Biostatistics and Epidemiology

Tesfaye B. Mersha, PhD

Appointment

Assistant Professor, University of Cincinnati College of Medicine

Email

tesfaye.mersha@cchmc.org

Phone

513-803-2766

Fax

513-636-1657

Bio

Dr. Mersha is a quantitative geneticist. His background includes an early exposure to the many facets of biology and statistics and interested in cross-line disciplines to understand and solve complex genetic problems. During his post-doctoral fellowship program in statistical and human genetics, Dr. Mersha worked on statistical genetics methodologies and applied genetical data analysis to localize disease genes. Particularly, he focused on genetic analyses of metabolic and mental disorders using linkage, association and admixture mapping approach. He developed genome-wide ancestry informative markers (AIMs) panel by mining databases including HapMap, Affymetrix and Illumina. The AIM markers are useful in ancestry inference, admixture mapping and structured association testing. He used over 4 million HapMap SNP data and developed approaches of chromosomal based finer population genetic structure characterization, localization of private SNPs and associated genes and pathways that could have pharmacogenomics implication. In addition, Dr. Mersha is working on gene regulatory networks, gene ontology enrichment analysis and molecular profiling using various biologic and bioinformatic methodology for prioritizing asthma candidate genes. Dr. Mersha’s overall research interest and goal includes the use of population genomics, quantitative genetics, statistical genetics as well as proteomics and biological profiling and pathway methods to understand and dissect common complex diseases.

Credentials

Diploma: Statistical Genetics, University of Alabama at Birmingham, USA, 2007
PhD: Quantitative Genetics, University of Goettingen, Germany, 2004
MS: Genetics, Alemaya University, Ethiopia, 1996
BS: Biological Sciences, Alemaya University, Ethiopia, 1992

Position History

2009-Present Assistant Professor of Pediatrics, Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center / University of Cincinnati College of Medicine
2008 Postdoctoral Fellow, Statistical Genomics, Human Molecular and Genetic Center, Medical College of Wisconsin, Milwaukee, Wisconsin
2005-2007 Postdoctoral Fellow in Statistical Genetics, Section on Statistical Genetics, Departments of Biostatistics, University of Alabama at Birmingham
1999- 2004 Research Assistant and PhD student, University of Goettinegn, Germany
1992-1998 Lecturer and Researcher in Genetics, Alemaya University, Ethiopia

Awards and Honors

Best posters award, Pharmacogenomics- Great lakes chapter of aspet meeting, Chicago, IL, June 2008
Travel award, The Biology of Genome Conference at Cold Spring Harbor, NY, May 2008
Travel award, Short Course on Complex Trait Analysis at Jackson Laboratory, Bar Harbor, ME, September 2007
Travel award, Gordon Research Conference on Quantitative Genetics and Genomics at
Ventura Beach Marriott in Ventura, CA, February 2007
Travel award, TIGR Genome Annotation Workshop in Rockville, MD, June 2006
Genomic Applications (PGA) Traveling Tutorials at Birmingham, AL, October 2006
Travel award, 6th Annual Short Course on Statistical Genetics for Researchers in San
Francisco, CA, March 2006
Travel award, 5th Annual Meeting of the Complex Trait Consortium in Chapel Hill, NC, May 2006
Travel award, 19th Annual International Workshop on the Methodology of Family Studies in Boulder, CO, March 2006
Postdoctoral Career Enhancement Award, University of Alabama Birmingham, AL, Spring 2006
Progeni network NHLBI GxE Interaction Studies: Analysis Workshop at Birmingham, AL, March 2006
Travel scholarship, IPGRI-University of Jerusalem scholarship for post graduate diploma in genetic resources in Rehovot, Israel, 1998

Research

Quantitative and statistical genetics and genomics; genetic linkage, association and admixture analysis; expression analysis; network and pathway analysis; gene ontology and functional commonalities analysis

Publications, Most Recent

Tesfaye M. Baye, Wilke RA and Olivier M. (In Press). Genomic and Geographic Distribution of Private SNPs and Pathways in Human Populations. Personal Genomics special edition [Personalized Medicine]

Tesfaye M. Baye, Hemant K. Tiwari, and David B. Allison. Database mining for selection of SNP markers useful in admixture mapping. BioData Mining 2:1(1-8), 2009.

Shriner D., Tesfaye M. Baye, Padilla M.A., Zhang S., Vaughan L.K., Loraine A.E. Commonality of functional annotation: a method for prioritization of candidate genes from genome-wide linkage studies.Nucleic Acids Res. e26, 2008.

Tesfaye M. Baye, Zhang S, Smith E, Gunnell J, Hillard CJ, McCarty D, Myklebust J, James R, Kissebah AH, Olivier M and Wilke RA. Genetic variation in cannabinoid receptor 1 (CNR1) is associated with derangements in lipid homeostasis, independent of body mass index. Pharmacogenomics 9(11):1647-1656, 2008.

Tesfaye M. Baye, Rodney T. Perry, Howard W. Wiener, Zuomin Chen, Lindy Harrell, Rodney Go. Candidate gene discovery procedure after follow-up confirmatory analyses of candidate regions of interests for Alzheimer’s disease in the NIMH sibling dataset. Dis Markers 24:293-309, 2007.

Tesfaye M Baye, Mark Settles and Tom Pearson. Development of a calibration to predict maize seed composition using single kernel near infrared spectroscopy.Journal of Cereal Science 43: 236–243, 2006.

Presentations, Most Recent

Tesfaye M. Baye, Shama P. Mirza and Michael Olivier. 2009. Global proteomic profiling analysis of human fibroblast cells in proteus syndrome. US HUPO 5th Annual Conference, February 22 - 25, 2009 - San Diego, CA.

Lisamarie A. Collins, Sp. Mirza, TM. Baye, L. Martin, A.K. Kissebah and M. Olivier. 2009. Proteomic and genomic analysis of high-density lipoprotein (HDL) particles in obese individuals. US HUPO 5th Annual Conference, February 22 - 25, 2009 - San Diego, CA.

Molly C. Pellitteri_Hahn, Martin Bienengraeber, Tesfaye M. Baye, Bosnjak J. Zelijiko and Michael Olivier. 2009. Changes in Mitochondrial proteome during anesthetic precondioning and ischemia. US HUPO 5th Annual Conference, February 22 - 25, 2009 - San Diego, CA.

Christina Runge-Samuelson, Ericka King, Tesfaye M. Baye, John Littrell, David Friedland, P. Ashley Wackym, Michael Olivier. 2009. Genetic Association Analysis of Familial Sensorineural Hearing Loss Resembling a DFNA2 Phenotype. Audiology Grand Rounds, January 17, 2009, Milwaukee, WI.

Tesfaye M. Baye and Michael Olivier.2008. A candidate gene discovery and prioritization procedure from QTL Studies. The Biology of Genome Meeting at Cold Spring Harbor April 6-10, 2008.

Gawrieh S., Tesfaye M. Baye, J. Wallace1, M. Carless, R. Komorowski, P. Nuttleman1, D. Andris1, B. Makladi, D. E. Kleiner, J. Curran, T. D. Dyer, J. Charlesworth, J. Blangero, A. Kissebah and M. Olivier. 2008. Discovery of gene networks involved in non-alcoholic fatty liver disease using genome-wide transcriptional profiling. The Liver Meeting 2008 - San Francisco Oct 31-Nov 4, 2008.

Collins L.A., S.P. Mirza1, T. M. Baye, L. Martin, A.H. Kissebah, M. Olivier. 2008. Proteomic analysis to identify candidate genes influencing high-density lipoprotein particle size in obese individuals. The American Society of Human genetics, 58th Annual Meeting, Philadelphia, PA,
November 11-15.

Tesfaye M. Baye. 2008. Statistical Approaches to Gene Mapping at Human Genetics Center, Medical College of Wisconsin, WI, January 15, 2008.

Tesfaye M. Baye, Yi Zhang, Edward Smith, Cecilia J. Hillard, Jennifer Gunnell, Joel Myklebust, Roland James, Ahmed H. Kissebah, Michael Olivier, and Russell A. Wilke 2008. Genetic Variation in cannabinoid receptor 1 (CNR1) with Obesity and Obesity-Related Traits at Great Lakes Chapter of ASPET, Chicago, IL, June 13, 2008.

Martin Bienengraber, Molly Pellitteri-Hahn, Tesfaye M. Baye, and Michael Olivier. 2008. Proteomic Analysis to Determine the Effect of Volatile Anesthetics on Mitochondrial Metabolism and Bioenergetics. 11th NHLBI Proteomics Initiative Investigators Meeting, Charleston, SC, April 16-17, 2008.

Tesfaye M. Baye. 2008. Quantitative Genetics and Genomics Approaches to Characterize Population Diversity and Structure at University of Texas A&M, College Station, May 28, 2008.

Zhang Y., E.M. Smith, T. M. Baye, J. Gunnell, A. DelaForest, C.J. Hillard, A.H. Kissebah, M. Olivier and R.A. Wilke. 2008. Genetic Variation in Fatty Acid Amide Hydrolase (FAAH) is Associated with Altered Lipid Homeostasis in an Obese Cohort at Great Lakes Chapter of ASPET, Chicago, IL, June 13, 2008.

Tesfaye M. Baye. 2007. Database Mining for Selection of SNP Markers Useful in Association and Admixture Mapping at Gordon Conference on Quantitative Genetics and Genomics meeting, Ventura Beach, CA, March, 20, 2007.

Tesfaye M. Baye, H.W. Wiener, H.K. Tiwari, D.T. Redden, D.B. Allison, R.C.P.Go. 2007. Data mining and comparison of measures of informativeness for ancestry in admixture mapping. The American Society of Human genetics, 57th Annual Meeting, San Diego, CA, October 23–27.

Tesfaye M. Baye. 2007. Candidate gene discovery procedure after follow-up confirmatory nalyses of candidate regions of interests in linkage studies. Phoenix Epidemiology and Clinical esearch, NIDDK, National Institutes of Health, Phoenix, AZ, September 28, 2007.

Tesfaye M. Baye. 2007. Data mining and comparison of measures of informativeness for ncestry in admixture mapping. Human Genetics Center, School of Public Health, University of Texas, Houston, TX, September 17, 2007.

Tesfaye M. Baye. 2007. Comparison of measures of informativeness for ancestry in admixture mapping. Department of Biostatistics, Section on Statistical Genetics, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, August 23, 2007.

Tesfaye M. Baye. 2007. Data mining and comparison of measures of informativeness for ancestry in admixture mapping. Department of Biostatistics, University of Alabama at Birmingham, AL, May 22, 2007.

Tesfaye M. Baye, David Allison and Rodney Go. 2007. Database mining for selection of SNP markers useful in structural association testing and admixture mapping. Postdoctoral Research Day, University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, AL, February 6, 2007.

Tesfaye M. Baye. 2006. Linkage disequilibrium maps and association mapping. University of Alabama at Birmingham, February 2, 2006.

Professional Organization Memberships

American Society of Human Genetics
American Statistical Association
Peer reviewer for Clinical and Experimental Allergy, PLoS Genetics, PLoS ONE, Human Heredity, Immune Response Genetics (Tissue Antigens) and Euphytica