My name is Kiana Lee Martinez. I am an Assistant Research Professor in the Karnes Lab at the University of Arizona. Under the umbrella of precision medicine and pharmacogenomics, the goal of the Karnes Lab is to use genetics to advance drug therapy by improving efficacy and reducing adverse effects. My research interests include identifying genetic factors that underlie complex diseases and adverse drug reactions particularly in underrepresented populations. Currently, my research primarily focuses on using large genomic datasets to identify genetic variants that are associated with complex disease and adverse drug reactions, often by employing genome-wide association study (GWAS) methods, in diverse and admixed cohorts.
A geneticist by training, I received my PhD from the Genetics Graduate Interdisciplinary Program at the University of Arizona, advised by Christina Laukaitis, MD, PhD where I focused on identifying genetic risk factors associated with the hypermobile subtype of Ehler-Danlos Syndrome (hEDS). During my graduate experience I developed an interested in bioinformatics and data science. I formally expanded my bioinformatic and data science skillset as a University of Arizona Data Science Fellow (Fall 2022- Summer 2023), and, as a perpetual learner, I continue to expand these skills.
I have fond memories of working as a University of Arizona Sky School Instructor during my graduate experience where I helped teach inquiry-based science education to Arizona K-12 students using. I intend to pursue this initial interest in education and aim to become a educator with the goal to inspire students to be excited about doing ethical, reproducible, and collaborative research.