Institute for Public Health Genetics Announces New Leadership
The Institute for Public Health Genetics (IPHG) is proud to announce two leadership appointments that reflect IPHG’s strengths and vision for the future: Dr. Alison Fohner as Interim Director and Dr. Sarah Knerr as Associate Director.
Dr. Fohner has been an integral part of IPHG's leadership, having served as Associate Director since 2018. An Assistant Professor of Epidemiology, her research integrates multi-omics approaches to identify early biomarkers and treatment targets for complex diseases including Alzheimer's disease, with a sustained commitment to ensuring equity in precision medicine. She is at the leading edge of a rapidly emerging field, the application of artificial intelligence to precision medicine and public health.
Dr. Knerr joins the leadership team as an Associate Director with expertise in implementation science, focused on translating genomic tools into real-world health systems and improving patient outcomes. She is an Associate Professor in the Department of Health Systems and Population Health and has been a valued core faculty member and mentor for IPHG students for many years.
Together, Drs. Fohner and Knerr join continuing Associate Directors Drs. Elizabeth Blue and Joon-Ho Yu to form a leadership team with complementary expertise spanning the breadth of IPHG’s educational and research mission: statistical genetics, genetic epidemiology, implementation science, and bioethics.
IPHG has spent decades preparing scientists, practitioners, and policymakers to integrate genomic advances into public health research and practice. As the field evolves in new and urgent ways, the IPHG is well-positioned and deeply committed to leading what comes next.
IPHG Student Blog
Drawing from a wide variety of disciplines, IPHG students incorporate a multitude of interests into their research. The IPHG student-produced blog is a platform for students to highlight interesting research, their own research topics and spotlight fellow students in the program. This is a great way to learn more about IPHG students and the interdisciplinary work they do in Public Health Genetics.
Public Health Genetics week 2025 - Featured Students
During the 2025 Public Health Genetics week, IPHG highlighted students from its three graduate degrees, the MPH in Public Health Genetics, MS in Genetic Epidemiology and the PhD in Public Health Genetics.
 | Jiachen Zhang is a first-year Ph.D. student in Public Health Genetics at UW. His research focuses on the genetic epidemiology and architecture of common cancers, with the ultimate goal of translating genomic insights into enhanced cancer prediction and prevention. He is interested in exploring the genetic background and pleiotropy effects across common cancers, and actively advocates for greater diversity in genetic research. |
 | Kelsey Kanavel is a second-year MS student in Genetic Epidemiology and an incoming PhD student in Public Health Genetics. Her thesis research focuses on gene-environment interactions related to telomere length, which is associated with increased risk of age-related diseases when too long or too short. During her PhD, she plans to continue investigating how genetic and environmental factors contribute to complex disease, with the goal of improving disease prevention, risk prediction, and precision health. |
 | Nikhita is a third-year Ph.D. Candidate who conducts research at the intersection of bioinformatics, statistical genetics, and health economics to advance the clinical application of long-read sequencing. Her dissertation focuses on improving rare disease diagnostics through the evaluation of phasing methods and cost-effectiveness analyses. |
 | Gechlang is a Fulbright scholar from Cambodia, pursuing a MS in Genetic Epidemiology. Her thesis focuses on developing a data-driven method for estimating absolute bacterial biomass from metagenomic data to improve cross-dataset comparison and reproducibility. She hopes to continue research at the intersection of genetics and public health, with particular interest in method development and data-driven approaches. |
Alumna Spotlight: Diane Xue, PhD
The School of Public Health spotlighted Diane Xue, PhD, for her work on genetic and environmental risk factors for Alzheimer's disease. Diane was awarded a Predoctoral to Postdoctoral Fellow Transition Award (F99/K00) from the National Institute on Aging to support her dissertation and post-doctoral research. Read about Diane's research and how the IPHG PhD program supported her interdisciplinary perspective. Dr. Xue continues her research at the University of Pennsylvania's School of Medicine.
Alumna Spotlight: Hang Yin, PhD
The School of Public Health spotlighted PhD candidate Hang Yi. Hang matriculated into the PhD program in IPHG after earning an MS in Epidemiology at the UW School of Public Health. Hang's research focuses on improving health equity in the field of cancer research in the context of public health genetics. Hang was awarded a Predoctoral to Postdoctoral Fellow Transition Award (F99/K00) from the National Cancer Institute to support her dissertation and post-doctoral research. Hang discusses her research and how the IPHG PhD program is providing her opportunities to further her research on the SPH Blog.