Arbel Harpak

Arbel Harpak is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Population Health and Integrative Biology at the University of Texas at Austin, leading the Harpak Lab focused on evolutionary and population genomics research with emphasis on sex differences in health and disease.

His research spans:

• Population Genetics
• Evolutionary Genomics
• Sex Differences in Disease Incidence
• Complex Trait Analysis
• Gene Expression Regulation
• Gene-Environment Interplay
• Autism Spectrum Disorder Mechanisms

Awarded the 2024 Pew Biomedical Scholar grant, his work develops models for sex difference drivers using human and wild animal genomic data. Current lab projects include Carrie Zhu and Liaoyi's research on X-chromosome inactivation effects, and Sam's Ph.D. work on sex-specific complex traits. The lab actively presents findings at major conferences including BOG and ProbGen, with research aiming to improve sex-specific disease risk prediction and evolutionary understanding.