Research Interests
Keywords: Molecular genetic pathology
My major research interest is translation of new knowledge of the genetic causes of disease into diagnostic testing. The goal is to better characterize the spectrum, incidence and genotype-phenotype correlation of mutations associated with disease and to develop clinical testing in those genes with clinical utility. Dr. Weck has been co-investigator of several NIH-funded grants to implement exome/genome sequencing for diagnosis of genetic diseases from prenatal testing to adults, and is a member of the NHGRI Clinical Sequencing Evidence-Generating Research (CSER) consortium. She has been co-investigator of several institutional clinical trials to study the clinical utility of pharmacogenomics guided therapy and of the UNCseq tumor sequencing study to implement genomic sequencing for somatic mutation testing in cancer. Dr. Weck’s laboratory has developed mutation testing for genes associated with primary ciliary dyskinesia, X-linked Alport syndrome, and focal segmental glomerulosclerosis (FSGS). The UNC molecular genetics laboratory is now one of the few laboratories in the country that offers clinical genetic testing for mutations associated with these diseases.
Mentor Training:
Awards and Honors:
2020 President, Association for Molecular Pathology
2018 Distinguished Service Award, College of American Pathologists
2008 Philip M. Blatt Award for Excellence in Resident Training in Clinical Pathology
Publications
Karen Weck-Taylor in UNC Genetics News
June 19, 2023
Department of Genetics Publications for June 4th – 17th, 2023
Department of Genetics faculty, postdocs, students and collaborators published 10 papers during June 4th - 17th, 2023.
May 7, 2023
Department of Genetics Publications for April 23rd – May 6th, 2023
Department of Genetics faculty, postdocs, students and collaborators published 11 papers during April 23rd – May 6th, 2023.
August 16, 2022
Department of Genetics Publications for July 31st – August 13th, 2022
Department of Genetics faculty, postdocs, students and collaborators published 7 papers during July 31st – August 13th, 2022. A multi-layer functional genomic analysis to understand noncoding genetic variation in lipids. Ramdas S, Judd J, Graham SE, Kanoni S, Wang Y, Surakka I, Wenz B, Clarke SL, Chesi A, Wells A, Bhatti KF, Vedantam S, …
June 6, 2022
Department of Genetics Publications May 22nd – June 4th, 2022
Department of Genetics faculty, postdocs, students and collaborators published 10 papers during May 22nd – June 4th, 2022.
September 8, 2020
Department of Genetics Publications for August 23 – Sept. 5, 2020
Department of Genetics faculty, postdocs, students and collaborators published eight papers during August 23 – Sept. 5, 2020.
March 10, 2020
Department of Genetics Publications for Feb. 23 – March 7, 2020
Department of Genetics faculty, postdocs, students and collaborators published fourteen papers during Feb. 23 – March 7, 2020.
December 4, 2019
Department of Genetics Publications for Nov. 17-30, 2019
Department of Genetics faculty, postdocs, students and collaborators published seventeen papers during Nov. 17-30, 2019.
November 7, 2016
Genetics Faculty Publications for Oct 15 – Nov 4, 2016
During the last three weeks, Department of Genetics faculty members, along with their colleagues, have published 21 manuscripts on a wide variety of topics. A survey of current practices for genomic sequencing test interpretation and reporting processes in US laboratories. O’Daniel JM, McLaughlin HM, Amendola LM, Bale SJ, Berg JS, Bick D, Bowling KM, Chao …
