Name: Flavia Villani,

University of Tennessee Health Science Center (UTHSC), Department of Genetics, Genomics and Informatics

Biography:

I am a computational biologist specializing in pangenomics and quantitative genetics. I recently completed my PhD in Biomedical Sciences (Genetics, Genomics, and Informatics) at the University of Tennessee Health Science Center in 2025 (4.0 GPA). I am currently a Postdoctoral Research Candidate in the same department, focusing on aging and longevity research through genomics and pangenomic approaches.

I worked in pangenomics by constructing comprehensive genome graphs for humans, rats, and mice, revealing genetic variation invisible to traditional single-reference approaches. My work has identified novel variants associated with metabolic traits and developed innovative pangenome-based QTL mapping methodologies. I am an Associate Member of the Human Pangenome Reference Consortium and I contributed to landmark publications in Nature, Nature Methods, Cell Genomics, and iScience.

With expertise in Python, R, Bash, and high-performance computing, I also committed to education and open science, having organized and taught international workshops on pangenomics across three continents. I had a Master's degree in Medical Biotechnology from the University of Naples Federico II and I am a licensed member of the Italian National Board of Biologists. My work bridges computational innovation with practical applications in genetics and precision medicine.