Genomics, Phenomics, and Bioinformatics Interdisciplinary Program

It is with deep sadness that we share the news that Dr. Phil McClean, former Director of the GPB Program, passed away on September 11. Dr. McClean served as a Professor and the Dr. Charles J. Mode Professor of Genomics Research in the Department of Plant Sciences. He joined North Dakota State University and dedicated nearly four decades to teaching, research, and mentoring students and colleagues. Dr. McClean will be remembered for his lasting contributions to plant sciences and genomics, as well as the impact he made on so many lives in our NDSU community.

You may visit his obituary and memorial service for details. Our heartfelt condolences go out to Phil’s family during this difficult time.

Peter Beerbower, a graduate student in the Genomics, Phenomics, and Bioinformatics program, has been awarded a Doctoral Dissertation Fellowship from NDSU’s College of Graduate and Interdisciplinary Studies for Fall 2025. This highly competitive fellowship provides a $2,500 monthly stipend along with up to $2,500 in research and travel support, allowing recipients to devote their time exclusively to completing their dissertations. As part of the fellowship, Beerbower will also participate in writing groups through the Center for Writers and professional development activities offered by the Graduate School. This award represents a significant achievement and recognition of Beerbower’s scholarly contributions.

Oluwatayo Ajayi-Moses, a graduate student in the Genomics, Phenomics, and Bioinformatics program, has been awarded the Mancur Olson Graduate Fellowship from the Sheila and Robert Challey Institute for Global Innovation and Growth for two consecutive years. This fellowship recognizes graduate students who demonstrate academic excellence and a commitment to advancing innovative research and aims to engage students in critical thinking, inquiry, and discussion surrounding issues of economic opportunity and flourishing. The program provides a stipend to Ph.D. students from any discipline to pursue study in these areas at NDSU.

Ph.D. student Hayat Khan, had not one but two research articles published this summer. In July, his work from his recent Master’s program at North Dakota State University appeared in Phytopathology: Phenotypic Evaluation and Genome-Wide Association Mapping for Bacterial Leaf Streak Resistance in a Worldwide Cultivated Emmer Wheat Collection, identifying promising genetic resistance to bacterial leaf streak in wheat. In August, research from his first Master’s program was published in Neurogenetics: Whole Exome Sequencing Identifies a Novel Variant Causing Neurodegeneration with Brain Iron Accumulation Syndrome (NBIA) in a Consanguineous Pashtun Family, reporting the discovery of a novel gene variant linked to a rare neurological disorder. These accomplishments highlight Hayat’s wide-ranging research interests and his growing impact in both agricultural and human health sciences.

Gayatri Sharma, a Graduate Research Assistant, was recently awarded third place in the research poster presentation competition at the North Central American Phytopathological Society (NC-APS) meeting, held in Brookings, South Dakota.

Her recognition is a testament to the quality and impact of her research, as well as the dedication she brings to her academic work. This achievement also underscores the strength of NDSU’s graduate programs and the university’s growing presence at regional scientific conferences, where students continue to represent the institution with excellence.

David Adeleke recently earned his Ph.D. from the Genomics, Phenomics, and Bioinformatics program. He currently works as a Bioinformatics Analyst in the Division of Gastroenterology at Cincinnati Children’s Hospital, where he contributes to the development of novel computational methods for correcting missegmentation errors in spatially resolved transcriptomics ​.

In addition to the method development work, David is leading a newly funded research project focused on characterizing cell niche and neighborhood enrichment profiles within fibrotic regions in autoimmune liver diseases. The project aims to elucidate spatial cell–cell communications that mediate interactions between macrophages and cholangiocytes in the liver samples of Primary Sclerosing Cholangitis (PSC) and Autoimmune Sclerosing Cholangitis (ASC).

Graduate student Sittal Thapa received an early career travel award to attend the Hands-On Workshop in High Throughput Phenotyping at the Gulf Coast Research and Education Center, University of Florida, in Wimauma, FL, held April 25–27, 2025. The three-day workshop focused on the use of high-throughput phenotyping (HTP) with unmanned aerial systems (UAS) to collect and analyze data for plant science research. Participants received hands-on training in establishing and operating UAS platforms, processing imagery to extract meaningful data, and applying that data to answer research questions. Thapa gained practical skills in generating flight plans and field maps, deploying drones, processing raw imagery, and analyzing plot-level data to support research efforts in plant sciences.

The Genomics, Phenomics, and Bioinformatics Student Association (GPBSA) hosted its semiannual Connect & Reconnect event on Friday, April 11, 2025, in the Meadows Lurk Room at the Memorial Union. Designed to foster community, welcome new students, and promote engagement within the program, the event featured introductions, a celebration of student milestones, and an interactive discussion session. PhD student Pooja Kumari shared tips on preparing for comprehensive exams, with additional guidance from Dr. Yan, while recent PhD graduate Gurminder Singh reflected on his research journey and offered encouragement. Attendees also brainstormed outreach strategies, including efforts to engage local high school and NDSU undergraduate students. The event concluded with refreshments provided by NDSU Dining Services.

Pooja Kumari, a doctoral graduate research assistant in the Genomics, Phenomics, and Bioinformatics program, has been selected as a recipient of the Gerald O. Mott Meritorious Graduate Student Award from the Crop Science Society of America (CSSA). This highly competitive award is presented annually to outstanding graduate students in crop science who demonstrate academic excellence, research achievement, and leadership potential. Kumari’s research focuses on predictive modeling of foliar diseases in spring wheat breeding using unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs), as well as identifying earliness genes in hard red spring wheat and exploring the genetics of host-pathogen interactions—particularly Septoria nodorum blotch. She expressed deep gratitude to CSSA for the honor and credited her success to the strong mentorship and supportive environment within the GPB program, especially the guidance of her advisors and department chair Dr. Changhui Yan.

Cedrick Fernandez, a doctoral graduate research assistant in the AES Plant Science department, was selected as a finalist in this year’s NDSU Three-Minute Thesis (3MT) competition. His presentation, titled “Uncovering Leaf Segmental Responses to Heat Stress in Barley,” highlighted his research on plant responses to environmental stress and is available to view on the NDSU Graduate School website. Fernandez also received a travel award to attend the 67th Annual Maize Genetics Meeting in St. Louis, MO, where he presented a poster on this work, gaining valuable feedback and engagement from the national research community.

Hayat Khan, a graduate student in the Genomics, Phenomics, and Bioinformatics program at North Dakota State University, graduated in Spring 2025 with a master’s degree in Plant Genomics. Khan also holds an MPhil in Human Molecular Genetics and has contributed to the interdisciplinary research culture of the GPB program. His academic journey reflects a strong commitment to advancing genetic research across both human and plant systems.