Research Head
Lela Lackey started the RNA Structure and Regulation group when she joined the Center for Human Genetics in 2020. Lela is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Genetics and Biochemistry at Clemson University. She came from the University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, where she did her post-doctoral research with Dr. Alain Laederach and trained in RNA structure modeling. Lela did her thesis work at the University of Minnesota with Dr. Reuben Harris on the APOBEC family of cytosine deaminases and their role in genomic mutation. Before graduate school Lela served as a Peace Corps Volunteer in South Africa in rural elementary education. During her undergraduate studies, Lela worked in Dr. Stu Maxwell‘s laboratory, where she learned to love RNA. In her free time, Lela loves to read (Find a Way and Great North Road are top choices) and go for hikes in the nearby Appalachian mountains.
Research Staff
Abigail Hatfield joined the RNA Structure and Regulation Group as a Research Technician in 2020. She performs experiments and oversees the lab space as the primary lab manager for the Lackey laboratory. Primarily, she seeks to help develop and refine new methods as a part of the Lackey laboratory’s efforts to better understand RNA structure, splicing, post-transcriptional regulation, variants, and introns. The alternative splicing of intronic elements in premature mRNA’s are thought to contribute to the occurrence of disease-associated variants, so understanding their structure and function is important when discussing how these variants arise.
Graduate Students
Austin Herbert is a PhD student in Dr. Lackey’s lab. He is originally from Detroit, Michigan. He graduated with honors from the University of South Carolina Aiken in 2019 with a B.S. in biology. He is finishing a M.S. degree from Clemson University in 2021 with in Plant Sciences from the laboratory of Dr. Hehe Wang. His project focuses on RNA structure and splicing. Alternative splicing is known to play a role in many human diseases, however, the extent of its influence on disease phenotypes is unknown. Several key projects include analysis of RNA secondary structures within human introns, identifying and annotating elements that alter splicing pathways, and understanding how components of the spliceosome affect branch point recognition and 3’ splice site selection. Through this research he plans to further the understandings of alternative splicing and disease, develop novel diagnostic markers, and for the first time, describe the landscape of human intronic RNA structures.
Baxton Munn is a MS student in Dr. Lackey’s lab from Fort Myers, Florida. He graduated from the University of Central Florida with a BS in Biomedical Science in 2021 and joined the Lackey lab later that same year. His project is focused on mutations in Argonaute 3 (AGO3), a protein involved in the assembly of the RNA-induced Silencing Complex (RISC) and subsequent RNA silencing mediated by microRNAs. It is thought that AGO3 only facilitates translational repression and mRNA decay within the RISC, unlike its homologue AGO2, which can catalytically cleave target mRNAs. Additionally, research is scarce exploring the biological functions of human AGO3 and the effect mutations may have on phenotype. Baxton intends to study the impact of AGO3 patient mutations with the Greenwood Genetic Center and the effects they have on AGO3 stability, localization, aggregation, and miRNA binding.
Jiamutai is a PhD student in Dr. Lackey’s lab. He is from Inner Mongolia, China. He graduated from Inner Mongolia Agricultural University in 2012 with a Bachelor of Science degree. In 2018, he obtained a master’s degree in agronomy. Now his projects focus on the role of RNA structure in tissue specific regulation. He plans to use RNA structure modeling and induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs) to explore how RNA structure regulates hepatocyte biology. Single-strand RNA can form into complex structures, which play different roles in biological processes. Many characteristics of RNA structure are unknown, and scientists use deep learning to predict RNA structure and explore the relationship between function and structure. Numerous studies have demonstrated that the use of iPSCs for disease modeling and developing therapies. Jiamutai intends to explore RNA structure/function relationships in an iPSC model of A1AT deficiency.
Allie Randazza is a Biochemistry PhD student from Duluth, Georgia. She graduated from Clemson University with a BS in Biochemistry and a BS in Genetics in May 2022. Her project focuses on the relationship between RNA structure and function. Non-coding RNAs often take on distinct three-dimensional structures that are critical to their function. Recent research suggests that this importance of structure extends to coding RNAs (mRNAs) as well. Allie plans to alter tertiary and secondary RNA structures and study the impact of these structural changes on RNA function. She also intends to study how structural changes affect RNA binding protein and RNA interactions.
Debarati Majumdar is a graduate (PhD) student at the Clemson University, Center for Human Genetics (CHG) within the Department of Genetics and Biochemistry. She completed a bachelor’s degree in Zoology Honors from the University of Calcutta, India, followed by a Master’s degree in Biotechnology from Vellore Institute of Technology, Vellore, India. Her primary research focus lies in studying the structure-function relationships of mRNA associated with various diseases. She utilizes a combination of wet lab experiments and bioinformatic tools to gain comprehensive insights into these intricate relationships to understand their roles in disease mechanisms. In addition to her academic pursuits, she possesses a diverse range of interests, including cooking, reading, painting, and traveling.
Undergraduate students
Welcome to our RNA Structure and Regulation Summer 2023 Undergraduate Researchers!
Katie Palmer is a Senior Undergraduate student graduating from Clemson in December with a B.S. in Genetics and a minor in Anthropology. She is from Fairfax, Virginia but she grew up moving around the country as part of a military family. During the school year, she works on campus with Dr. Metris to study environmental genomics and monitor biodiversity in the Clemson community. Currently, she is researching the role of RNA structure in selection of splice sites by protein SF3B1. In her free time, Katie loves to cook new recipes, make crafts, and read lots of books.
Valeria Miyamoto is a senior genetics and biochemistry undergraduate student at Clemson University from Easley, South Carolina. During the semester, she works with Dr. Rajandeep Sekhon on plant genomics. This summer, she is researching the role of RNA structure in selection of a splice site by the protein SF3B1. In her free time, she enjoys shopping at boutiques and trying artisanal coffees.
Interested in RNA biology? We are always happy to talk with undergraduate students interested in summer research and graduate students considering joining the Department of Genetics and Biochemistry graduate program! RNA Biology is an exciting field with many unanswered questions relevant to human disease. The RNA structure and Regulation group is located at the Center for Human Genetics in a new, research focused facility in Greenwood, SC on the Greenwood Genetics Center campus.
Please contact Lela Lackey if you are interested in postdoctoral work in the RNA Structure and Regulation Group.
Lab Alumni
Kaila Honaker – 2021 Undergraduate researcher, currently working as a Genomics Technician.
Edward Mabry – 2021 Graduate researcher, currently completing a MS in Genetics