Inclusive Genomics Education: Empowering Everyone to Sequence Everything

Mr. Williams is Assistant Director, Inclusion and Research Readiness at the Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory DNA Learning Center where he develops national biology education programs. Mr. Williams has delivered professional development and training for thousands of students, researchers and educators in bioinformatics, data science, and molecular biology. His focus has been developing bioinformatics in undergraduate education and career-spanning learning for biologists. Jason is founder of LifeSciTrainers.org – a global effort to promote community of practice among professionals who develop short-format training for life scientists. Jason is advisory to cyberinfrastructure, bioinformatics, and education projects and initiatives in the US, UK, Europe, and Australia.

Dan Shay is a non-traditional scientist. After graduating college with a Bachelor’s degree, Dan taught environmental education for several years before receiving his Master’s in Teaching in 2013. For the last 11 years, Dan has taught and directed a specialized Biotechnology Career and Technical Education program at a North Central High School. The goal of this program is to teach students the skills they need to enter into a career in biotechnology research. In the 5 years that he has directed the program, Dan has received over $100k in funding to update the technological infrastructure of his lab, some of this went towards purchasing the Oxford Nanopore minION and developing protocols for students to collect and analyze sequencing data as a class. Dan was the recipient of the 2021 Washington State Science and Engineering Fair Teacher of the Year award and the 2023 WA State Outstanding Biology Teacher Award. 

Katharina Wolff is currently a doctoral candidate at TU Braunschweig, working with Prof. Dr. Boas Pucker in the group “Plant Biotechnology and Bioinformatics”. Her research spans the realms of Synthetic Biology, Plant Genomics, and Bioinformatics, seamlessly blending wet lab and dry lab methodologies. Within the workgroup, Katharina oversees the operations at the ONT Sequencing Facility. Her role involves leveraging her expertise in both wet lab techniques and bioinformatics to conduct thorough and comprehensive genomic analyses. Additionally, Katharina has developed and supervised a practical Data Literacy in Genome Research course in collaboration with Prof. Dr. Boas Pucker.

Laura K. Reed is a Professor of Biology at the University of Alabama.  Dr. Reed received her BS in Biology (University of Oregon), her PhD in Ecology and Evolution (University of Arizona), was NIH-NRSA postdoctoral fellow (North Carolina State University), and joined the faculty at the University of Alabama in 2010. Her research focuses on the evolutionary genomics of complex traits and effective science education methodology. She directs the Genomics Education Partnership (thegep.org), a collaboration dedicated to bringing course-based genomics research experiences into undergraduate courses across the US.

Jonathan Pugh has devoted over a decade to Oxford Nanopore Technologies, advancing from a foundational role in nanopore research to currently spearheading the company's educational initiatives as the Director of Nanopore Education. With a rich career encompassing product management, marketing, and now education, Jonathan leverages his extensive expertise to bring sequencing technology to a wider student demographic across the globe. His current role reflects a harmonious blend of his adept communication skills and a deep-seated knowledge of nanopore sequencing, aiming to foster STEM engagement and education for the next generation of scientists.

Dr. James Melton is a Senior Lecturer in the Biology Department at Spelman College. He obtained his PhD in Biology from the University of Alabama and studied the diversity and organellar genomics of green algae. Previously as a CURE (Course-based Undergraduate Research Experience) postdoctoral fellow at Spelman College, he investigated the diversity and transcriptomics of Amoebozoa. He currently leads the ‘Phage Discovery and Genomics’ program at Spelman College and has incorporated Oxford Nanopore sequencing into the classroom for every student to be able to sequence their isolated phage.