Epigenetics: Implications for People with an MPE

Epigenetics and beyond – what it is and what does it mean for someone with an MPE? Curious about what makes you who you are today? Join us for a fascinating discussion of nature versus nurture and identity.

Dr. Dhasarathy received her Ph.D. in Genetics and Biochemistry in the laboratory of Dr. Michael Kladde at Texas A&M University, TX. She did postdoctoral work on cancer epigenetics with Dr. Paul Wade at the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences (NIEHS) in Research Triangle Park, NC. She then moved to the University of North Dakota in Grand Forks, ND to establish her own research laboratory. Dr. Dhasarathy has a long-standing interest in gene regulation- how are genes turned on or off. Her laboratory aims to understand epigenetic mechanisms behind the regulation of gene expression.

Dr. L. Keith Henry received his Doctorate in Cellular, Molecular, and Developmental Biology from the University of Tennessee, Knoxville in the laboratory of Dr. Jeffrey M. Becker where he studied how small peptide ligands bind and activate G-protein-coupled receptors. His postdoctoral training was performed at Vanderbilt University School of Medicine in the laboratory of Dr. Randy Blakely where he significantly advanced the understanding of how antidepressants and drugs of abuse interact with the serotonin transporter in the brain. In addition, his research resulted in the generation of a transgenic mouse that is insensitive to many antidepressant drugs. He is currently an Associate Professor of Biomedical Sciences at the University of North Dakota School of Medicine and Health Sciences and one of his current research projects involves using these novel mice to investigate whether exposure to antidepressants in utero causes long-lasting epigenetic changes that increase rates of depression and anxiety in adults.

Dr. Henry started his own MPE journey in 2018 when the commercial DNA tests, 23&Me and Ancestry.com, revealed that his raising father was not his genetic father.