https://www.noonanlab.org/cover daily 1.0 2026-01-13 https://www.noonanlab.org/people daily 0.75 2025-11-17 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/599f3755b8a79b47679016bf/bfb71db7-cdf1-4889-9a28-8159cf920b58/noonan_james.jpg People James Noonan Principal Investigator. CV Jim received his undergraduate degree in Biology and English Literature (Honors) from Binghamton University in upstate New York. He carried out his graduate work with Dr. Richard Myers in the Department of Genetics at Stanford University, where he contributed to the Human Genome Project and characterized the evolutionary history of protocadherin cluster genes in vertebrates. He received his Ph.D. in 2004. He did his postdoctoral work in Dr. Edward Rubin's lab at the Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory and the U.S. Department of Energy Joint Genome Institute. At Berkeley, Jim developed methods to sequence and analyze ancient genomic DNA, providing the first insight into the Neanderthal genome. He also pioneered the discovery and analysis of uniquely human genetic changes that altered developmental gene regulation during human evolution. Jim joined the Yale Genetics faculty in 2007. He is currently the Albert E. Kent Professor of Genetics, with secondary appointments in Ecology and Evolutionary Biology and Neuroscience. He is also a member of the Kavli Institute for Neuroscience, the Yale Stem Cell Center, and Executive Director for Genome Sciences at the Yale Center for Genome Analysis. Jim was also named a NOMIS Foundation researcher in 2020. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/599f3755b8a79b47679016bf/99bc70cd-fda8-4daa-bf99-720ae056c72c/Ryan.jpg People Ryan Poulsen Lab Manager Ryan received his bachelor’s degree in chemistry from Western New England University and a master’s degree in biochemistry from the University of Connecticut (UCONN). Ryan has over a decade of experience in lab management, first working as a technician at the Yale Child Health Research Center in the Department of Pediatrics and later managing a multi-PI lab at the University of Florida. Upon returning to Connecticut, Ryan joined the Noonan lab as a lab manager in spring 2024. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/599f3755b8a79b47679016bf/14340e6a-5916-49b2-a511-5c4b9ac53607/Marybeth.jpg People Marybeth Baumgartner Associate Research Scientist Marybeth is interested in the genetic underpinnings of brain evolution, neurodevelopment, and cell type specification. As a postdoctoral fellow in the Noonan lab, she has focused on parsing the genetics of cortical expansion in human evolution by utilizing multiple experimental fronts. She has developed humanized mouse models to study the impact of regulatory elements with uniquely human activity on gene expression and cortical development. In parallel, she has leveraged mouse models of neurodevelopmental conditions, such as autism spectrum disorder, and single-cell transcriptome analyses to establish how disrupting specific genes impacts individual cell types over time and contributes to these conditions. She is also designing complementary screens in 2D neural stem cells, the major proliferating cell type in the developing brain, to inform target selection for humanized mouse generation. Marybeth completed her undergraduate studies at Mount Holyoke College and earned a PhD in physiology and neurobiology from the University of Connecticut in 2019. She joined the Noonan lab in 2020 and is supported by an F32 fellowship from NICHD. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/599f3755b8a79b47679016bf/19af2245-1ee1-49b9-acb9-24d3ce955839/Yu.jpg People Yu Ji Postdoctoral researcher Yu is interested in how human-specific cis-regulatory elements regulate gene expression during development, contributing to the evolution of uniquely human traits such as face and limb morphology. One such element, HACNS1, functions as a human-specific enhancer in the developing limb bud and pharyngeal arches. Using a humanized mouse model, Yu studies how HACNS1 regulates chondrogenic differentiation in human evolution. Yu earned his Ph.D. in Biochemistry, Molecular Biology, and Cell and Developmental Biology from the University of California, Davis in 2021. During his graduate studies, he explored the role of Wnt signaling in determining the fate of neural crest cells. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/599f3755b8a79b47679016bf/fba5ca06-1d0a-4848-a0dd-1096f795bda5/Claudia.jpg People - Make it stand out Claudia Mimoso YSM Science Fellow Claudia is a YSM Science Fellow in the Department of Genetics, under the joint mentorship of the Noonan and Reinke Labs. At Yale, Claudia is developing an independent research program at the intersection of RNA biology, neurodevelopment, and human health. Claudia first worked at NYU Langone Medical Center and The Rockefeller University where she studied gene expression changes in psoriasis. She went on to earn a B.S. in Biological Sciences at Cornell University, where she also studied the role of an RNA-binding protein in modulating allele-specific gene expression in the Soloway Lab. Claudia then completed her PhD in Karen Adelman’s Lab at Harvard Medical School, where she studied mechanisms of metazoan transcription. Now, as a YSM Science Fellow, she is interested in fundamental principles of gene expression during neurodevelopment and how disruptions in this process contribute to neurological diseases. https://bsky.app/profile/camimoso.bsky.social https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/599f3755b8a79b47679016bf/2f0f327b-1916-494c-8caa-425859f2eb66/Matheo.jpg People - Make it stand out Matheo Morales Graduate Student Matheo is a Ph.D candidate in the Noonan Lab using neural organoid models to study gene regulatory differences between human and chimpanzee neurodevelopment. Matheo joined the Noonan Lab in 2020 after receiving a dual M.S. in Genetics and Computational Mathematical Sciences at Arizona State University. His dissertation work focuses on exploring the underlying gene regulatory mechanisms that contribute to uniquely human features of the thalamus and cortex by modeling their development using neural organoids derived from human and chimpanzee induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs). His work blends computational and experimental techniques, with a focus on high-dimensional analysis of single-cell sequencing data. Outside his research, Matheo is involved in the Yale BBS Diversity and Inclusion Collective (YBDIC) https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/599f3755b8a79b47679016bf/a8965415-39bb-48ab-aaed-320f4706c54c/JeWon.jpg People Je Won Yang Graduate student Je Won joined the lab in 2023 and is investigating how post-transcriptional regulation, such as m6A RNA modifications, may play a role in differential gene expression during human and chimpanzee neurodevelopment. After graduating from Seoul National University in 2020, she developed an interest in RNA biology during her research internship at the Korea Advanced Institute of Science & Technology. Alongside her work in RNA biology, she recently initiated a project generating chimeric in vitro 3D somitogenesis models (somitoids) to tackle the question of heterochrony. Aside from the lab, Je Won enjoys baking or playing the oboe in the orchestra. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/599f3755b8a79b47679016bf/ab464ffd-9f90-4e75-acae-a8d2a87927f3/Donna.jpg People - Make it stand out Donna Karpel Senior Administrative Assistant Donna manages administrative tasks across multiple labs in the Genetics Department, including the Noonan Lab. Since 2008, she has been providing support to dozens of students, faculty and researchers at Yale. Prior to joining Yale, she worked at Bayer Healthcare in the Department of Quality Assurance and the Department of Drug Safety. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/599f3755b8a79b47679016bf/1dc265af-0bb5-4f1f-b7c5-696a35e627bc/Reem.jpg People Reem Abu-Shamma Graduate student Reem joined the lab in 2024. She combines human and chimpanzee cortical organoids with genetic screening to investigate genomic regions and mechanisms involved in unique human brain development. Reem received her bachelor’s degree from UCLA where she began research in the Sagasti Lab, studying skin morphogenesis in zebrafish with confocal microscopy. She later joined the Pathogen Genomics lab at KAUST, Saudi Arabia as a postgraduate intern, generating CRISPR knock-in lines in the malaria parasite. In 2023, she graduated with an M.S. in Bioinformatics from Johns Hopkins University, where she also worked as a research assistant in the lab of Tatiana Larman, and used 3D intestinal organoids to study colorectal cancer. Reem is a member of the Yale Journal of Biology and Medicine (YJBM) editorial board and enjoys science writing for a general audience. Outside of the lab, she frequently travels, practices yoga, and plays tennis. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/599f3755b8a79b47679016bf/1580169336551-DFT8VGZDHNE3DO7GUSDE/Sophie.jpeg People Sophie Lab Lab Sophie is a Labrador Retriever/Vizsla mix (mostly Vizsla) who visits the Noonan Lab when the team needs a break from their hard work (or when Jim’s wife Laura is out of town). She was born in Houston, TX and adopted as a rescue dog in 2012. When she is not at the lab, she is helping kids with anxiety issues, learning differences and developmental disorders. And chasing squirrels. https://www.noonanlab.org/publications daily 0.75 2025-11-18 https://www.noonanlab.org/about daily 0.75 2025-06-28 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/599f3755b8a79b47679016bf/3ce4dc7d-7d2d-44d0-9d4c-986b2c76eebf/IMG_0050.JPG About Us - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://www.noonanlab.org/contact daily 0.75 2020-02-17 https://www.noonanlab.org/jim daily 0.75 2025-06-30 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/599f3755b8a79b47679016bf/1543962861126-YTBALVDBT3JLF0AMOG5I/noonan_james.jpg Jim https://www.noonanlab.org/yuji daily 0.75 2025-06-28 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/599f3755b8a79b47679016bf/8f6e93ff-d891-49da-bcc5-30d236470374/Yu.jpg Yu - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://www.noonanlab.org/jewon daily 0.75 2025-08-14 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/599f3755b8a79b47679016bf/a03430cf-89c9-4d3e-8b80-ebbf1dd48c4e/JeWon.jpg Je Won https://www.noonanlab.org/ryan daily 0.75 2025-06-28 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/599f3755b8a79b47679016bf/21ce8820-b60a-4eff-b73a-51e542098c91/Ryan.jpg Ryan - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://www.noonanlab.org/reem daily 0.75 2025-09-03 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/599f3755b8a79b47679016bf/5365e7cd-98e8-41ac-986d-5bf29ebac2b0/Reem.jpg Reem https://www.noonanlab.org/sophie daily 0.75 2021-05-11 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/599f3755b8a79b47679016bf/1580170150738-JITBO01LNUCIXBNMDR0A/Sophie.jpeg Sophie https://www.noonanlab.org/claudia daily 0.75 2025-06-28 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/599f3755b8a79b47679016bf/273e2d24-5bd0-4e83-884d-142f83878199/Claudia.jpg Claudia - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://www.noonanlab.org/marybeth daily 0.75 2025-11-17 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/599f3755b8a79b47679016bf/1a59437e-7eca-4ed0-953f-4db993ece18c/Marybeth.jpg Marybeth - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://www.noonanlab.org/matheo daily 0.75 2025-06-28 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/599f3755b8a79b47679016bf/a5f7a4a3-9931-4b39-a09f-ba055c456b21/Matheo.jpg Matheo https://www.noonanlab.org/donna daily 0.75 2025-09-03 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/599f3755b8a79b47679016bf/0cdada7a-a177-4482-8153-27f77820cf27/Donna.jpg Donna - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://www.noonanlab.org/peyton daily 0.75 2026-03-17 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/599f3755b8a79b47679016bf/06979fad-b539-4306-a875-ff8bf6c3e88d/DiSiena+Headshot.jpg Peyton - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference.