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Lonna attended undergrad at North Carolina Central University (NCCU) where she majored in Biology and minored in Chemistry. It was at NCCU where she realized her love of genetics and acquired her first research experiences. Lonna was selected for the Minority Access to Research Careers (MARC) Scholars program where she was encouraged to pursue an advanced degree in the sciences. Lonna attended graduate school at UNC Chapel Hill, earning her doctorate in the Curriculum of Genetics and Molecular Biology. During graduate school she investigated nuclear RNA quality control mechanisms to better understand how the cell can differentiate between aberrant RNAs versus productive RNA transcripts. Although she is fascinated with basic science, her ultimate goal has been to apply genetics to human health which fuels her interest in precision medicine and clinical genetics. As a postdoc in the Berg Lab, Lonna will focus on identifying a feasible approach to implementing genetic screening as an enhancement to public health interventions for newborns and children. In the future, Lonna hopes to direct her own clinical genetics research group and continue to address how to best integrate genetic screening into public health in a way that ensures that all people equally benefit from genomic medicine.

Outside of the lab Lonna enjoys spending time with family and friends and attending concerts and music festivals.

Lonna Mollison, Ph.D