POP-GEM
Population Genetics and Environment
in Mental Health
Congratulations to Jolien Rietkerk, PhD!
November 2025
Jolien successfully defended her doctoral dissertation titled “Complex Polygenic Pathway Interactions in Psychiatric Disorders and Comorbidities” with magna cum laude distinction. Congratulations, Dr. Rietkerk!​​​​​​​
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Welcome Adrian Guin Rizzo, MSHI!
November 2025
Adrian Guin Rizzo, MSHI joins the lab as a Bioinformatics Research Associate. He will be assisting with various projects in the POP-GEM lab and in the Institute for Genomics in Health at the State University of New York Downstate Health Sciences University.
Phenome-wide Study of Sex Chromosome Trisomies Published!
September 2025
A collaboration between MVP, FinnGen, and UK Biobank, with contributions from POP-GEM investigators, has been published in The American Journal of Human Genetics. The study examined 1.5M participants and identified shared health risks across sex chromosome trisomies (SCT). Read here!
Congratulations to Lanie Mullins!
June 2025
We’re thrilled to share that Lanie Mullins, PhD student at VCU, received the Rising Star Award at the BGA 2025 Annual Meeting for her poster on depression and immune system markers in older adults.
Using UK Biobank data, her work showed that immune ratios (MLR/NLR) are linked with depression, with NLR emerging as the stronger predictor.
Welcome Austyn Humble!
May 2025
First-year medical student, Austyn Humble, joins the lab as a Research Associate. He will be assisting with various projects in the POP-GEM lab and in the Institute for Genomics in Health at the State University of New York Downstate Health Sciences University.
POP-GEM Lab at APA 2025
May 2025
Lab Director Dr. Roseann Peterson and POP-GEM Lab member Dr. Tim Bigdeli were featured speakers in the invited symposium “Electronic health records, genetics, and the promise of precision psychiatry” at the American Psychiatric Association Annual Meeting. Dr. Peterson presented on PsycheMERGE and equity in EHR-linked biobank research, while Dr. Bigdeli shared insights from the Million Veteran Program on polygenic scores and dementia.
PsycheMERGE In-Person Meeting
May 2025
The PsycheMERGE team came together in May for an in-person meeting at the New York Genome Center, bringing together over 50 researchers, clinicians, and administrators from institutions including Mount Sinai, UCLA, Mass General, Downstate, Geisinger, UPenn, and Mayo Clinic. The meeting featured a research poster session showcasing work across the network, alongside focused discussions on key deliverables and collaborative goals. This gathering underscored the power of cross-institutional collaboration in advancing psychiatric genomics and building the future of personalized mental health care.
Congrats to Mohammed Hassan, PhD!
May 2025
Congratulations to Mohammed Hassan, PhD for being awarded the Institute for Research on Behavior and Emotional Health (IRBEH) grant! This $12,500 award will help grow the Spit for Science Registry, expand mentoring and networking opportunities, and develop programs that bring research to the community - with a special focus on supporting underrepresented students.
Markos Tesfaye, MD, PhD, Speaks on Cultural Humility Panel
April 2025
Markos Tesfaye, MD, PhD (3rd from the left), spoke on a panel addressing cultural humility in healthcare, highlighting how implicit bias can lead to misdiagnosis and inadequate care for minority patients. He emphasized the impact of stereotypes on psychiatric diagnoses and treatment disparities in physical health for those with mental illness. Great job, Dr. Tesfaye!
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Welcome Jolien Rietkerk,Msc.!
March 2025
Jolien Rietkerk, Msc. joins the lab as a postdoctoral fellow. Jolien will be mentored by Dr. Roseann Peterson.
Downstate Annual Research Day!
March 2025
POP-GEM Lab members Jasmine Cárcamo, M.A., Shwetha Phatarpekar, Ph.D., and M.D./Ph.D. student, Tadeusz Wroblewski, presented their research posters at the annual Downstate Research Day, sharing their work with peers and faculty in the Downstate research community.
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Review Paper Published led by Roseann Peterson,PhD in collaboration with PGC Cross-Pop,LAGC,and PGC Africa!
March 2025
Paper Published led by Madhur B. Singh!
January 2025
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Welcome Dr. Tesfaye Woldeyohannes!
January 2025
Markos Tesfaye Woldeyohannes, MD, PhD, is a research scientist at POP-GEM Lab and the Institute of Genomics in Health, State University of New York - Downstate Health Sciences University. His current research applies statistical genetics and multi-omics tools to understand the molecular mechanisms of psychiatric disorders across populations and environmental contexts.