Maja Tarailo-Graovac

Maja Tarailo-Graovac serves as Assistant Professor at the University of Calgary with dual appointments in the Department of Medical Genetics and Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology. Her research program bridges clinical genomics and model organism genetics to address critical gaps in rare disease diagnosis and treatment.

Her primary research interests include:

• Rare Genetic Disorders
• Human Genomic Diagnostics
• C. elegans Genetic Modeling
• Genetic Modifier Networks
• Variant Pathogenicity Interpretation
• Personalized Medicine Frameworks

Dr. Tarailo-Graovac employs an integrated 'wet-dry' laboratory approach to detect all classes of genetic variation in single diagnostic tests while investigating how secondary genomic variants modulate disease severity. Her work specifically examines why patients with identical pathogenic mutations exhibit vastly different clinical outcomes, using C. elegans to functionally validate modifier effects.

This research has direct clinical implications for improving prognostic accuracy and revealing natural therapeutic targets, particularly crucial given that 95% of rare disorders lack FDA-approved treatments. Her focus on genetic suppressors offers a promising pathway to rapidly identify repurposable drug candidates for these underserved conditions.