
March 6, 2026
Haendel Publishes Health Data Policy Paper in Science
Dr. Melissa Haendel (Distinguished Professor, Genetics) is first author on a newly published paper in Science titled “Governing real-world health data as a public utility”.

March 6, 2026
Dr. Melissa Haendel (Distinguished Professor, Genetics) is first author on a newly published paper in Science titled “Governing real-world health data as a public utility”.

March 5, 2026
Dr. Sam Wolff was promoted to Associate Professor, effective February 1, 2026.

February 27, 2026
A geneticist at the UNC School of Medicine has coordinated the development of Mondo, the world’s first standardized rare disease coding tool. Mondo is designed to streamline the diagnosis and treatment planning for millions of patients with rare diseases internationally.

February 26, 2026
The laboratories of Jesse Raab and Katie Hoadley have published a new research article, “Hepatocyte-targeted Bap1 reduction in the liver primes an inflammatory transcriptional response,” in G3: Genes | Genomes | Genetics.

We advance fundamental, translational, and clinical research in genetics and genomics through innovation, education, and collaboration.
Our graduate programs train students to be creative, sophisticated research scientists prepared to pursue careers focused in genetics and genomics working in academic science, government, or commercial positions. Students conduct their dissertation research using diverse experimental approaches – from classical genetics to the most modern molecular methods – to address a broad range of contemporary problems in biomedical science.
The Department also includes a clinical arm focused on medical genetics, which covers the broad spectrum of clinical genetic research from disease prevention to diagnosis and treatment. This specialty includes evaluation, mutation discovery, counseling and risk assessment through analysis and genetic testing. Locating the clinical group alongside basic scientists facilitates integration of cutting edge genetic research with patient care.

Courtney Thaxton, PhD
Associate Professor
The Department of Genetics is proud to highlight Dr. Courtney Thaxton for her excellence in research, teaching, and mentoring.
Dr. Thaxton was promoted to Associate Professor in July 2024 and serves as the Director of the ClinGen-affiliated UNC Biocuration and Coordination Core.
Saturday 12:00 am Monday 12:00 pm Tuesday 3:00 pm Wednesday 10:00 am Tuesday 3:00 pm Wednesday 12:00 pmUpcoming Events
UNC Spring Break 2026
Monday – GMB Defense: Fred Koitz
Tuesday – BCB Student Defense: Brooke Felsheim
Wednesday – BCB Student Defense: Pradham Tanikella
Tuesday – BCB Student Defense: Matthew Sutcliffe
Wednesday – Department of Genetics Colloquium: Priscila Santa Rosa
Genetics In The News