Awarded in 2017
Home Department: Biology
Faculty Advisors: Hunter Fraser (Biology) and Ashby Morrison (Biology)

Research Title: Population genomics of UV-induced mutations

Research Description: Mutations are the raw materials that drive evolution, underlying the phenotypic variation upon which selection acts. Despite not being passed to offspring, somatic mutations are important factors in human aging and disease, and, more importantly, are drivers of cancer progression. Using methodologies of chromatin biology, Pablo proposes to combine the fields of genomic stability with population genomics to study the mutational process in different human populations. In particular, this project will elucidate the molecular basis of UV radiation-induced mutation hotspots, shedding light on the mechanisms that drive cancer and their variability in human populations.

WHERE IS HE NOW?

Pablo is working for the Chan Zuckerberg Initiative as a computational biologist.