Irma Vlasac

Irma M. Vlasac, BS

PhD Candidate, mentored by Dr. Brock Christensen

I am currently a graduate student pursuing my doctorate in the Molecular and Cellular Biology (MCB) program at Dartmouth. I received my Bachelor of Science with distinction from Worcester Polytechnic Institute in Biology and Biotechnology. I studied the genetics of human circadian rhythms using statistical analyses of large population data sets to identify key loci associated with chronotype and sleep phenotypes in the Center for Genomic Medicine at Massachusetts General Hospital prior to joining MCB. Using my experience and knowledge from my prior work, I’ve found passion and excitement in epidemiology. In Dr. Brock Christensen’s lab, I hope to further my learning of statistics and biology to use DNA methylation data to better understand tumor heterogeneity and the complexities of cell proportions comprising tumors and which may promote tumorigenesis in cancer. Outside of my research, I serve as the President of the Guarini Graduate Student Council, where I work with others to advocate for the needs of graduate students. In my downtime, I love being in nature, creating art, and spending time with friends.