Shannon graduated from the University of Florida in 2013 with a Bachelor of Science in Biology and a specialization in Biotechnology. As an undergraduate researcher in Dr. Connie Mulligan’s lab, she assessed human genetic variation in Yemeni populations to characterize ancient migration patterns. Shannon continued her study of human genetics in the Department of Molecular Genetics and Microbiology at Duke University, earning her PhD in 2018. Her graduate work in Dr. Beth Sullivan’s lab focused on understanding how the genomic and epigenomic attributes of repetitive alpha satellite DNA contribute to human centromere function, with an emphasis on the role of alpha satellite sequence variation in chromosome instability. With an interest in studying human genetic variation within a clinical setting, Shannon joined Dr. Jonathan Berg’s lab as a postdoctoral research associate in 2019, where she is currently working to establish a framework for the analysis of functional studies in variant interpretation. She is also contributing to the assessment of the clinical validity of genetic variants as part of NCGENES2.
Shannon McNulty, Ph.D.
