Alika K. Maunakea

Alika K. Maunakea, PhD, is a Professor in the Department of Anatomy, Biochemistry & Physiology at the John A. Burns School of Medicine, University of Hawaii. A Native Hawaiian born in Waiʻanae, Hawaiʻi, he earned his B.Sc. in Biology from Creighton University (2001) and PhD in Biomedical Sciences from University of California, San Francisco (2008), followed by postdoctoral training at the National Institutes of Health (2012). His research focuses on epigenetics, particularly DNA methylation and histone modifications, to elucidate gene-environment interactions in health disparities such as diabetes and neurodevelopmental conditions among Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islander (NHPI) populations.

• Education: Creighton University (B.Sc. Biology), University of California, San Francisco (PhD Biomedical Sciences)

Dr. Maunakea integrates multi-omic approaches (epigenomics, microbiome, transcriptomics) with community-engaged research to identify early disease biomarkers and address NHPI health inequities. He directs the Epigenomics Core Facility of Hawaii and the NIH COBRE-funded Consortium of Research Advancement Facilities and Training (CRAFT), and leads studies like the Hawaiʻi Social Epigenomics of Early Diabetes (HI-SEED.org) and Maui Wildfire Exposure Study (www.mauiwes.info). His work on the NIH-funded RADxUP initiative established Hawaii's first CLIA-certified molecular diagnostics lab at a Federally Qualified Health Center serving NHPI communities.

His publications span epigenetic mechanisms in autism, diabetes, HIV-related insulin resistance, and SARS-CoV-2 sequelae, with methodology innovations in DNA methylation analysis and next-generation sequencing. He mentors underrepresented minority students in multidisciplinary research careers and collaborates with clinical, behavioral, and economic researchers.

Key grants include NIH R01 for HI-SEED.org and multiple NIH grants supporting his career. Current affiliations include graduate faculty roles in the Departments of Molecular Biosciences and Bioengineering, Public Health Studies, Developmental and Reproductive Biology, and Cell and Molecular Biology, with leadership in neuroscience and cancer biology programs.