Avery Davis Bell

I’m a genetics researcher interested broadly in the forces that shape genomes, from the “distal,” like evolution, to the “proximal”, like recombination and chromosome segregation during the production of sperm and eggs. I use sequence data to interpret and learn about these forces. Currently, I’m a postdoctoral fellow with Annalise Paaby at Georgia Tech (previously funded by an NSF Postdoctoral Research Fellowship).

During my PhD in Steve McCarroll’s lab at Harvard, I figured out relationships between where crossovers are placed, how often crossovers are formed, and the improper segregation of chromosomes in human sperm by developing and using a technique to sequence the genomes of thousands of sperm cells at once (now published). These relationships exist not only among individual humans, but also across sperm cells and chromosomes.

I’m also an educator, especially interested in teaching genetics and programming (in R) for biology research to undergraduate and graduate students and in mentoring earlier-stage scientists. Making academic institutions and learning generally more equitable and accessible for people from minoritized groups are key philosophical goals.

Please get in touch to discuss any or all of the above, request copies of my publications, or otherwise connect.