A new senior editor is joining GENETICS in the Statistical Genetics and Genomics section. We’re excited to welcome Hongyu Zhao to the editorial team. Hongyu Zhao Senior Editor Hongyu Zhao is the Ira V. Hiscock Professor of Biostatistics, Professor of Genetics, and Professor of Statistics and Data Science at Yale University. He received his BS in Probability and Statistics from Peking University in 1990 and PhD in Statistics from the University of California, Berkeley in 1995. His research interests are the development and application of statistical methods in molecular biology, genetics, the ..read more

“At any career stage, the GSA membership is an amazing investment for any genetics professional!” Julio Molina Pineda is a PhD Candidate in Cell and Molecular Biology and a Research Assistant at the University of Arkansas, and a Doctoral Academy Fellow at the Lewis Lab. In 2023, Julio was awarded the DeLill Nasser Award for Professional Development in Genetics in recognition of his genetics research and work leveraging natural variation in yeast to understand why certain individuals are more susceptible to stress and disease, as well as his service and leadership in his community. “GSA is o ..read more

Ellsworth (Ed) Grell blessed the Drosophila community through three enduring legacies: as a pioneer of chromosome mechanics, as a primary organizer and synthesizer of genetic knowledge in Drosophila, and as a graceful mentor to those fortunate to have known him personally. Ed grew up in rural Nebraska, completed his undergraduate studies at Iowa State, and trained with E.B. Lewis as a graduate student at Caltech, insightfully analyzing the role of two interacting genes involved in the degradation of the amino acid lysine in his doctoral thesis.1 It was also in the Lewis lab that Ed met and th ..read more

Yellow coloration is maladaptive in the wild but prized by breeders. People have long been fascinated with birds, which exhibit one of the widest ranges of coloration among vertebrates. Parrots, in particular, have captivated humans by their ability to mimic human speech and spectacular plumage. Brightly colored feathers are used primarily to attract mates, intimidate competitors, and protect birds from predators. Coloration is both environmentally and genetically mediated, and research into its genetic control can help us better understand its role in adaptation and survival. Blue and yellow ..read more

We’re taking time to get to know the members of the GSA’s Early Career Scientist Committees. Join us to learn more about our early career scientist advocates. Sarah Gilmour Multimedia Subcommittee Stowers Institute for Medical Research Research Interest Questions of evolution have always fascinated me. I am extremely fortunate to be starting out my research career in a time where technological advances are illuminating the intricacies of rapidly evolving, highly repetitive regions of the genome.  Long-read sequencing and other genomic techniques have revealed that centromeres —regio ..read more

A new associate editor is joining GENETICS in the Theoretical Population and Evolutionary Genetics section. We’re excited to welcome Sarah Otto to the editorial team. Sarah Otto Associate Editor Sarah (Sally) Otto is a Killam University Professor at the University of British Columbia. Her research focuses on modelling how inheritance and reproductive systems evolve by investigating the selective forces acting on genetic systems (recombination, ploidy level, gene duplications) and mating strategies (sexual vs asexual reproduction, sexual selection, floral reproductive strategies).  Compl ..read more

We are pleased to announce the recipients of the GSA Poster Awards for posters presented at the 32nd Fungal Genetics Conference! Undergraduate and graduate student members of GSA were eligible for the awards, and a hard-working team of judges made the determinations. Congratulations to all! Felicia Ebot Ojong, The University of Georgia My research is focused on understanding the mechanisms that regulate facultative heterochromatin in the model fungus Neurospora crassa. Erika Kroll, Rothamsted Research I use dual co-expression network analysis to model and subsequently validate genetic p ..read more

While the controversial practice of cock fighting was recently criminalized across the United States, it remains part of many cultures throughout the world. At first glance, fighting chickens look like ordinary chickens raised for livestock, but these so-called gamecocks have been selectively bred over thousands of years to be highly aggressive. Now, research published in the February issue of G3: Genes|Genomes|Genetics pinpoints the genetic origins of that aggression. Evidence suggests that cockfights took place as early as 2700 BC in China and 2500 BC in the Indus Valley, which was then hom ..read more

Pears are big business in the United States’ Pacific Northwest. But did you know that traditional pear breeding has remained largely unchanged for centuries? This slow process is difficult and costly, requiring the long-term commitment of labor, materials, and land-space resources. However, traditional pear breeding might get some help from genomics, thanks to a unique collaboration between students, scientists, and the pear industry fostered through an initiative called the American Campus Tree Genomes (ACTG) Project. ACTG was born from two professors’ desire to memorialize Auburn University ..read more

Advances in genome engineering are of broad interest (e.g., 2020 Nobel Prize in Chemistry); however, since they occur at a rapid pace, it’s difficult for scientists to stay up to date. Attending conferences is crucial for learning about cutting-edge advances, but accessibility barriers such as travel and registration costs exist. Additionally, while principal investigators are typically invited to give talks, the first author scientists who carry out the research are better suited to answer technical questions and would greatly benefit from presenting their work. A presentation at the genome ..read more