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Research Bio

The Sudmant Lab uses computational, statistical, and experimental methods to interrogate genetic and molecular phenotypic diversity at both the organismal and cellular level. Our lab studies the evolution of aging, and the evolution of genome structure. Our work in aging focuses on the the causes and consequences of stress and aging in organisms with a focus on post-transcriptional gene regulation, somatic mutation, and genetic adaption in long (and short) lived species. Our work in genome structure focuses on using state-of-the-art long read sequencing approaches to identify structural genetic diversity associated with both recent and long-term adaptations in humans and our closely related primate relatives.

Research Expertise and Interest

genomics, genetics, computational biology, structural variation, RNA, diversity, aging, population genetics

In the News

Age vs. Genetics: Which Is More Important for How You Age?

Amid much speculation and research about how our genetics affect the way we age, a University of California, Berkeley, study now shows that individual differences in our DNA matter less as we get older and become prone to diseases of aging, such as diabetes and cancer.

Pacific Rockfish and the Trade-Offs of a Longer Life

In a study appearing this week in the journal Science, biologists at the University of California, Berkeley, compare the genomes of nearly two-thirds of the known species of rockfish that inhabit coastal waters around the Pacific Ocean and uncover some of the genetic differences that underlie their widely varying lifespans.

Featured in the Media

Please note: The views and opinions expressed in these articles are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the official policy or positions of UC Berkeley.
August 27, 2026

Bats Reveal a Genetic Secret Behind Their Remarkably Long Lives

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Teaching

Courses taught during the three most recent semesters
2026 Fall 2026 Spring 2025 Fall

For additional information, please consult the UC Berkeley course schedule.