Jared Gracia-David

Jared is originally from Sarasota, Florida. He graduated with a B.A. in Biology from Amherst College,  where he did research on bacteriophage ecology. He is broadly interested in how individual biological components balance each other through their interactions to form stable yet dynamic systems. He plans to pursue graduate school in the genomic and cellular basis of neural circuit formation.

Research Area

Jared is currently studying neuronal epigenetics with the Gabel Lab, where he is researching the functions of epigenetic regulators including DNA methyltransferase 3A (DNMT3A). Mutations in DNMT3A have been implicated in various neurodevelopmental disorders with diverse symptoms due to the ubiquitous role of DNMT3A in regulating gene expression. The molecular mechanisms by which DNMT3A acts are largely well understood, but it is not known what determines the particular genomic regions normally targeted by DNMT3A. Studying the changes that occur in the epigenome due to specific DNMT3A mutations, as well as our ability to correct these changes, will promote the development of treatments for diseases associated with DNMT3A mutation.