Email Rachel.ONeill@uconn.edu
Professor O’Neill received her BA with Highest Honors in Zoology from the University of Texas at Austin in 1992 and her PhD in Genetics and Human Variation from La Trobe University in 1997. Currently a Professor at the University of Connecticut in the Department of Molecular and Cell Biology, Director of the Center for Genome Innovation within the Institute for Systems Genomics and Co-Director of the iPS Cell and Chromosome Core, Dr. O’Neill has built her career on understanding how genomes maintain stability over time. Her research group at the University of Connecticut uses molecular, cytogenetic, and computational approaches to study genomic conflict involved in retroelement transcription and centromere function and the role of novel small RNAs in chromosomal and genome stability. Her lab uses a comparative genomics approach encompassing both traditional and non-traditional model systems, including human, non-human primates, rodents, marsupials, and several marine species of relevance to environmental genomics. Over the past 20 years, her laboratory has established a suite of genome-scale techniques for their research, including in situ hybridization, cytogenetics, molecular genetics, genetic engineering, artificial chromosomes, bioinformatics, cell assays, and next-generation sequencing methods (10X genomics, Oxford Nanopore, Bionano Irys, Illumina, pyrosequencing, sequencing by ligation, Ion Torrent). Her lab is also involved several international genome sequencing efforts, including human genome resequencing, several wallaby species, the koala, the recently extinct Tasmanian Tiger and the Antarctic salp.

Email: Gabrielle.Hartley@uconn.edu   A Connecticut native, Gabby earned a B.S. in Forensic Science (2017) and a B.S. in Biology (2017) from the University of New Haven and a graduate certificate in Nonprofit Management (2020) from the University of Connecticut. She joined the Rachel O'Neill lab in 2018, where she has contributed to a number of projects, including repeat annotation and discovery for the CHM13 and T2T-Primates projects with the T2T Consortium, genome assembly and functional assays in collaboration with Colossal Biosciences, and ancient/museum sample DNA extraction in varying collaborations with the state archaeologist and Colossal Biosciences. Her primary work explores the mechanisms of rapid karyotype evolution in gibbons, and she completed her PhD in 2023 investigating the link between genomic features, centromeres, and chromosomal breakpoints in the eastern hoolock gibbon. She is now a research associate in the lab, where she continues her work on these projects. In her free time, Gabby enjoys gardening, embroidery, and reality TV.

Email: Savannah.Klein@uconn.edu  Savannah earned her B.S. in Biology from McDaniel College in the Spring of 2015. During her time at McDaniel, she interned in the laboratory of Dr. Xin Chen at John Hopkins University, where she focused on the role of lipid metabolism on Drosophila germ cell differentiation from a stem cell lineage. In the fall of 2015, Savannah entered the PhD program in Genetics and Genomics within the Molecular and Cellular Biology Department at the University of Connecticut, and soon after joined Dr. Rachel O’Neill’s lab. Her research focuses on the role of transcriptionally active transposable elements in centromeric and neocentromeric establishment, maintenance, and function in humans.

Email: PhoebeJohnston@uconn.edu  Vel earned a B.S in Biology with a minor in Bioinformatics here at UConn in 2024. As an undergraduate student, Vel worked in the O’Neill lab part-time facilitating next generation sequencing, culturing mammalian cells, and learning the bioinformatic techniques associated with genome assembly. Now a post-baccalaureate research assistant, Vel continues to support various projects in the lab and is currently focused on assembling the T2T platypus genome.

Email: Nicole.Pauloski@uconn.edu  Nicole earned her B.S. in Biotechnology from Rutgers University and her M.S. in Cellular and Molecular Biology from the University of New Haven. She began her career in industry before joining the University of Connecticut, where she has enhanced her expertise in cell biology, cytogenetics and genomics. Her technical experience includes in situ hybridization and next-generation sequencing applications, as well as the development and implementation of emerging sequencing technologies across multiple platforms, including Illumina, PacBio, 10x Genomics, and Oxford Nanopore. Nicole leads UConn’s partnership with Org.One, an Oxford Nanopore initiative dedicated to creating an open-access repository of high-quality genomic data to support research and conservation of endangered species across the globe. Nicole is passionate about teaching and enjoys mentoring lab members on a variety of projects. Outside the lab, she loves cooking, spending time with her family, and attending the theater.

Email: Nicole.Tilquist@uconn.edu  Nicole Tillquist grew up in California and earned her BS (2016) and MS (2018) in Ruminant Nutrition from Colorado State University in the Department of Animal Sciences where she focused on understanding copper metabolism in beef cattle utilizing a cell culture model. Nicole completed her PhD in Animal Science at the University of Connecticut in 2023. During her PhD, Nicole used a sheep model to understand how poor maternal nutrition during gestation impacts offspring growth and metabolism. During her PhD, Nicole became interested in the molecular mechanisms that contribute to impaired phenotype in the offspring and wrote a USDA post-doc grant to further the understanding of the effects of nutrient restriction during gestation on fetal sheep small intestine development and epigenetic regulation. Nicole joined Rachel O’Neill’s lab during her postdoctoral studies to further her molecular genetics skillset and is currently working on a minipig genome assembly for comparative analyses of the Prader-Willi locus. In her free time, Nicole enjoys gardening, playing pickleball, and cooking.

Email: Emry.Brannan@uconn.edu  Emry earned a B.S. in Biology at Florida Gulf Coast University in 2017 and completed an M.S. in Cellular and Molecular Biology from the University of New Haven in 2020. At UNH, Emry studied the regulation of unstable mRNAs during embryogenesis in zebrafish. Following graduation, Emry entered the Molecular and Cellular Ph.D. program with a specific interest in Genetics and Genomics. After joining Dr. Rachel O'Neill's lab, their current interests lie in marsupial chromosome evolution.

Email: Emily.Fuller@uconn.edu  Emily Fuller earned a Bachelors of Science (B.S.) in Biology, a B.S. in Forensic Science and a Minor in Chemistry at the University of New Haven in 2014. She began her industry career in 2013 when she interned at a local biotech start-up company, AxioMx, and subsequently was hired on full-time post-graduation. In collaboration between UConn and Abcam (AxioMx was acquired in 2015), Emily is currently pursuing her PhD in Molecular and Cell Biology. In Dr. Rachel O’Neill’s lab, she is studying alternative splice variants that are up-regulated in disease/cancer and developing antibody tools against them.

Email: Magda.Kmiecik@uconn.edu  Magda earned a B.S. in Animal Science and a Minor in Molecular Genetics at the University of Vermont in 2023. During her time there, she worked in Dr. Stephanie McKay’s lab studying the relationship between a stressor (tick abundance) and global DNA methylation in Moose genomes. Following graduation, she joined Dr. Christine Beck’s lab at The Jackson Laboratory where she worked on projects relating to identifying de novo mutations across inbred mouse strains and transposable element mediated rearrangements across great ape genomes. She entered the Molecular and Cell Biology PhD program in the Fall of 2025 and joined Dr. Rachel O’Neill’s lab. Her research interests surround using genomics to inform conservation management.

Mackenzie Robillard

Postdoctoral Fellows and Senior Research Fellows (completed):

Chu Zhang, Ph.D. Current position: Director of Business Development and Biologics Operations, Frontage Laboratories, Inc	2012-2015
Nate Jue, Ph.D. Current position:  Assistant Professor, Cal State Monterey Bay	2008-2015
Cushla Metcalfe, Ph.D. Current position: Experimental Scientist, The Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation	2004-2008
Dawn Carone, Ph.D. Current position: Assistant Professor, Swarthmore University	2008
Judy Brown, Ph.D. Current position:  Associate Professor in Residence, School of Nursing and Institute for Systems Genomics, UConn	2007-2010
Mark Longo, Ph.D. Current position: Assistant Professor in Residence, Dept. of Molecular and Cell Biology, UConn	2011-2013

Ph.D. Students (Completed): 

Michelle Neitzey, Ph.D. Thesis: Genome Resources and Adaptation to Environmental Stressors in Marine Invertebrates Current Position: Postdoctoral Research Fellow, University of Connecticut	2025
Gabrielle Hartley, Ph.D. Thesis: Complex Repeats, Transposable Elements, and Epigenetic Status Drive Karyotypic Variation in Gibbons. Current Position: Associate Scientist, University of Connecticut	2023
Savannah Hoyt, Ph.D. Thesis: : Genomic and Epigenomic Maps of Both Endogenous and Neo-centromeres Provide Insights into the Link Between Transposable Elements and Centromere Identity. Current Position: Associate Scientist, University of Connecticut	2023
Patrick Grady, Ph.D. Thesis: The Pivotal Role of Centromeric and Telomeric Repetitive Elements in the Evolution of Dynamic Karyotypes in Marsupials.	2023
Kate Castellano, Ph.D.  Thesis: Salps in Bloom: Genome dynamics provide insight into the reproductive success of Salpa thompsoni and Salpa aspera Current Position: Assistant Research Professor, University of Connecticut	2021
Sarah Trusiak, Ph.D. Thesis: Evidence for Centromere Drive in Macropus Marsupials Current Position: NGS Senior Scientist, ThermoFisher, MA	2019
Laura Hall, Ph.D. Thesis: LINEs, SINEs and Wallabies, the Dynamic Landscape of the Mammalian Centromere Current position: Lab Coordinator, Biology Degree Coordinator, Hawaii Community College, HI	2013
Mark Longo, Ph.D. Thesis: Searching for the Mammalian Centromere, Excursions in Genome Space Current position: Assistant Professor in Residence, Dept. of Molecular and Cell Biology, UConn, CT	2011
Elisabeth Mlynarski, Ph.D. Thesis: Peromyscus karyotypic evolution in speciation and disease Current position: Postdoctoral Fellow, Comp Bio UPenn, PA	2011
Dawn Carone, Ph.D. Thesis: The Role of Retroviruses and RNA in Mammalian Centromere Competency Current position: Assistant Professor, Swarthmore University, PA	2008
Gianni Ferreri, Ph.D. Thesis: An Ultraconserved Retrovirus and its Impact on Vertebrate Genome Evolution Current position: Product Develop Lead, Roche Tissue Diagnostics, Ventana Medical Systems, AR	2008
Kira Bulazel, Ph.D. Thesis: Molecular evolutionary genetics of the macropodinae: phylogenetic resolution of the genus Macropus and analysis of centromere composition Current position: Bioinformatics Scientist at AgBiome, NC	2007
Judith D. Brown, Ph.D. Thesis: Evaluation of genetic instability in eutherian hybrids Current position: Associate Professor in Residence, School of Nursing and Institute for Systems Genomics, UConn, CT	2007

Masters Students (Completed - internship or thesis): 

Trent Tennyson	Meg Marzelli	Jennifer Mack	Kristen Kosswig
Diana Golden	Concetta Marfella	Lucas Wright	Devika Dhandapani
Chia Wei Lim	Lorin Weaver	Melissa Harris	Zanna Aristarhova
Karina Winiarskyj	Lauren Bellizzi	Leah Newmann	Stan Sulewski III
Nicholas Jannetty	Sonya Kapoor	Paul Gradie	Jean Whalen
Jenny Kwok	Jessica Strein	Randy Kudra	Michael Peracchio
Brianna Flynn	Brendan Smalec	Nicholas Mosca

Masters Students (Associate Advisor): 42

Undergraduate Students (Completed):
(Honors Scholars*, Holster Scholars^, SURF recipients#)

Elyse Pizzo*	Justin Beauchamp	Yinka Edwards	Mike Wheelock*#
Brianna Flynn	Steven Slota*#	Mark Longo	Sara Bennett*
Dawn Lincinsky	Brad Whaley	Shannon Callanan*	Jeffery Lahrmann*
Kristin Hervey*	Aaron Stepanek	Laura Hall	Melissa Harris
Gianni Ferreri	Anagha Sabnis*#	Martina Strbunclj*	Sharon Pillsbury*
Eileen Kelly*	Vanessa Piccullo*#	Caitlin Finn*#	Kathleen Stewart*#
Cecilia Esteves*	Mina Farahani*	Leroy Robinson	Julianna Crivello
Nicholas Jannetty	Katie Ritz*#	Parker Sulkowski*#	Kristen Hughes*
Christine Nykyforchyn*#	Brendan Smalec*^#	Jacob Zinn	Corbinian Wanner
Alex Tedeschi*#	Madeline Gastonguay*^	Melinda Wei*	Madelyn Severson*#
Olivia Zhang*	Xuechen Chen	Chenghong Deng*#	Hannah Smith *#
Paul Isaac*#	Brittany Tagg	Darlene Burckson	Emily Trybulec