People

Mohan's research background is in genetics and epidemiology, which he brings together to bridge the gap between ‘omic’ discovery and public health through the development, refinement, and innovative application of analytical methods of mapping metabolic risk genes. He aims to bring about lasting changes in health and wellness in underrepresented communities using three interconnected elements that he believes are critical in any research: whānau ora (healthy families), wai ora (healthy environments) and mauri ora (healthy individuals). 

Rachel is a biological anthropologist and geneticist with a Ph.D. from University of Pennsylvania. Her research has focused on a variety of topics including mitochondrial genetics, population history, and the genetics of obesity and related diseases. By drawing on evolutionary theory, oral history, and biocultural perspectives, Rachel's work seeks to understand how human history and cultural diversity impact genetic risks of disease in modern populations.

Yao is a Ph.D. student in the Molecular, Cellular, and Integrative Biosciences program at Penn State. She got her bachelor's degree in biotechnology at SUSTech, China. With a background in Biology, she is now studying the genomic and transcriptomic signatures of CVD diseases and severe obesity. 

Ellyzabeth is a Ph.D. student in the Biobehavioral Health program at Penn State. She received her B.A. in History and B.S. in Behavioral Neuroscience at St. Edward’s University, TX. She is a College Assistant Migrant Program Scholar, and her previous research as a McNair scholar focused on unhoused populations and migrant workers & reproductive health. Her current research  focuses on how neighborhood-level vulnerabilities and environmental toxicants influence obesity risk and how this exposure manifests in the individual across the lifespan.