Elizabeth J. Leslie, Ph.D.
Associate Professor of Human Genetics
Email: ejlesli emory edu
Twitter: elizjleslie
Elizabeth received her BA in Chemistry from St. Olaf College in 2008, where she briefly flirted with field biology and population genetics of turtles. Thanks to a strong genetic predisposition for human genetics, she saw the light and has been studying human craniofacial phenotypes ever since. Elizabeth received her PhD in Genetics in 2012 from Jeff Murray's lab at the University of Iowa. At the University of Pittsburgh, she completed her postdoctoral training (with Mary Marazita) and her first faculty appointment. Outside of the lab, Elizabeth can be found behind her camera lens.
Robert Peinhardt
Project Manager
Robert relocated to Atlanta following research work in the Northeast within the field of pediatric neurosurgery. He earned his BS in Biology and Chemistry from Birmingham-Southern College and his MS in Community (Public) Health Science from the University of Alabama, researching congenital defects within a rural population. Outside of the lab, he enjoys spending time with his wife & chasing around his 2 young sons; skiing; and restoring vintage, exotic automobiles.
Bri Lucas Study Coordinator
Briana was raised in Birmingham, Alabama. She attended the University of Alabama where she earned her BS in Biology with a minor in Psychology. She then attended Georgia State University where she earned her MS in Biomedical Science. In her free time, Briana enjoys reading, traveling, and cheering on the Crimson Tide with her fiancé, Russ.
Sarah Curtis, Ph.D.
Assistant Research Scientist
A West Virginian native, Sarah earned her BS in Biology from the University of Kentucky in 2015, and received her Ph.D. in Genetics and Molecular Biology from Emory University in 2019, studying environmental epigenetics and endocrine-disrupting compounds. When not working, Sarah spends time with her husband and child, renovates her fixer-upper, and tries to find time for crocheting and playing video games.
Kelsey Robinson
Postdoctoral Fellow
Kelsey earned her BS in animal and veterinary sciences from Clemson University in 2012 and her DVM from the University of Georgia in 2016. Following two years in practice, she returned to UGA where she completed her MS in comparative biomedical sciences studying inflammatory brain disease in dogs, and then decided to pursue her PhD in genetics and molecular biology. In her free time, she enjoys baking, crocheting, and is excited to return to exploring new craft breweries and restaurants with her husband, Luke, and her dog, Margot, in the future.
Amanda Koloskee
Bioinformatics Analyst
Amanda was born and raised in Ohio. She earned her BS in Molecular Biology and Mathematics and her MS in Human Genetics at the University of Pittsburgh, studying DNA methylation age accelerations in breast cancer patients. Outside of the lab, she enjoys reading, crocheting, playing video games, and experimenting with all kinds of crafts.
Kendra Vilfort
Lead Research Specialist
Kendra earned her BS in Biology from Georgian Court University 2018. She enjoys crafting, video games, and spending time with her dog.
Elizabeth Feldman
GMB PhD Student
Lizzie is a PhD candidate in the GMB program at Emory University. She received her Bachelor of Science in Biology and Chemistry from Nova Southeastern University where she researched the chemistry of periodontal disease. When not in the lab, Lizzie may be found at the bookstore or listening to Taylor Swift.
Katherine Singleton
GMB PhD Student Twitter: @katgsing
Katherine earned her BS in Biochemistry from Clemson University in 2023 where she researched genetic mechanisms of coat patterning in Australian Shepherds. Outside of the lab, she spends most of her time reading or playing with her dog, Eloise.
Lab Alumni: Nadia Harerimana (rotation student), Maria Turcan (undergrad), Kristiana Josifi (research specialist), Michael Mortillo (MPH student), Shade Awoniyi (MPH student), Daniel Chang (MPH student), Madison Bishop (postdoc), Courtney Willett (grad student), Syndey Chung (undergrad), Julien Gradnigo (Bioinformatics Analyst) Bridget Carter (computational research specialist), Grace Carlock (study coordinator), Kelly Manning (research specialist), Kimberly Diaz Perez (grad student), Olakunle Ogunbayo (MPH Student), Virginia Christman (MPH Student), Bevin Manuelpillai (MPH Student), Cindy Yang (undergrad), Sachi Bhasin (undergrad)
We believe the best science is team science.
So here's a shout out to all of our collaborators around the world! We can't name everyone here but we would especially like to acknowledge Jeff Murray (Iowa), Mary Marazita (Pittsburgh), Rob Cornell (Iowa), Brian Schutte (Michigan State), Rob Lipinski (UW-Madison), Seth Weinberg (Pittsburgh), and Terri Beaty (Hopkins).