Bluma Lesch

Bluma Lesch is an Associate Professor of Genetics and of Obstetrics, Gynecology, and Reproductive Sciences at Yale University. She earned her B.S. from Yale (2003), Ph.D. from Rockefeller University (2010), and M.D. from Weill Cornell (2011). Her postdoctoral training at the Whitehead Institute (2011–2017) focused on epigenetic mechanisms in germ cells. She joined Yale faculty in 2017, receiving notable awards like the Pew Biomedical Scholar (2021) and Searle Scholar (2019) recognitions.

Lesch’s research integrates genetics, epigenetics, and evolutionary biology to study transcriptional regulation in germ cells and its implications for development and disease. Key areas include gene regulatory evolution, transgenerational epigenetic inheritance, and chromatin dynamics in spermatogenesis. Her work bridges molecular mechanisms with organismal and evolutionary scales, leveraging both experimental and computational approaches.

Recent publications highlight studies on mastitis hub genes, cattle DGAT gene families, and myelin-microbe interactions in multiple sclerosis. She collaborates with researchers like Gunter Wagner and Stephanie Halene, advancing interdisciplinary projects in reproductive and developmental genomics.

Lesch holds grants including the Burroughs Wellcome Career Award (2015) and leads the Whisk Cup Streamline Lab at Yale, focusing on epigenetic and chromatin regulation in germ cell biology. Her lab explores evolutionary innovations in germline biology and human-specific epigenomic states, contributing to our understanding of transgenerational inheritance and disease mechanisms.