasive Species Research Lab. Her main research project was the phylogenetic analysis of Pseudacteon flies, where she performed both molecular and bioinformatic tasks. While working full-time, she completed an M.S. in Biotechnology from Johns Hopkins University in December 2020. After graduating, she worked as the Molecular Lab Specialist at the Clemson University Genomics and Bioinformatics Facility, where she performed all molecular genomics work for the facility. At CUGBF, she worked with researchers across multiple colleges at Clemson University to perform next-generation sequencing. She worked closely with the Clemson University REDDI Lab to create a workflow for RNA extraction and next-generation sequencing of positive COVID-19 samples. At CHG, she is responsible for executing comprehensive NGS workflows, from nucleic acid extraction through library preparation and sequencing. As Genomics Core Director, she processes sequencing projects across multiple platforms, such as the Illumina NovaSeq X and the PacBio Revio.
Research
Kaitlyn is interested in researching the intersection of genetics and precision medicine, with a particular focus on how population genetics can inform personalized healthcare strategies. She is also interested in exploring how genetic factors influence disease susceptibility, addiction, and lifespan. Her previous research has included topics ranging from the effect of gene expression on metabolic pathways, phylogenetics, and variant surveillance and recombinant variants of COVID-19. She enjoys expanding her knowledge of molecular techniques and helping design and improve molecular workflows for sequencing. She is extremely passionate about training and mentorship in science and has led over 100 training sessions on molecular techniques, safety, and equipment maintenance. She hopes to continue to develop and run future workshops to continue with outreach and learning at Clemson University.
Publications
Riley, V. A., Shankar, V., Holmberg, J. C., Sokolov, A. M., Neckles, V. N., Williams, K., … & Feliciano, D. M. (2023). Tsc2 coordinates neuroprogenitor differentiation. Iscience, 26(12).
Napolitano, J. M., Srikanth, S., Noorai, R. E., Wilson, S., Williams, K. E., Rosales-Garcia, R. A., … & Dean, D. (2024). SARS-CoV-2 variant introduction following spring break travel and transmission mitigation strategies. Plos one, 19(5), e0301225.