Our research group brings together expertise from multiple disciplines including molecular biology, bioinformatics, computational genomics, and parasitology. Researchers in our group work at the bench, at the computer, or both, creating a collaborative environment where wet-lab and computational approaches complement each other.
Principal Investigator
Jessica "Jessie" C. Kissinger, PhD
Co-Investigator & Lab Head
University Professor, Department of Genetics
Member, Center for Tropical & Emerging Global Diseases
Member, Institute of Bioinformatics
Associate CIO for Research, UGA
Dr. Jessica "Jessie" Kissinger is a professor of Genetics and former director of the Institute of Bioinformatics (2010-2019). Her research focuses on the evolution of protist parasite genomes (nuclear, plastid and mitochondrial), in particular, the genomes of organisms that cause malaria, toxoplasmosis and cryptosporidiosis. Her research area has necessitated the development of new computational tools to address issues of gene transfer and syntenic regions of genome sequences as well tools related to data integration, data sharing and data mining. She also maintains a traditional "wet laboratory" for validation of experimental findings. One of the resources that she helped to develop, and for which she is now a Co-I, is VEuPathDB. This database, which has evolved into a large international project, serves the eukaryotic pathogen and vector research community. Her research has led her to be involved in numerous international collaborations. She lived in Brazil for two years while studying malaria and she returned for 20 years as joint-PI of a Fogarty Bioinformatics training grants and as a researcher in the Ciências sem Fronteiras program. She also spent time in Uganda as a Fulbright Scholar working at the African Center of Excellence in Bioinformatics and Data Science.
Current Kissinger Research Group Members
Samantha Gunasekera
Post-doctoral Research Associate
Samantha is a postdoctoral trainee within the research group. She is currently studying gene regulation in Cryptosporidium. She has spent most of her life in Perth, Western Australia and moved to Athens, Georgia to work on this project. Her PhD research was focused on developing a microfluidic in vitro model for Cryptosporidium parvum and Cryptosporidium hominis, and she previously worked as an electron microscopist specializing in the imaging and analysis of biological samples.
Fiifi Agyabeng-Dadzie
Researcher
Fiifi is a researcher in the Kissinger Lab investigating the genomic global diversity of Cryptosporidium, a parasitic pathogen of significant public health importance. Proficient in both wet lab and dry lab techniques, he integrates experimental work with computational analysis to understand genetic variation and population structure across different geographic regions and host species. Fiifi was awarded an NIH T32 Training Grant (2022-2025) supporting his genomics research. When he's not in the lab, you can find him watching anime and playing video games with family and friends.
Rafeed Rahman Turjya
PhD Student
Rafeed Rahman Turjya is a Bioinformatics PhD student in the Kissinger Lab. His research revolves around characterizing mitochondrial genome topology in apicomplexan parasites by figuring out puzzles hidden within sequences. Previously, he completed both BS and MS in Genetic Engineering and Biotechnology from University of Dhaka, Bangladesh.
Ankush Sharma
Researcher
Member of the Kissinger Research Group.
Constance Wang
Undergraduate Researcher
Undergraduate researcher contributing to lab projects.
Current VEuPathDB Project Staff
Cristina Aurrecoechea
VEuPathDB UI Team
Cristina co-manages the UI-Infra team with Steve Fischer (University of Pennsylvania). Her role is making sure we are on track, participating in design discussions, doing quality control, implementing specific requests, and helping with cross-team coordination.
Nupur Kittur
VEuPathDB Outreach Team
Nupur serves on the VEuPathDB outreach team, engaging with scientists across the globe to support their use of database data, tools, and features. Her work includes user support, social media communication, and the development of tutorials, webinars, and workshops that promote bioinformatics learning. She also co-leads the ClinEpiDB project, contributing to the integration and dissemination of clinical and epidemiological data.
Mustafa Veysi Nural
Senior Database & Systems Administrator
Mustafa provides data management and infrastructure support for the VEuPathDB and NIH CIDER projects. His daily routine involves a wide range activities from database administration & development, systems administration, programming, and working with scientists to develop and implement creative solutions to address challenging technical problems.
Drew Spruill
Systems Architecture and DevOps Manager
Drew leads the systems team for VEuPathDB.
Join Our Team
We are always looking for talented and motivated individuals to join our research group. We welcome applications from:
- Prospective graduate students interested in genomics, bioinformatics, or parasitology
- Postdoctoral researchers with expertise in computational biology or molecular parasitology
- Undergraduate students seeking research experience
If you're interested in joining the lab, please visit our Contact page to get in touch.
Lab Alumni
Our lab has trained numerous successful researchers who have gone on to positions in academia, industry, and government agencies. We're proud of their accomplishments and continue to value their contributions to science.