Golnaz Vahedi

Professor Golnaz Vahedi of the University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine Department of Genetics is a leading figure in genomic immunology with key affiliations to the Institute for Diabetes, Obesity and Metabolism, Abramson Cancer Center, Institute for Immunology & Immune Health, and co-directorship of the Penn Epigenetics Institute. Her educational background spans Electrical Engineering degrees from Sharif University (B.Sc.), University of Alberta (M.Sc.), and Texas A&M University (Ph.D.), followed by NIH postdoctoral work under Dr. John O'Shea.

• 314 BRB II/III, 421 Curie Boulevard, Philadelphia, PA 19104
• Primary email: vahedi@pennmedicine.upenn.edu

Her research integrates computational biology with immune cell epigenetics to decode:

• 3D chromatin organization in T cells
• Transcription factor mechanisms (e.g., TCF-1's nucleosome-unwrapping properties)
• Genetic variation's impact on T1D pathology
• Lentiviral integration epigenomic effects

Recent publications demonstrate her lab's expertise in chromatin tracing and multi-enhancer interactions. Notable awards include the Chan Zuckerberg Initiative award and multiple journal cover features. Her work bridges genomics, computational immunology, and autoimmune disease research through innovative techniques like PRISM, EpiVIA, and Stripenn.

• Key collaborations: Human Pancreas Analysis Program (HPAP), Abramson Cancer Center