Alessia Ranciaro Postdoctoral Fellow

Education Awards Research Interests Post-Graduate Research Courses Attended Professional Meetings Attended Publications Oral Presentations Published Abstracts

Education

2008: PhD at University of Ferrara in collaboration with University of Maryland-College Park. Advisors: Prof. Guido Barbujani and Prof. Sarah A. Tishkoff.

2003: Certified Biology. Italian national examination, University of “Tuscia”-Viterbo, Italy. Qualification: 142/150.

2001: Italian “Laurea” in Biological Sciences (emphasis in Anthropology). University of “La Sapienza”-Rome, Italy. Advisor: Prof. Alfredo Coppa. Qualification: 110/110 cum laude.     

Awards

• 2008: Travel Award from SMBE (Society of Molecular of Biology Evolutionary) for the meeting in Barcelona (SP) 5-8 June.
• 2003-2004: Graduate Fellowship from University of “La Sapienza”- Rome, Italy.
• 2002-2003: Graduate Fellowship from University of “Tor Vergata”- Rome, Italy. "Gene Therapy of SMA (Spinal Muscular Atrophy) using small fragment homologous replacement SFHR technique".

Research Interests

– Adaptation to diet: Lactase Persistence.

– Patterns of genetic diversity of genes associated with immune response. Genetic susceptibility to infectious diseases and association studies.

– Population genetics of genotype/phenotype correlations and the evolutionary history of the bitter taste loci in African populations.

Post-graduate Research and Experience

2008 to present: Post-Doc at University of Pennsylvania, in Prof. S.A. Tishkoff’s lab.

2005-2008: PhD at University of Ferrara, Italy, in collaboration with University of Maryland, College Park, USA.

2006: June- August: Field trip to Kenya for DNA sample collection from local populations,. organized by Prof. Sarah A. Tishkoff (University of Maryland, USA) in collaboration with Dr. Omar Sabah (KEMRI, Kenya).

2005: June-November responsible for running and maintaining the “Sequencing Center Facility” of University of Maryland. College Park, Maryland, USA.

2004: June- August: Field trip in Kenya, collection DNA samples from local populations, organized by Prof. Sarah A. Tishkoff (University of Maryland, USA) in collaboration with Dr. Omar Sabah (KEMRI, Kenya).

2003-2004: Department of Biology, University of Maryland. Graduate fellowship..“Patterns of genetic diversity, haplotype structure, at interleukin-4 (IL-4) and interleukin-13 (IL-13) in human populations.” Advisor: Dr. Sarah Tishkoff.

2001-2003: Department of Biopathology and Image Diagnostics, Human Genetics Laboratory, University “Tor Vergata”-Rome, Italy. Advisor: Prof. Giuseppe Novelli.

"Gene Therapy of SMA (Spinal Muscular Atrophy) using small fragment homologous replacement SFHR technique".

2001: Archeological excavation “Joint Hadd Project” of the Human site of the Bronze Age Coastal Trading Post Settlement in Ras al Hadd, Oman.

Courses Attended

2006: EMBO practical course: “Comparative genomics and SNPs analysis using the ensemble Genome Browser” organized by EMBL-EBI and Sanger Institute. Valencia, Spain, 19-21 April.

2005: EMBO practical course “SNP genotyping and haploblock analysis” organized by Helsinki Biomedicum Center, Helsinki, Finland, 21-27 August.

2003: International Course-Workshop: “Genomic variation in humans and pathogens”. Organized by Ricardo Fujita (Lima), Robert H. Gilman (Johns Hopkins), Eduardo Tarazona-Santos (University of Maryland) in Cusco, Peru 19-23 October.

2002: Theoretical-practical course “ABI prism 7000", organized by Applied Biosystems. Roma, Italy 27-28 June.

2002: Theoretical-practical course “Practical aspects of gene transfer” organized by “Biotechnology Foundation” in collaboration with the University of Torino,  Italy 28-31 May.

2002: Course "Neumuscolar Pathologies in pediatric age" organized by “Bambin Gesù Hospital”-Rome in collaboration with Italian families of SMA (Spinal Muscular Athrophy). Roma,  Italy 2 February.

Professional Meetings Attended

2008: 58^th Annual Meeting of “American Society of Human Genetics”. Philadelphia (PA), USA, 11-15 October

2008: 6^thAnnual Meeting of “Society of Molecular of Biology Evolutionary”. Barcelona (Spain) 5-8 June.

2007: 5^th Annual Meeting of “African Society of Human Genetics”. Cairo, Egypt 3-5 November.

2007:57^th Annual Meeting of “American Society of Human Genetics”. San Diego (CA), USA, 23-27 October.

2006: 56^th Annual Meeting of “American Society of Human Genetics”. New Orleans (LA), USA, 9-13 October.

2006: 4^th Annual Meeting of “African Society of Human Genetics”. Addis Abeba, Ethiopia, 3-6 June.

2005: “The Origin of Man, Language and Languages (OMLL)”. Ferrara, Italy, 2-4 June.

2004: 54^th Annual Meeting of “American Society of Human Genetics” (ASHG).  Toronto (Canada), 26-30 October.

2004: 75^th Annual Meeting of “American Association of Physical Anthropologists” (AAPA). Tampa (FL), USA, 14-17 April.

2002: 4^th National Meeting of Italian Human Genetics Society (S.I.G.U.). Orvieto, 28-30 November.

2001: Meeting “Progetto Finalizzato Biotecnologie” organizzato dal CNR. Genova, Italy, 28-30 October.

1999: XIII NATIONAL CONGRESS of Italian Anthropologists. Roma and Sabaudia, 4-8 October.

Publications

2012:

Laura B Scheinfeldt, Sameer Soi, Simon Thompson, Alessia Ranciaro, Dawit Wolde Meskel, William Beggs, Charla Lambert, Joseph P Jarvis, Dawit Abate, Gurja Belay, Sarah A Tishkoff. (2012) Genetic adaptation to high altitude in the Ethiopian highlands. Genome Biology 13:R1.

2009:

Tishkoff. S.A., F. A. Reed, F. R. Friedlaender, C. Ehret, A. Ranciaro, A. Froment, J. B. Hirbo, A. A. Awomoyi, J.M, Bodo, O, Doumbo, M. Ibrahim, A. T. Juma, M.J. Kotze, G. Lema, J. H. Moore, H. Mortensen, T.B. Nyambo, S. A. Omar, K. Powell, G. S Pretorius, Michael W. Smith, Mahamadou A. Thera, Charles Wambebe, James L. Weber, and Scott M. Williams (2009) The genetic structure and history of Africans and African Americans. Science 324:1035 – 1044.

Alessia Ranciaro and Sarah Tishkoff. “Got milk?” in RESEARCH AND FOOD – A DIALOGUE.    (Wiley & Blackwell Publisher in press).

2006:

Sarah A. Tishkoff, Floyd A. Reed, Alessia Ranciaro, Benjamin F. Voight, Courtney C. Babbitt, Jesse S. et al.. “Convergent adaptation of human lactase persistence in Africa and in Europe”. Nat Genet. 2007 Jan;39(1):31-40. Epub 2006 Dec 10

Oral Presentation

2008: Sixth Annual Meeting of “Society of Molecular of Biology Evolutionary”. Barcelona (Spain) 5-8 June. "The evolutionary history of lactase persistence in Africa”.

Abstracts

2008

A. Ranciaro, F. Reed, J. Hirbo, K. Powell, M. Osman, M. Ibrahim, S. Omar, A. Froment⁵, S. Tishkoff. “The evolutionary history of lactase persistence in Africa”. Sixth Annual Meeting of “Society of Molecular of Biology Evolutionary”. Barcelona (Spain) 5-8 June.

M. Campbell, A. Ranciaro, A. Froment, D. Drayna, P. Breslin, S. Tishkoff. “Patterns of Genetic Diversity at TAS2R38, a Bitter-Taste Receptor Gene, in Diverse African Populations from Cameroon and Kenya”. Sixth Annual Meeting of “Society of Molecular of Biology Evolutionary”. Barcelona (Spain) 5-8 June.

2007

A.Ranciaro, F.A. Reed, J.Hirbo, K. Powell, M. Osman, S. Omar, M. Ibrahim, A. Fremont, S. Tishkoff: “Origin of lactase persistence in African populations”. Fifth Annual Meeting of’ “African Society of Human Genetics” (AfSHG), Cairo, Egypt 3-5 November

A.Ranciaro, F.A. Reed, J.Hirbo, K. Powell, M. Osman, S. Omar, M. Ibrahim, A. Fremont, S. Tishkoff: “Origin of lactase persistence in African populations”. Fifty-eighth Annual Meeting of “American Society of Human Genetics” (ASHG), San Diego (CA) USA, 23-27 October.

2006

A. Ranciaro, F.A. Reed, J.Hirbo, K. Powell, M. Osman, S. Omar, M. Ibrahim, S. Tishkoff: “Molecular characterization of lactose gene in African Populations”. 57th Meeting annuale dell’ “American Society of Human Genetics” (ASHG), New Orleans, (LA), USA, 9-13 October.

2004

A. Ranciaro, E.Tarazona-Santos, S.A. Tishkoff: “Patterns of genetic diversity, haplotype structure, and linkage disequilibrium at interleukin-4 (IL-4) and interleukin-13 (IL-13)in human populations.” 55th Meeting annuale dell’ “American Society of Human Genetics” (ASHG). Toronto, Canada, 26-30 October.

A. Ranciaro, G.Tomas, E.Tarazona-Santos, S.A. Tishkoff: “Patterns of genetic diversity, haplotype structure, at interleukin-4 (IL-4) and interleukin-13 (IL-13) in human populations”. 75th Meeting annuale dell’ “American Association of Physical Anthropologists” (AAPA). Tampa (FL), USA, 14-17 April.

2002

M.R. D’Apice, F. Sangiuolo, S. Gambardella, S. Russo, M. Lais, A. Ranciaro, G. Novelli: “Screening allelico CFTR nella popolazione italiana mediante DHPLC”. 5th Meeting Nazionale della Società Italiana di Genetica Umana (S.I.G.U.). Verona, Italy, 24-27 September.

2001

A. Ranciaro, J. Gamez, M.J. Barcelò, A. Tacconelli, C. Cervera, M. Baiget, G. Novelli, E. Tizzano: “Le delezioni SMN2 non costituiscono un fattore prognostico per i pazienti con sclerosi laterale amiotrofica in Italia ed in Spagna”. 4th Meeting Nazionale della Società Italiana di Genetica Umana (S.I.G.U.). Orvieto, Italy, 28-30 November.

E. Giardina, F. Capon, S. Semprini, A. Tacconelli, A. Ranciaro, M.R. D'Apice, S. Chimenti, G. Zambruno, G. Fabrizi, C. Carcassi, B. Dallapiccola, G. Novelli: “Mappatura fine del locus di suscettibilità alla psoriasi familiare PSORS4”. 4th Meeting Nazionale della Societa’ Italiana di Genetica Umana (S.I.G.U.), Orvieto, Italy, 28-30 November.

A. Tacconelli, A. Ranciaro, F. Capon, S. Semprini, G. Novelli. “A SSCP- based carrier test for spinal muscular atrophy”. Convegno Progetto Finalizzato Biotecnologie CNR, Genova, Italy, 28-30 October.