genetics

When Dean Stan Gerson called Paul Tesar to the stage at the School of Medicine’s State of the School address last month, the Dr. Donald and Ruth Weber Goodman Professor of Innovative Therapeutics believed he’d be speaking about the Institute of Glial Sciences—a new center he’s directing. Instead,…

Irregularities in the body’s genetic coding to make proteins are linked to cancerous tumors. But most genetic material contains elements whose function isn’t clear. Could abnormalities in non-coding material also impact a person’s health, or even be linked to cancers as well? A new study by…

When Jonathan Haines was learning about genetics in his high school biology class, he thought it was going to be pretty straightforward—you get one copy of genes from mom, one copy from dad and that’s it. “By the time I realized it was really complex, I was already hooked,” said Haines, the Mary…

Case Western Reserve University researchers combine novel chemical method with CRISPR gene-editing tools to target disease-specific versions of genetic codeThe gene-editing technique known as CRISPR accelerated biological and medical research in the last decade by allowing scientists to repair the…

In a ceremony Oct. 22, School of Medicine Dean Stan Gerson awarded Maria Hatzoglou the Case Medal for Excellence in Health Science Innovation. She was recognized with the highest honor bestowed by the school for her groundbreaking research, decades of service and for being a wonderful role model.…

In 2018, eight years after starting his lab, Paul Tesar was formally asked about his mentoring philosophy for the first time. He’d been nominated for a mentorship award and, as a finalist, had to answer questions about his mentorship style and strategy. The problem was Tesar never spent time…

Work has potential implications for new therapies to treat cancer and neurodegenerative disorders A team of Case Western Reserve University researchers has found a way to measure key characteristics of proteins that bind to RNA in cells—a discovery that could improve our understanding of how gene…

Program: MD-PhD (PhD in Genetics) Year in program: Second-year The death of a loved one can be a life-altering experience. When second-year MD/PhD student Bijou Basu’s grandfather passed away earlier this year, it left her pondering approaches to end-of-life care and, ultimately, led her to launch…

Case Western Reserve computer and data sciences researcher improving privacy for global genomic data sharing network, supported by $1.2 million NIH grant A Case Western Reserve University computer and data sciences researcher is working to shore up privacy protections for people whose genomic…

There are treatments, but no cures, for millions of people worldwide suffering from diseases such as multiple sclerosis, cerebral palsy and leukodystrophies (rare genetic diseases that affect the brain and spinal cord). This is why Paul Tesar and his lab continue to conduct promising translational…