Dr Krishna R Veeramah
Assistant Research Scientist
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Nationality: British Citizen CONTACT DETAILS University of Arizona Room 226 Biological Sciences West 1041 E Lowell St Tucson, AZ, 85721 Office: 520-621-2370 Mobile: 510-207-1424 E-mail: veeramah@email.arizona.edu |
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CURRENT STATUS AND INTERESTS
I am a postdoc in
the Michael Hammer Laboratory at the University of Arizona.
My research
interests include: human (with particular emphasis on sub-Saharan African populations)
and primate population genetics evolutionary medicine, pharmacogenetics
and the genetics of childhood neurological disorders.
PEER REVIEWED PUBLICATIONS
Veeramah,
K.R, Johnstone, L, Karafet, T.M, Wolf,
D, Sprissler, S, Salogiannis,
J, Barth-Maron, A, Greenberg, M.E, Stuhlmann, T, Weinert,
S, Jentsch, T, Pazzi, M, Restifo, L.L, Talwar, D, Erickson, R.P, Hammer, M.F. Exome sequencing reveals new causal
mutations in children with epileptic encephalopathies.
(2013) Epilepsia (in
press)
Veeramah, K.R, Karafet, T.M,
Wolf, D, Sampson, R, Hammer, M.F. The
KCNJ8-S422L variant previously associated with J-wave syndromes is found at an
increased frequency in Ashkenazi Jews. (2013) EJHG (in press)
Veeramah, K.R
& Novembre J. Genetic
Diversity in Europe.
Human Variation. Cold Spring Harbor (in press)
Mendez , F.L, Krahn, T, Schrack,
B, Krahn A.M, Veeramah, K.R, Woerner, A.E, Fomine, F.L, Bradman, N, Thomas, M.G, Karafet.
T,M, Hammer, M.F. An
african american paternal
lineage adds an extremely ancient root to the human y chromosome phylogenetic
tree.
(2013) AJHG 92(3): 454-459
Thompson, S.R,
Humphries, S.E, Thomas M.G, Ekong, R, Tarekegn, A, Bekele, E, Creemer, O, Bradman, N, Veeramah, K.R. The
frequency of an IL-18-associated haplotype in Africans. (2013) EJHG
21(4): 465-468
Veeramah, K.R, OÕBrien, J.E, Meisler,
M.H, Cheng, X, Dib-hajj, S.D, Waxman, S.G, Talwar, D,
Girirajan, S, Eichler, E.E,
Restifo, L.L, Erikson, R.P, Hammer, M.F. De Novo
Pathogenic SCN8A Mutation Identified by Whole-Genome Sequencing of a Family
Quartet Affected by Infantile Epileptic Encephalopathy and SUDEP.
(2012) AJHG 90(3): 502-510.
Veeramah, K.R, Wegmann, D, Woener, A, Mendez, F, Watkins, J, Destro-Bisol,
G, Soodyall, H, Louie, L, Hammer, M.F. An
early divergence of KhoeSan ancestors from those of
other modern humans is supported by an ABC-based analysis of autosomal
re-sequencing data. (2012) MBE 29(2): 617-630.
Gross, A, Tšnjes, A, Kovacs, P, Veeramah, K.R, Ahnert, P, Roshyara, N.R, Gieger, C, Rueckert, I, Loeffler, M, Stoneking, M, Wichmann, H, Novembre, J, Stumvoll, M, Scholz, M. Population-genetic
comparison of the Sorbian isolate population in Germany with the German KORA
population using genome-wide SNP arrays. (2011) BMC Genetics 12:67.
Wegmann, D, Kessner, D,
Veeramah, K.R, Mathias, R.A, Nicolae, D.L, Yanel, LR,Sun,
Y.V, Torgerson, D.G, Rafaels,
N, Rucinski, I, Becker, L.C, Ruczinski,
I, Beaty, T.H, Kardia, S.L.R,
Meyers, D, Barnes, K.C, Becker, D.M, Freimer, N, Novembre, J. Recombination
rates in admixed individuals identified by ancestry–based inference.
(2011) Nature Genetics 43(9): 847-853.
Veeramah, K.R, Tonjes, A,
Kovacs, P, Gross, A, Wegmann, D, Geary, P, Gasperikova, D, Klimes, I, Scholz, M, Novembre, J, Stumvoll, M. Genetic
variation in the Sorbs of eastern Germany in the context of broader European
genetic diversity. (2011) EJHG 19: 995-1001.
Beall, C.M, Cavalleri,
G.L, Deng, L, Elston, R.C, Gao,
Y, Knight, J, Li, C, Li, J.C, Liang, Y, McCormack, M, Montgomery, H.E, Pan, H,
Robbins, P.A, Shianna, K.V, Tam, S.C, Tsering, N, Veeramah, K.R, Wang, W, Wangdui, P, Weale, M.E, Xu, Y, Xu, Z, Yang, L, Zaman,
M.J, Zeng, C, Zhang, L, Zhang, X, Zhaxi,
P and Zheng, Y.T. Natural selection
on EPAS1 (HIF2α) associated with low hemoglobin
concentration in Tibetan highlanders. (2010) PNAS 107(25):11459-11464.
Veeramah, K.R, Connell, B.A, Pour, N.A, Plaster, C,
Powell, A, Zeitlyn, D, Mendell,
N.R, Weale, M.E, Bradman, N and Thomas, M.G. Little
genetic differentiation as assessed by uniparental
markers in the presence of substantial language variation in peoples of the
Cross River region of Nigeria.
(2010) BMC Evolutionary Biology 10: 92.
Veeramah, K.R, Thomas, M.G, Weale,
M.E, Mendell, N.R, Shephard,
E.A, Bradman, N and Philips, I.R. The potentially deleterious functional variant, FMO2*1, is
at high frequency throughout sub-Saharan Africa. (2008)
Pharmacogenetics and Genomics
18(10): 877-886.
Veeramah, K.R, Zeitlyn, D, Fanso, V.G, Mendell, N.R,
Connell, B.A, Weale, M.E, Bradman, N and Thomas, M.G.
Sex-Specific
Genetic Data Supports One of Two Alternative Versions of the foundation of the
ruling dynasty of the Nso« in Cameroon.
(2008) Current Anthropology 49: 707–714.
EDUCATION
|
2003-2008 |
University College
London (UCL), London, NW1 2HE Department
of Genetics, Environment and Evolution
(formerly Biology),
The Centre For Genetic Anthropology.
Research
project title ÔAn Investigation into the
Distribution of Human Molecular Genetic Variation in sub-Saharan AfricaÕ
(Supplementary Tables) Supervisor: Professor
Mark G Thomas Second
Supervisor: Dr
Mike E Weale Examiners: Professor Mark Jobling
and Dr
Nikolas Maniatis. |
|
2000-2003 |
University College
London (UCL), London, WC1E 6BT 1st
class BSc (Hons) Human Genetics |
|
1993-2000 |
Dartford Grammar School, Dartford, Kent. DA1 2HW Secondary
School Education: 4 A-levels, 11 GCSEs |
GRANTS & AWARDS
Tracing Longboard Migration through DNA Analysis. UCLA Transdisciplinary Seed Grant, value $24,100 (with Professor
Patrick Geary, Institute for Advanced Study, Princeton (PI) and Professor
Robert Wayne, UCLA) (2011)
Wenner Gren Conference and
Workshop Grants, value $10,000 (co P.I. with Dr Omer Gokcumen)
(2009)
Andrew Mellon Foundation Postdoctoral
Scholarship (2008)
UCL Biology
Postgraduate Symposium Poster Prize (2005)
BBSRC CASE PhD Studentship (2003)
University
College London Biology DeanÕs list (2003)
EMPLOYMENT HISTORY
|
2010-present |
University of
Arizona, AZ 85721 Position: Assistant
Research Scientist, Hammer Lab |
|
2008-2010 |
University of
California, Los Angeles (UCLA), CA 90095 Position: Andrew
Mellon Postdoctoral Fellow (and Lecturer), Novembre
Lab, Department of History and
The Center for
Society and Genetics |
|
2007-2008 |
University College London (UCL), London, NW1 2HE Position:
Interim Lecturer in Human Evolutionary Genetics, Department of Genetics, Environment and
Evolution, Molecular and
Cultural Evolution (MACE) laboratory. |
|
2006-2008 |
Geogene (Human Genetic Ancestry Company) Position:
Scientific Director |
POSTER PRESENTATIONS
Veeramah, K.R, Johnstone, L, Sprissler, R, Salogiannis, J,
Greenberg, M.E, Talwar, D, Restifo,
L.L, Erickson, R.P, Hammer, M.F. De Novo Variants In Children With Severe Epilepsies. American Society of Human Genetics meeting,
San Francisco (2012)
Hsieh, P.H, Veeramah, K.R, Lachance,
J, Tishkoff, S.A, Wall, J.D, Gutenkunst,
R.N, Hammer, M.F. Demographic inference and whole genome scan
for natural selection in pygmies from Central Africa. American Society of Human Genetics meeting,
San Francisco (2012)
Veeramah, K.R, Hammer, M.F. Whole Genome Sequencing of A Family Quartet with Autism. Human
Genome Variation and Complex Genome Analysis (2011)
Novembre, J, Veeramah, K.R, Tonjes, A, Kovacs, P, Lohmueller,
K, Boyko, A.R, Klimes, I, Stumvoll, M, Bustamante, C.D, Genetic
diversity of European population isolates in the context of their geographic neighbors. American Society of Human Genetics
meeting, Honolulu, Hawaii, (2009)
Bradman, N,
Plaster, C.A, Tarekegn, A, Veeramah, K.R,
Thomas, M.G, Browning, S.L, Ekong, R, Ingram, K,
Pour, N, Bekele, E, The scale and distribution of human genetic diversity of and among the
peoples of Ethiopia and implications for the study of demographic histories, pharmacogenetics and healthcare. International
Conference of Ethiopian Studies (2009)
Veeramah, K.R, Zeitlyn, D, Fanso, V.G,
Mendell, N.R, Connell, B.A, Weale,
M.E, Bradman, N and Thomas, M.G Princess Ngonnso« and the foundation of the royal house of Nso«. UCL Biology Postgraduate Symposium (2005) AND
American Society of
Human Genetics meeting, Salt Lake City, Utah (2005)
TALKS
TBA, The Bodies of our ancestors: ancient human remains and our past,
Budapest, Hungary (July 2013) (Invited)
Understanding Medieval Migration
through Ancient DNA, Institute for Advanced Study seminar series, Princeton, New Jersey
(2013) (Invited)
Next Generation Sequencing in Children with
Unclassified, Sporadic, Early-Onset Epileptic Encephalopathies, UAGC & Illumina
Next Generation Sequencing Seminar (2012), Phoenix
ChildrenÕs
Hospital Neurology Grand Rounds (2012) and Genetics Grand Rounds, UMC (2012) (Invited)
De novo pathogenic mutation of SCN8A identified by
whole genome sequencing of a family quartet with infantile epileptic
encephalopathy and SUDEP, Neurology
Grand Rounds, UMC (2012) (Invited)
Ancient DNA and its potential for genetic history, Genetic
History & Medieval Studies, Vienna (2012) (Invited)
In depth analyses of population history, Application of Genomics to
Anthropological Research, San Antonia, Texas (2012) (Invited)
Genetic Diversity: An additional screwdriver in the
historical scholarÕs toolbox . Thinking Across the
African Past: Archaeological, Linguistic and Genetic Research on Precolonial African History, Rice University (2011)
(Invited)
Sex-Specific Genetic Data Supports One of
Two Alternative Versions of the foundation of the ruling dynasty of the Nso« in Cameroon. UCL Biology Postgraduate Symposium (2005), The London Evolutionary Research Network
Conference (2005), UCLA
World History Colloquium (2008) AND American Historical Association
annual meeting, San Diego (2010)
The distribution of the
functional variant, FMO2*1, in sub-Saharan Africa. UCL Biology Postgraduate Symposium (2006), UCL Centre
for Ecology and Evolution Seminar (2006), Human Genome Variation
Society meeting, Montreal (2007) AND Professor Martyn Smith Laboratory, UC Berkeley (2009)
The Origins of the Sorbs as assessed using
high-throughput autosomal data. Genetic
Anthropology at Fine Scale Workshop, Honolulu, Hawaii (2009)
Next Generation Sequencing Technologies. in Veeramah, K.R. (ed.) An
Introduction to Human Genetics: The Biomedical & Life Sciences Collection,
Henry Stewart Talks Ltd, London (online at http://hstalks.com/)
(2009)
Little Genetic Differentiation as Assessed
by Uniparental Markers in The Presence of Substantial
Language Variation in Peoples of the Cross River Region of Nigeria. DNA and History Seminar
(2009)
Applying the Long Range Haplotype test on Hapmap data to look for signals of recent positive
selection. UCL Data Analysis
Forum (2007)
RELATED PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE
Co-Organizer of
the workshop ÔGenetic Anthropology at Fine
ScaleÕ, Hilton Hawaiian Village, Honolulu, Hawaii Oct 25th-26th
(2009)
Series Editor of An Introduction to Human Genetics: The
Biomedical & Life Sciences Collection, Henry Stewart Talks Ltd, London
(online at http://hstalks.com/) (2009)
Panel member for
the public discussion Reconstructing
Indian Population History, sponsored by the Center
for Society and Genetics (2009)
Reviewer for
Molecular Biology and Evolution, Genome Research, SAGE Open, Genetics Selection
Evolution, Evolution, BMC Bioinformatics, Genome Biology and Evolution, PLOS
Genetics, Genetics, National Science Foundation grants, National Geographic
Society Grants
Member of the
Education Committee for the American Association of Anthropological Genetics
(AAAG)
Co-Organizer of
the workshop ÔApplication of
Genomics to Anthropological ResearchÕ, San Antonio, Texas (2012)
TEACHING EXPERIENCE
I developed and
taught a 10 week seminar style course entitled ÔUsing Genetics
to Infer Human HistoryÕ to upper division undergraduate students in the
History Department and the Centre for Society and Genetics, UCLA (2009 &
2010).
Previous teaching
experience also includes:
|
Lecturing |
Fundamentals
of Molecular Biology (2nd Yr BSc Biology, UCL) Reproduction,
Genetics and Development (2nd Yr Medicine, UCL) Molecular
Evolution (3rd Yr BSc Biology, UCL) Languages,
Genetics and Archaeology (MA/MSc Archaeology, UCL) Cuisine,
Nutrition and Genetics (Upper Division Undergraduates, UCLA) |
2007 2008 2008 2008 2009 |
|
Tutoring |
Evolutionary
and Population Genetics (2nd Yr BSc Biology, UCL) Fundamentals
of Molecular Biology (2nd Yr BSc Biology, UCL) Introduction
to Human Genetics (2nd Yr BSc Biology, UCL) |
2004,2008 2006-2008 2006 |
|
Essay and coursework marking |
Fundamentals
of Molecular Biology (2nd Yr BSc Biology, UCL) Evolutionary
and Population Genetics (2nd Yr BSc Biology, UCL) Archaeological
and Anthropological Genetics (MA/MSc Archaeology, UCL) |
2006-2008 2004,2008 2006-2008 |
|
Setting and marking of exam questions |
Fundamentals
of Molecular Biology (2nd Yr BSc Biology, UCL) Molecular
Evolution (3rd Yr BSc Biology, UCL) |
2008 |
|
Laboratory and fieldwork supervision |
Fundamentals
of Molecular Biology (2nd Yr BSc Biology, UCL) Advanced
Human Genetics (3rd Yr BSc Biology, UCL) Introduction
to Research (3rd Yr BSc Biology, UCL) Summer
Studentships Programme (2nd Year BSc Biology, UCL) Spanish
Field Course in Ecological Genetics (2nd Yr BSc Biology, UCL) |
2003-2007 2004 2004-2008 2004-2007 2008 |
In addition my
duties as a lecturer included:
á
Day
to day management of the MACE
laboratory, including informal supervision of PhD students.
á
Acting
as a personal tutor to undergraduate students.
OTHER SKILLS
Substantial
experience in a variety of laboratory techniques including DNA extraction, PCR,
DNA sequencing and various DNA genotyping methodologies.
Routinely use
advanced statistical techniques as applied to population genetics.
Considerable
expertise in the multi-platform computer programming language ÔPythonÕ as well
as substantial experience with ÔRÕ, ÔAwkÕ and ÔMatlabÕ
Successfully led
a research expedition in Cameroon in 2003, demonstrating effective
communication, leadership and managerial skills (video available here).
COLLABORATORS AND FRIENDS
Mark Thomas, Molecular and Cultural
Evolution Lab, University College London
Neil Bradman, The Centre for Genetic
Anthropology, University College London
Mike
Weale, Statistical Genetics Unit, KingÕs College
London
John Novembre , Faculty of Life
Sciences, UCLA
Daniel Wegmann,
EEB, UCLA
Patrick Geary,
Institute for Advanced Study
David Zeitlyn,
Department of Anthropology, University of Oxford
Bruce
Connell, Centre for Research on Language Contact, York University
Ian Phillips,
School of Biological and Chemical Sciences, Queen Mary, University of London
Elizabeth
Shephard, UCL Research Department of Structural
and Molecular Biology, University College London
Nancy Mendell,
Applied Mathematics and Statistics, Stony Brook
Ian
Barnes, School of Biological Sciences, Royal Holloway, University of London
Omer Gokcumen,
Department of Pathology, Harvard Medical School
Miriam Meisler, Department of Human Genetics, University of Michigan
Ryan Gutenkunst,
Molecular and Cellular Biology, University of Arizona
Jeff Wall,
Department of Epidemiology & Biostatistics, University of California San
Francisco
Lucia
Carbone, University of Oregon
Tomas Marques-Bonet,
Institut de Biologia Evolutiva,
Barcelona
Jeff Kidd, Department of Human
Genetics, University of Michigan