Julia Hisey

I completed my PhD in Genetics under the direction of Sergei Mirkin, PhD, where I investigated the mechanisms of repeat expansion implicated in neurodegenerative repeat expansion diseases. Most repeat expansion disease-causing repeats form alternative DNA secondary structures, such as hairpins, G-quadruplexes, or triplexes, thought to be integral to the repeat expansion process. Our work involves studying these alternative DNA secondary structures and their interaction with cellular machinery and processes, such as DNA replication, damage, and repair.

My work specifically focused on elucidating replication-independent mechanisms of somatic instability of the Friedreich's ataxia (GAA)n repeats and determining the DNA secondary structure(s) formed by the newly-discovered CANVAS (AAGGG)n repeats and their interaction with DNA replication.

I am now completing the third year of medical school.