Manichaikul Group at the University of Virginia

Ani Manichaikul, PhD, is an Associate Professor in the Department of Genome Sciences at the University of Virginia. Her research lies in the areas of statistical genetics and genetic epidemiology with an emphasis on 1) integrative analysis leveraging multi-omics data two interpret results of genome-wide association studies, 2) genetic analysis in multi-ancestry and admixed populations, and 3) translational research efforts bridging mouse and human studies. Outside of work, she enjoys hiking, gardening and trying new recipes. [CV]

Xiaowei Hu, PhD, is a Research Assistant Professor in the Department of Genome Sciences at the University of Virginia. Her research focuses on the development and application of statistical methods for 'omics prediction and 'omics risk score prediction of complex human diseases and traits. Additionally, she is actively working on other research areas including integrative analysis of GWAS with other ‘omics (e.g., transcriptome-wide association study TWAS), post-GWAS analyses (e.g., statistical fine-mapping and colocalization). In addition to research projects, she has been actively engaged in the research communities, like the NHLBI Trans-Omics for Precision Medicine (TOPMed) program, the Cohorts for Heart and Aging Research in Genomic Epidemiology (CHARGE) Consortium, and All of Us. [Google Scholar]

Catherine Debban, PhD, is a research scientist in the Manichaikul group at UVA’s Department of Genome Sciences. With a background in population genomics, Catherine is interested in the genetics of pulmonary disease in groups with a variety of ancestral backgrounds. Currently, her work focuses on the genomics and proteomics of lung disease including chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) and interstitial lung disease (ILD). Outside of work, Catherine enjoys gardening, cooking, and art.

Chaojie Yang, PhD, is a Research Scientist in Dr. Ani Manichaikul’s lab at the Department of Genome Sciences, University of Virginia. His research focus on (1) genome-wide association studies (GWAS) for multiple phenotypes in diverse ancestry groups (European, African American, Hispanics and Chinese) from Trans-Omics for Precision Medicine (TOPMed) Multi-Ethnic Study of Atherosclerosis (MESA), Million Veteran Program (MVP) and UKbiobank (2) integrative study of multi-omics including transcriptomics, proteomics and methylation to identify molecular targets underlying GWAS loci. Outside of work, he enjoys playing squash, traveling and spending time with his two cats.

Connor Murray, PhD, is a Biostatistician interested in uncovering how genetic and transcriptional variation contributes to disease across human populations. With a background in evolutionary genetics and population genetics of non-model crustacean species (Daphnia), Connor has a unique combination of technical and theoretical knowledge regarding genotype-to-phenotype connections across taxa. In the lab, Connor is studying how genetic variants affect expression and splicing outcomes within the disease context of heart failure across genes. He is leading analyses on a subset of diseased and non-diseased individuals within the Trans-Omics in Precision Medicine (TOPMed) consortium database where he works on quantitative trait loci (QTLs) mapping, colocalization with genome-wide association studies (GWAS), and variant/gene prioritization generally. Outside of this work, Connor is always looking for adventures along the Blue Ridge Mountains and avidly enjoys mountain biking and hiking along the A.T.

Brody Receveur, MS, is a Biostatistician with over three years of experience in statistical genetics and applied modeling. His work in Ani’s lab focuses on transcriptomic clustering and whole genome sequencing, investigating telomere length and its role in disease progression in idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF).[ Personal homepage ]

Paula Czarnota, MS, is a PhD candidate in the Computational Biology PhD program at UVA. She has background in biophysics and bioinformatics from her undergraduate and graduate degrees. Her current research interests involve genetic sex differences in chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) which she is exploring at the single-cell RNA-Seq and general population levels. Outside the research, I enjoy reading books and playing video games.

Sam Park, BS, is a Bioinformatician who joined the lab as a part-time analyst in 2024 after a few years of working in pharmaceutical manufacturing automation and data science. He is actively contributing to research involving GWAS, QTL colocalization, and single-cell RNA sequencing in the context of pulmonary diseases, and is also interested in interactive data visualizations and web development through React. Outside of the lab, he enjoys practicing tennis and growing a variety of plants. .[ Personal homepage ]

Arushi Gadicherla is a second-year undergraduate student at the University of Virginia, planning to double major in Biology and Statistics. She is currently a research intern in the lab, with interests in bioinformatics, computational biology, and statistical approaches to genetics. Outside of research, Arushi enjoys playing volleyball, hiking, and trying new foods.

Former group members

Wiktor Nisterenko; Visiting Student (Position: R&D Specialist at QSAR lab)

Maria Murach, MS, Visiting Student (Position: PhD Candidate at the University of Virginia)

Malvika, Venkataraman, Undergraduate student (Position: MS Biostatistics candidate at Columbia)

Olivia Hale, Undergraduate student

Yanlin Ma, MS, Biostatistician

Chansuk Kang, MS, Biostatistician

Jennifer Nguyen, MS, Biostatistician