Contact Information
Summary
Cole Blanton graduated from the University of Virginia with a B.A. in neuroscience and minors in data science and Korean. He trained as an undergraduate researcher in the lab of Dr. Sarah Kucenas under the Division of Cell Biology and Neuroscience at UVA. Cole studied the role of a gene called tnn in zebrafish peripheral nervous system development.
Cole is a postbac fellow under Dr. Laura Lewandowski at NIAMS in the Lupus Genomics and Global Health Disparities Unit (LGGHDU).
Research Statement
As a postbac fellow in the LGGHDU, Cole studies how genetic drivers contribute to the pathogenesis of SLE in a broad patient population. Currently, he is working on elucidating potential genetic markers from early-onset SLE patient samples. This work aims to connect biological pathways to disease mechanisms in SLE, beginning with a focus on examining RNA.
Education
University of Virginia
B.A. in Neuroscience (2020-2024)
Experience
Undergraduate Research Assistant
Kucenas Lab, University of Virginia (2021-2024)