Laura Kavanaugh

Cheers, I am Laura Kavanaugh and began my studies at Duke in 2002. My background is somewhat different from most Duke UPGG students. I attended Purdue University where I received a B.S. in Chemical Engineering and Chemistry and a M.S. degree in Mechanical Engineering. After graduating, I started working at the Johnson Space Center in Houston as a Space Shuttle Flight Controller in the Guidance, Navigation and Control group. After over 10 years working there as an engineer and later a manager, I decided to return to school to get my Ph.D. in Genetics.

I was very happy to join Dr. Fred Dietrich's lab in 2003. The lab focuses on using genomic technology to understand the genetics and evolution of fungus. I am particularly drawn to the bioinformatics aspects of the research, which fits well with my engineering background. My research in the lab initially focused on a genome-wide comparison of Cryptococcus neoformans varieties, revealing a large-scale DNA transfer between varieties. I then investigated the population structure of these varieties to determine the direction of the DNA transfer and the extent to which it had proliferated trough the population. This ultimately led to a hypothesis that the large-scale DNA exchange occurred via a parasexual cycle involving transposable elements (Kavanaugh, Fraser, Dietrich, Mol. Biol. Evol, 2006). My research suggests that fungal species may commonly use this mechanism to modify their genomes and adapt to their environment.

More recently, I have turned my attention to the in-silico prediction of non-coding RNAs in yeast. Relying primarily on structural cues and cross-species conservation, I have computationally predicted several candidate non-coding RNA genes in Saccharomyces cerevisiae. I am currently in the process of verifying these predictions experimentally. I am hopeful my work will lead to a better understanding of the features that identify non-coding RNAs in yeast genomes.

Although genetics is a far cry from working on the Space Shuttle, I'm finding graduate school a fulfilling experience. I am very pleased with the supportive atmosphere I have found at Duke and with the depth and breadth of the program. In addition to graduate school, I like to spend my time with my wonderful husband and our two sons. If you have any questions about family issues and graduate school, feel free to contact me.

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