About Fides Lay
Fides Lay received her BS from UCLA where she studied Biochemistry and English, combining her love for science and literature. She started her PhD work with the intention of studying the immune response of human cancer, but was soon drawn in by the growing field of epigenetics. She received her PhD from University of Southern California in 2014 after completing a dissertation on the mechanism of cancer epigenetics, focusing on using genomic and epigenomic data analyses to understand cancer pathways and identify therapeutic targets, with the hope of advancing personalized medicine.

DNA Methylation Solves Crimes

April 21, 2015 Fides Lay

In an episode of the popular procedural drama Law and Order: Special Victims Unit, entitled ‘Perverted’, the show’s protagonist, Detective Olivia Benson, was accused of murder after her DNA was found to match DNA isolated from blood recovered from the murder weapon. Without alibi, Detective Benson was arrested, her reputation in jeopardy. As her colleagues worked to clear her name, it was medical examiner Dr. Melinda Warner who came up with the answer. Normal DNA, she explained, is about 80% [more…]

The Impact of Concussions on Epigenetics

January 28, 2015 Fides Lay

America’s biggest sporting event, Super Bowl Sunday, is an unofficial national holiday when friends, family, and occasionally strangers feast and gather in front of the television to watch two professional football teams battle for a championship. For days before and after, conversations in the classrooms or offices across the country would revolve around the match-up, the commercials, or the halftime show – and everyone, a football fan or not, would have an opinion. Often unmentioned, however, is the darker side [more…]

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