16 January 2024 – Dr Yaser Atlasi New Committee Member

Yaser Atlasi for Gene Structure, Function and Regulation Committee position

The Genetics Society is proud to welcome Dr Yaser Atlasi as a member of the committee as a representative of Gene Structure, Function and Regulation, beginning his four-year term in January 2024.

Biography

Yaser is a lecturer at the School of Medicine, Dentistry, and Biomedical Sciences at Queen’s University Belfast. His research focuses on the mechanisms of epigenetic regulation and 3D chromatin organization, exploring their roles in controlling gene expression. Genes are often regulated by multiple enhancers situated at considerable genomic distances, forming an extensive network of chromatin interactions. Yaser’s work has contributed novel insights into how enhancers influence gene regulation and cell plasticity. During his PhD at Erasmus Medical Centre in the Netherlands, Yaser studied the role of WNT-signaling in pluripotent cells and colorectal cancer. In his postdoctoral training at Radboud University in the Netherlands, he gained expertise in genome-wide technologies, investigating mechanisms of epigenetic regulation and 3D chromatin organization in stem cells. In June 2020, Yaser established his laboratory, employing stem cell and cancer models alongside genomics, proteomics, and computational biology approaches to explore mechanisms of epigenetic regulation in stem cells and cancer. He aims to contribute his expertise in Gene Structure Function and Regulation to support the Genetic Society and its mission.