Shahar Silverman
PhD student
The Evolution of Interferon Stimulated Genes in Ancient and Modern Humans
IFN stimulated genes (ISGs), are a group of genes involved in host defense against viruses amongst other functions. The diversification of ISGs across mammals’ pinpoints to an evolutionary arms race between viruses and their hosts.
Human populations exhibit diverse variants of ISGs, yet comprehensive data regarding the historical evolution of these genes, the timeline of variant emergence, and potential selective pressures influencing their frequency remains scarce.
To gain greater insight into the relationship between the population-specific genetic variations of ISGs and adaptive mechanisms that drove these variations we will first leverage both ancient and present-day human genomics to address fundamental questions about ISGs diversification across time and space. Subsequently we will analyze the functional effect of these variants by introducing them into cells and challenging them against different viruses.
I moved to the US from Israel in 2022 and have enjoyed exploring the East Coast, especially hiking in nature and trying new restaurants. I love jogging, baking, and reading. I’m very passionate about community involvement, I volunteer with New Haven Reads and Yale Pathways to Science and play a leadership role in the Jewish graduate student community.
Timeline
2022
Specializing on genomics and host-pathogen interactions as a Graduate Student at Yale School of Medicine in New Haven (Connecticut)
2019
Studying Life Science at The Hebrew University of Jerusalem (Israel)