Agnes Chan, Ph.D.

Dr. Chan is a Research Professor with research interests in studying clinically relevant genomic features across human populations and non-human species, including canine and related species. One of Dr. Chan’s key research interests is on the investigation of genetic factors associated with longevity in humans and other species through comparative genomics. Another key area of interest is in the development of NGS-based testing to improve pandemic preparedness and infectious disease surveillance, including interactions with different research institutions, as well as international and commercial partners.

Dr. Chan received her Ph.D. from the University of Cambridge, UK (1996), where she studied under Professor Sir John Gurdon, a 2012 Nobel laureate with Dr. Shinya Yamanaka for the discovery that mature cells can be reprogrammed to become pluripotent, in the area of nuclear transplantation and developmental biology. Dr. Chan received a master’s degree in computer science from Johns Hopkins University (2003), and a master’s degree in biotechnology (1992) and a bachelor’s degree (1990) in biochemistry and computer science from the Chinese University of Hong Kong.

Dr. Chan joined the J. Craig Venter Institute (formerly The Institute for Genomic Research) in 2001 and was later appointed as an Assistant Professor (2009-2019). Dr. Chan served as the lead and a co-investigator on NIH-, DOD-, and NSF-funded research studies. Dr. Chan was also a former Program Director at the National Science Foundation (2009).

Dr. Chan joined TGen as a Research Associate Professor in the Schork Lab in November 2019, and became a Research Professor in 2021. She has authored over 50 peer-reviewed publications.