Elizabeth J. Leslie-Clarkson, 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.
Grace Brewer
GMB PhD Student
Grace, a Northeast Georgia native, earned her B.S. in Microbiology from the University of Georgia in 2022, where she did research on Candida albicans. She then completed a postbac at the NIH, focusing on Bacillus anthracis virulence. Outside of science, Grace enjoys cooking, trying new workout classes, and listening to Taylor Swift.
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.
Samantha Li
MPH Student
Samantha was born and raised in New York City. She earned her BA in Psychology and Political Science at Emory University and is currently pursuing her MPH in Health Policy and Management. In her free time, Samantha enjoys reading, trying new coffee shops, running, and playing ultimate frisbee.
Jennifer Ortega
MPH Student
Jenny is originally from Los Angeles, California. She earned her BS in Health Care Administration from California State University, Long Beach. Currently pursuing her MPH in Epidemiology, her interests include mental health, suicide prevention, and health disparities among underserved populations, particularly Latino communities. Outside of school, she enjoys crafting, reading anime, reading, and shopping for plants.
Rowena Gaughan
MPH Student
Rowena is from the Northern Virginia/ DC metro area and earned her BS in clinical neuroscience from Virginia Tech in 2024. She is currently pursuing her MPH in Global Epidemiology with a certificate in genetic and molecular epidemiology. Her research interests include chronic disease epidemiology, epigenetics, and global health. During her free time, Rowena enjoys traveling, hiking, strength training, exploring new food spots, and songwriting.
Sahasra Maddukuri
Undergraduate Student
A Minnesota native, Sahasra is currently a sophomore at Emory University. Outside of the lab, she enjoys reading mystery books, baking, playing pickleball and tennis, and spending time with her dog.
Tim Lou
Undergraduate Student
Tim was born in Beijing, China, and moved to Raleigh, North Carolina, in second grade. He is currently a sophomore at Emory University, majoring in Biology with a minor in Business. Outside of school, Tim enjoys playing volleyball, going to the gym, trying weird drinks, and going to concerts.
Kendra Vilfort
Lead Research Specialist
A New Jersey native, Kendra moved to Georgia in 2020 to pursue an ORISE Fellowship at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, and has stuck around ever since. She earned her BS in Biology from Georgian Court University in 2018 and her MS in Bioinformatics from University of Maine in 2026. Kendra considers herself a Jill of all trades, and in her free time you might find her tangled up in a craft project, watching action movies or shows, trying out new recipes, or spending time with her dog, Cisco.
Briana Raines
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 husband, Russ.
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.
Former Lab Members: 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 (PhD student), Syndey Chung (undergrad), Julien Gradnigo (Bioinformatics Analyst), Bridget Carter (computational research specialist), Grace Carlock (study coordinator), Kelly Manning (research specialist), Kimberly Diaz Perez (PhD student), Olakunle Ogunbayo (MPH Student), Virginia Christman (MPH Student), Bevin Manuelpillai (MPH Student), Cindy Yang (undergrad), Sachi Bhasin (undergrad), Katherine Singleton (PhD student), Robert Peinhardt (Project Manager), Issac Huntington (MPH Student), Elizabeth Feldman (PhD Student), Kelsey Robinson (Postdoc)
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).