Allison Vanek

I am a bioinformatician with a passion for plant and agriculture research. I became a researcher following a research internship focused on investigating nitrogen fixation traits in soybeans in an effort to reduce chemical fertilizer use. As an avid hiker, gardener, and lover of all things outdoors, I was drawn to the idea of contributing to a global effort of responsible agriculture that mitigated damage to the environment; and so I pursued research. My thesis focuses on the development of biological methods of control for the parasitic plant Striga hermonthica, which devastates vulnerable communities in Africa. In addition, I developed a tool to evaluate miRNA annotations in an effort to improve overall quality of annotations submitted to global databases.

I am a bioinformatician with 8 years of research experience in genome sequencing, RNA and small RNA biology, and general plant molecular biology. My primary research was focused on small RNA structure and function, and the implementation of RNAi technology for biological pest control using host-induced gene silencing. I have extensive knowledge in plant pathology and development. I have expertise in software development and database integration in addition to being fluent in R, python, and C++.

• B.S. Biochemistry and molecular biology - Stockton University, Galloway, NJ
• Ph.D. Bioinformatics and genomics (expected defense May 2025) - Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA