Kaitlyn Alimenti

There are roughly 2 meters of DNA compacted into a single cell. I remember learning this fact in my high biology class and quickly becoming fascinated by genetics. This curiosity led me to complete my undergraduate degree in Cell and Molecular Biology from Northeastern University. During my undergraduate studies, I worked under Dr. Richa Saxena and Dr. Hassan Dashti at Massachusetts’s General Hospitals Genomic Research Center. My work focused on understanding how genetic risk for obesity and sleep habits may affect an individual’s dietary habits. In addition, I was exposed to the biotechnology industry while working as a research associate at Tango Therapeutics, a company focused on finding novel therapeutics for cancer. As part of their functional genomic team, I used CRISPR to screen for potential genetic targets for various cancer types.

After graduating from Northeastern in 2022, I moved a few blocks to Boston University, where I am pursuing a Ph.D. in Genetics and Genomics as part of the Program in the Biological Sciences. Under the mentorship of Dr. Michael Blower, I am investigating how the trillions of cells in our body divide at the proper time while preserving the genetic code contained within their nucleus. For a cell to divide, a dramatic restructuring of the 3D organization of the nucleus is required. My research focuses on mechanisms to preserve genetic information and chromosome integrity during cell division. We use a variety of approaches in the lab that span multiple disciplines, including genetics, biochemistry, and bioinformatics. In addition, I am working to develop novel tools, such as techniques to map RNA and chromatin interactions.