Kelly Bolton, MD, PhD

Dr. Bolton a physician-scientist with a background in medical oncology and genetic epidemiology. The focus of her research is regarding the interplay between inherited genetic variation, environmental factors, and acquired mutations in shaping the earliest stages of carcinogenesis.

Biosketch

Meet the team

  • Originally from Canada, I completed most of my training at the University of Guelph and the Biodiversity Institute of Ontario, where I was fortunate enough to have worked on the Consortium for the Barcode of Life (CBOL). My passion for bioinformatics stems from a 3rd Year Machine Learning course where I was introduced to a unique problem of defining DNA complexity. Ever since then, I have been interested in DNA/RNA and the story that each unique sequence has to tell. At the Bolton Lab, I have the unique opportunity to apply my training as a Computer Scientist to decipher and convert large complex data into more manageable digestible bits of information that hopefully, results in discovery and exploration towards the next chapter of the story. Outside of the lab you can find me exploring the city and parks or playing badminton.

  • Armel is a graduate student in public health (Epidemiology and Biostatistics) at Washington University in St Louis. Prior to joining the BoltonLab, he graduated with an MD/MSc in molecular biology and immunology at the University Marien Ngouabi in the Republic of the Congo and gained experience in Next-Generation Sequencing at the University of Tubingen in Germany and at the Congolese Foundation for Medical Research.

  • For my current research as a Bioinformatics Researcher at Washington University in St. Louis I running variant calling in blood samples to detect mutations and mutational signatures from general healthy populations as well as pediatric and adult leukemias. I am also interested molecular dynamic simulations of drugs in kinase interactions with fusion proteins such as Casein kinase II (CKII) on MLL. Ever since learning about computational biology I have always been interested in protein bioinformatics and proteomics with respect to designing small-molecule inhibitors and I have a passion for hoping to discover cures for children and adults with hematological malignancies. Currently I hold a Masters in Bioinformatics from The Johns Hopkins University. In my free time I like watching television, playing golf, skiing and mountain biking.

  • Kimberly Turner is Clinical Research Coordinator at Washington University in the division for Genetic and Genomic Medicine. Before joining the Bolton lab, she completed her Masters of Public Health with a concentration on Global Epidemiology at Saint Louis University. Kimberly is very interested in the use of genomic medicine in low and middle income countries and hopes to continue learning more about application opportunities. In her free time, Kimberly loves to cook and enjoys being outside, especially when she can return home to Denver, Colorado.

  • Jie Liu is a 3rd year PhD student in the Division of Biology & Biomedical Sciences

    Cancer Biology program at Washington University in St. Louis. Prior to joining she obtained

    Master degree in Epidemiology and Biostatistics from Washington University in St. Louis and

    Bachelor degree in Medicine from Sun Yat-sen University of Medical Sciences in China. Her

    research interests lie in cancer translational research using both experimental and

    computational methods. Her thesis project is focused on characterizing genetic predisposition to

    clonal hematopoiesis and hematologic malignancies.

Former lab members

  • I'm originally from St. Louis, studied physics at Leipzig University in Germany for my undergraduate, and studied data science at Nova University in Portugal. I always enjoy learning new things and skills, and I love to be in nature and ride my bicycle.