Jahnelle Jackson is a Pathobiology & Translational Science Ph.D. student at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. She graduated in 2020 from North Carolina Central University in Durham, NC, with a B.S. in Biology. In the Berg Lab, she mainly works with the Age-Based Genomic Screening (ABGS) project with Dr. Jonathan Berg and Dr. Laura Milko. On this project, she is working to answer three critical questions that are important to answer prior to the ABGS pilot: First, what monogenic condition should be included on a focused sequencing panel, and at what time points should genetic screening for these conditions occur? Second, what barriers for parents exist that impede widespread acceptance of genetic screening for healthy children? Third, how do parents understand genomic screening results, particularly negative results? She also works with PPMH, CRB, Gene Panel Working Group, Subgroup 2: National Family Health History Working Group, and other groups.
Before coming to the Berg Lab, she explored a variety of research areas. In 2019, she had the opportunity to conduct research in the field of epigenetics at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill (UNC) through the Seeding Postdoctoral Innovators in Research and Education (SPIRE) program. Studying under the mentorship of Dr. Robert J. Duronio, she worked to confirm the functionality of the CG8569 ortholog in Drosophila with the expectation of developing potential treatments for long bone cancer and pediatric cancer. During COVID, she participated in the NIH PREP Scholars Program at the University of South Carolina, investigating the prevalence of enterohepatic helicobacter species in colonoscopy patients. She also has previous research experience in areas of pharmacoengineering, public health, and immunology. These experiences further cemented her interest in translational science.
She has a passion for volunteering and mentorship and is a part of many leadership efforts at UNC, such as STAHR, BBSP Leadership, Nucleate, (CG)2 PBTS recruitment, BBSP recruitment, and leading a small team of undergraduates in the summer(s). Outside of UNC, she is a member of Sigma Gamma Rho Sorority, Incorporated, and participates in regular volunteer work. She also enjoys hanging out with friends, spending time with family, swimming, and shopping.
