Felicia I. Gomez, PhD

Felicia I. Gomez, PhD

Assistant Professor

Address:
Division of Oncology
Mail Stop 8007-0066-05
Washington University
660 South Euclid Avenue
St. Louis, MO

Room 5140, 4444 Forest Park Avenue (office)
Room 5140, 4444 Forest Park Avenue (lab)

Research Interests
  • Genomics of Hodgkin and non-Hodgkin lymphomas
  • Somatic variation in cancer across diverse human populations
Research

Deep Sequencing of Hodgkin Lymphoma Genomes and Associations of Survival and Disease Progression with Somatic Variation

Classic Hodgkin lymphoma (cHL) accounts for 10% of all lymphomas in the western world, and remains a substantial clinical problem. Although standard treatments are effective, some patients will relapse, or will be primary refractory. cHL is defined by a rare malignant B cell (Hodgkin-Reed-Sternberg, HRS cell) that occupies a small fraction of the tumor microenvironment. Despite many advances in next generation sequencing, the identification of somatic variants in cancers characterized by rare cell populations remains technically and analytically challenging. This is in part due to low signal vs. noise ratios and a lack of well-developed variant calling and filtering algorithms optimized for low variant allele frequency (VAF) variants. These obstacles have resulted in a limited number of studies that have used high throughput sequencing technologies to characterize the genomic landscape of cHL.

We address this shortfall by asking two questions: 1) Can ultra deep exome-wide sequencing, paired with analysis and filtering strategies optimized for low VAF variants, accurately identify somatic variants in cHL; 2) Are low VAF somatic variants from HRS cells, identified using optimized filtering and analytic strategies, associated with disease outcomes in cHL.

Profiles (publications)

Biosketch

Education

  • 2012: PhD in Human Evolutionary Genetics, The George Washington University, Washington, DC
  • 2002: BA in Biology (Honors) & Anthropology, Magna Cum Laude and Phi Beta Kappa, Skidmore College, Saratoga Springs, NY

Post-Graduate Training

  • 2022: Center for the Improvement of Mentored Experiences in Research (CIMER) Mentor Curricula and Training: Facilitating Entering Mentoring
  • 2021-2020: Teaching Scholars Certificate Program, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO
  • 2018-2015: Postdoctoral Scholar in Cancer Genomics, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO
  • 2015-2012: Postdoctoral Scholar in Genetic Epidemiology, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO

Academic Positions & Employment

  • present-2022: Assistant Professor of Medicine, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO
  • 2022-2018: Instructor in Medicine, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO
  • 2004-2003: Senior Laboratory Technician, New York State Department of Health, Albany, NY

University & Hospital Appointments & Committees

  • present-2022: Co-Director, Physician Scientist Training Program (PSTP) Post-bac Program
  • present-2022: Assistant Director, Mentorship to Enhance Diversity in Academia (MEDA)
  • 2022-2021: Co-Director, Mentorship to Enhance Diversity in Academia (MEDA)
  • 2020-2017: Co-Chair, Department of Medicine Trainee Inclusion and Cultural Awareness Task Force
  • 2017-2016: Member, Department of Medicine Trainee Inclusion and Cultural Awareness Task Force
  • 2015-2013: Treasurer, Diversity Postdoctoral Society, Washington University School of Medicine
  • 2015-2012: Member-at-Large, Postdoctoral Society, Washington University School of Medicine
  • 2007-2006: Chair, Student Seminar Series, Anthropology Department, The George Washington University

Honors & Awards

  • 2022: Health Disparities Research Institute Trainee, National Institute on Minority Health and Health Disparities
  • 2019: Trainee Travel Award, Cancer Genomics Consortium
  • 2018-2017: Executive Committee Early Career Mentee, American Association of Physical Anthropologists
  • 2017: Abstract Achievement Award, American Society of Hematology
  • 2016: Travel Award, Society of Molecular Biology and Evolution
  • 2014: New Investigator Award, American Public Health Association, Genomics Forum
  • 2008: First Prize in Poster Competition, Yale Bouchet Conference on Diversity in Graduate Education
  • 2008: Student Travel Scholarship, Human Genome Variation Annual Meeting
  • 2008: Student Scholarship and Travel Award, University of Washington Summer Institute in Statistical Genetics
  • 2007: Burroughs Wellcome Ecology and Evolution Travel Scholarship (NIH-NIGMS & NSF)
  • 2002-2000: Skidmore College Periclean Honors Society

Professional Societies & Organizations

  • present-2020: Member, Cancer Genetics Consortium
  • present-2017: Member, American Association for Cancer Research (AACR)
  • present-2017: Member, American Society of Hematology (ASH)
  • present-2004: Member, American Association of Physical Anthropologists (AAPA)
  • 2019-2017: Executive Committee Early Career Mentee (AAPA)
  • 2016-2015: Mentor, Increasing Diversity in Biological Anthropology (AAPA)
  • 2015-2014: Organizer, Women’s Mentoring Workshop Committee (AAPA)
  • 2012-2008: Member, American Society of Human Genetics