Frank Albert, Ph.D.

Research

The Albert lab will investigate how genetic variation in human genomes translates into the differences that make each of us unique. As a species, humans share the same set of genes, yet we all harbor millions of genetic variants—slight differences in DNA sequence that contribute to our distinctive characteristics and influence our risk for conditions such as heart disease and diabetes. As a postdoctoral fellow, I developed genomic and computational tools for mapping genetic variants in yeast and assessing their physiological effects. Now, the Pew scholarship will enable me to combine these methods with cutting-edge techniques in cell and molecular genetics to explore new ways of studying how genetic variation in human genomes alters the activation of genes and the production of proteins. Our work could expose intriguing connections between genetic variation and human disease, and improve our ability to diagnose and treat a variety of heritable disorders.