Fighting Disease by Revealing the Hidden side of the Genome

Ferhat Ay, Ph.D., is building some of the world’s smallest maps. These maps trace the wiring inside a cell’s nucleus to reveal how genes interact and how the body fights disease. Only about 2% of our DNA accounts for genes; the remaining 98% harbor regulatory switches that control when and how active each gene is. Some switches are positioned right next to the gene they control, but some are far apart and brought close together as our DNA folds into a complex 3D shape inside the cell nucleus. Join Ay as he discusses how he uses computational tools to understand how individual variations in the intricate 3D architecture of our genome directly impact how our immune system fights disease.
Ay is an associate professor at La Jolla Institute for Immunology. He was a computing innovation fellow at the University of Washington and a research assistant professor at Northwestern University before joining La Jolla Institute for Immunology in 2016. He received his Ph.D. in computer science from the University of Florida in Gainesville.
La Jolla Institute’s community lecture series “Life Without Disease” provides San Diegans with an opportunity to hear about the latest advances in immune research and learn first-hand about the exciting research conducted at the Institute. The seminars are delivered by leading figures in immunology and are offered at no charge to the public several times each year.
To learn more about upcoming talks at the La Jolla Institute for Immunology and Sharp Minds at the Fleet Center follow the links below.
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