Viktoria Haghani

Welcome!

Viki_Haghani

My name is Viktoria Haghani. I typically go by Viki, and my pronouns are she/her(s). I am a fifth-year PhD Candidate in the Integrative Genetics and Genomics Graduate Group at UC Davis. I am co-mentored by Dr. Janine LaSalle and Dr. Ian Korf, where my primary focus is applying bioinformatics tools to large sequencing data sets to answer biological questions. I really enjoy automating data analysis pipelines and writing scripts. Outside of work, I enjoy cooking, baking, camping, doing puzzles, painting, playing video games, and lounging with my pet iguana, Stella, and leopard gecko, Zoscia.

Curriculum Vitae

Education

Doctor of Philosophy in Integrative Genetics and Genomics (In Progress, 2025): University of California, Davis; Davis, California; GPA: 3.95

Bachelor of Science in Genetics and Genomics (March 2020): University of California, Davis; Davis, California; GPA: 3.7

Summer Courses at Riverside City College (July 2017): Riverside City College; Riverside, California; GPA: 4.0

High School Diploma (May 2016): Jurupa Hills High School; Fontana, California; GPA: 4.0

Publications

2024

Haghani V., Goyal A., Zhang A., Sharifi O., Mariano N., Yasui D.H., Korf I.F., LaSalle J.M. Submitted. "Improving rigor and reproducibility in chromatin immunoprecipitation assay data analysis workflows with Rocketchip" Briefings in Bioinformatics.

Sharifi O., Haghani V., Neier K., Fraga K., Korf I.F., Hakam S., Quon G., Johansen N., Yasui D.H., LaSalle J.M. 2024 Oct 10. "Sex-specific single cell-level transcriptomic signatures of Rett syndrome disease progression." Communications Biology.

Gutierrez Fugon O.J., Sharifi O., Heath N., Soto D.C., Gomez J.A., Yasui D.H., Mendiola A.J.P., O'Geen H., Beitnere U., Tomkova M., Haghani V., Dillon G., Segal D.J., LaSalle J.M. 2024 July 24. "Integration of CTCF loops, methylome, and transcriptome in differentiating LUHMES as a model for imprinting dynamics of the 15q11-q13 locus in human neurons." Human Molecular Genetics.

Cheong S., Jay-Russell M.T., Chandler-Khayd C., Di Francesco J., Haghani V., Aminabadi P., Williams S.R., Gaudin A.C.M., Tautges N., Pires. A.F.A. 2024 Feb 20. "Presence of foodborne pathogens and survival of generic Escherichia coli in an organic integrated crop-livestock system." Frontiers in Sustainable Food Systems.

2023

Khayd C.C., Di Francesco J., Baron J.N., Ramos T.M., Aminabadi P., Jay-Russell M.T., Haghani V., Millner P.D., Pagliari P., Hutchinson M., Kenney A., Hashem F., Martinez-Lopez B., Bihn E.A., Clements D., Shade J.B., Sciligo A.R., Pires A.F.A. 2023 Aug 25. "Risk factors associated with the prevalence of Listeria monocytogenes in manured soils on certified organic farms in four regions of the United States." Frontiers in Sustainable Food Systems.

Pires A.F.A, Ramos T., Baron J.N., Millner P.T., Pagliari P., Hutchinson M., Haghani V., Aminabadi P., Kenney A., Hashem F., Martinez-Lopez B., Bihn E.A., Clements D., Shade J.B., Sciligo A.R., Jay-Russell M.T. 2023 Feb 22. "Risk factors associated with the prevalence of Shiga-toxin producing Escherichia coli (STEC) in manured soils on certified organic farms in four regions of the USA." Frontiers in Sustainable Food Systems.

2021

Ramos T., Jay-Russell M.T., Millner P.T., Baron J.N., Stover J., Pagliari P., Hutchinson M., Lilley J., Rowley N., Haghani V., Aminabadi P., Kenney A., Hashem F., Martinez-Lopez B., Bihn E.A., Clements D.P., Shade J.B., Sciligo A.R., Pires A.F.A. 2021 Oct 15. "Survival and persistence of foodborne pathogens in manure-amended soils and prevalence on fresh produce in certified organic farms: A multi-regional baseline analysis." Frontiers in Sustainable Food Systems. doi:10.3389/fsufs.2021.674767.

Lambert J.T., Su-Feher L., Cichewicz K., Warren T.L., Zdilar I., Wang Y., Lim K.J., Haigh J., Morse S.J., Canales C.P., Stradleigh T.W., Castillo E., Haghani V., Moss S., Parolini H., Quintero D., Shrestha D., Vogt D., Byrne L.C., Nord A.S. 2021 Oct 4. "Parallel functional testing identifies enhancers active in early postnatal mouse brain." eLife. 2021;10:e69479.

2020

Pires A.F.A., Stover J., Kukielka E., Haghani V., Aminabadi P., Ramos T., Jay-Russell M.T. 2020 Jun 5. "Salmonella and generic E. coli prevalence in meat and produce sold at farmers markets in Northern California." Journal of Food Protection. 2020;10.4315/JFP-20-079. doi:10.4315/JFP-20-079

Pires A.F.A., Kukielka E., Haghani V., Stover J., Ramos T., Van Soelen J.E., Jay-Russell M.T. 2020 Oct. "Survey of farmers' market managers in California: food safety perspectives." Journal of Extension.

Grants

Funded

Grant #CACALV-AH-411. $20,000. Funding Organization: USDA NIFA, UC Davis Center for Food Animal Health. 05/28/2021 - 06/30/2022. Whole genome sequencing of STEC isolates from sheep fecal samples and 16S rRNA amplicon sequencing of sheep fecal samples to identify microbiome changes and potential food safety risks in grazing sheep. PI: Alda Pires. Collaborators: Elizabeth Maga (Co-I), Michele T. Jay-Russell (Co-I), Roselle C. Busch (Co-I), Viktoria Haghani (Co-I).

Fellowships and Scholarships

Autism Science Foundation and Rett Syndrome Research Trust Fellowship (2022)

JXTX Foundation Genome Informatics Scholarship Award (2021)

Momeni Foundation Scholarship Recipient (2016)

Conference Abstracts, Posters, and Presentations

2025

Kuodza G.E., Mouat J.S., Krigbaum N.Y., Haghani V., Thrall E., Kawai R., Hakam S., Rodriguez Y.J.L., Sullivan T.N., Mendiola A.J.P., Yasui D.H., Tran T.A., Sharifi O., Torres C., Bennett D., Schmidt R.J., La Merrill M.A., Cirilo P.M., Hertz-Picciotto I., Cohn B.A., LaSalle J.M. Newborn blood DNA methylation correlates risk of autism spectrum disorders with grandparental age, alcohol intake, and cigarette smoking. Poster will be persented by Kuodza G.E. at the International Society for Autism Research (INSAR) Conference 2025.

2024

Haghani V., Yasui D.H., Hakam S., Sharifi O., Korf I.F., LaSalle J.M. Defining the role of MeCP2e1 Rett Syndrome Symptom Progression. Poster presented by V. Haghani at the World Rett Syndrome Congress 2024.

Gutierrez Fugon O.J., Sharifi O., Heath N., Soto D.C., Gomez J.A., Yasui D.H., Mendiola A.J.P., O'Geen H., Beitnere U., Tomkova M., Haghani V., Dillon G., Segal D.J., LaSalle J.M. Integration of CTCF loops, methylome, and transcriptome in differentiating LUHMES as a model for imprinting dynamics of the 15q11-q13 locus in human neurons. Abstract presented by J.M. LaSalle at the Angelman Syndrome Foundation Family Conference and Research Symposium 2024.

Immoos S., Osornia L., Scott J., Haghani V.. Effect of natural vs. chemical pesticides on aquatic microorganisms. Poster presented by Immoos S., Osornia L., and Scott J. at Connected Community Learning (CCL) Biotechnology Academy Open House 2024.

2023

Lu R., Nguyen D., Haghani V.. Measuring Sanitization Product Effectiveness Against Bacteria. Poster presented by R. Lu and D. Nguyen at Connected Community Learning (CCL) Biotechnology Academy Open House 2023.

Haghani V., Yasui D.H., Sharifi O., Korf I.F., LaSalle J.M. Integration of single-nuclear RNA-seq and spatial transcriptomic analysis of differentially expressed genes in a Rett Syndrome mouse model. Poster presented by V. Haghani at the UC Davis Human Genomics Symposium 2023.

Haghani V., Yasui D.H., Sharifi O., Korf I.F., LaSalle J.M. Defining the role of MeCP2e1 Rett Syndrome Symptom Progression. Poster presented by V. Haghani at the American Society of Human Genetics Meeting 2023.

Haghani V., Yasui D.H., Sharifi O., Korf I.F., LaSalle J.M. Integration of single-nuclear RNA-seq and spatial transcriptomic analysis of differentially expressed genes in a Rett Syndrome mouse model. Poster presented by V. Haghani at the UC Davis Genome Center Halloween Symposium 2023.

Haghani V., Yasui D.H., Sharifi O., Korf I.F., LaSalle J.M. Integration of single-nuclear RNA-seq and spatial transcriptomic analysis of differentially expressed genes in a Rett Syndrome mouse model. Poster presented by V. Haghani at the Conceptual Power of Single-Cell Biology Symposium 2023.

Haghani V., Yasui D.H., Sharifi O., Korf I.F., LaSalle J.M. Defining the role of MeCP2e1 Rett Syndrome Symptom Progression. Haghani V. invited to give a 10-minute oral presentation at the MESA Undergraduate Research Scholars Program Oral Presentation Workshop 2023.

Haghani V., Yasui D.H., Sharifi O., Korf I.F., LaSalle J.M. Defining the role of MeCP2e1 Rett Syndrome Symptom Progression. Poster presented and flash talk given by V. Haghani at the International Rett Syndrome Foundation Rett Syndrome Scientific Meeting 2023.

Gill G., Aigbe L., Saetern M., Liu X., Haghani V. How Do Different Environmental Conditions Affect Biofilm Formation? Poster presented by Gill G., Aigbe L., Saetern M., and Liu X. at Connected Community Learning (CCL) Biotechnology Academy Open House 2023.

Haghani V., Yasui D.H., Sharifi O., Korf I.F., LaSalle J.M. Defining the role of MeCP2e1 Rett Syndrome Symptom Progression. Poster presented by V. Haghani at the Bay Area Chromatin Club Symposium 2023.

2022

Haghani V., Yasui D.H., Sharifi O., Korf I.F., LaSalle J.M. Defining the role of MeCP2e1 Rett Syndrome Symptom Progression. Poster presented by V. Haghani at the UC Davis Human Genomics Symposium 2022 and received a $25 prize for winning the poster contest.

Haghani V., Yasui D.H., Sharifi O., Korf I.F., LaSalle J.M. Defining the role of MeCP2e1 Rett Syndrome Symptom Progression. Poster presented by V. Haghani at the UC Davis Genome Center Halloween Symposium 2022.

Haghani V., Yasui D.H., Sharifi O., Korf I.F., LaSalle J.M. Clarifying the role of MeCP2 in the Timing of Symptom Progression in Rett Syndrome. Abstract submitted, poster presented, and 10-minute oral talk given by V. Haghani at the 6th Annual Biomedical Research Graduate Student Symposium 2022.

Sharifi O., Yasui D.H., Korf I.F., Haghani V., Hakam S., Johansen N., Fraga K., LaSalle J.M. Longitudinal cortical snRNA-seq reveals sexually dimorphic cellular trajectories of disease progression in a mouse model of Rett Syndrome. Poster presented by O. Sharifi at the Developmental Origins of Health and Disease (DOHaD) World Congress 2022.

2021

Haghani V., Yasui D.H., Sharifi O., Korf I.F., LaSalle J.M. Elucidating the role of MeCP2 in the timing of symptom progression in Rett Syndrome. Poster presented by V. Haghani at the UC Davis Human Genomics Symposium 2021 and received a $25 prize for winning the poster contest.

Haghani V., Yasui D.H., Sharifi O., Korf I.F., LaSalle J.M. Rocketchip: A Comprehensive bioinformatics workflow for ChIP-seq data analysis. Poster presented by V. Haghani at the 2021 CSHL Genome Informatics Meeting in November. Funded by JXTX Foundation Genome Informatics Scholarship.

Haghani V. Attendee at Diversity in STEM Conference at UC Davis in 2021. Attended speaker events and workshops for topics related to diversity, equity, and inclusion and STEM and in graduate school

Aguirre K., Haghani V., Cheong S., Busch R., Jay-Russell M.T., Pires A. Comparison of fecal microbiomes in grazing and non-grazing sheep and association with foodborne pathogen shedding. Poster presented by K. Aguirre at the 2021 Educational Enrichment and Outreach Program (EEOP) Undergraduate Public Health Scholar Program Poster Symposium at UC Davis.

Cheong S., Aminabadi P., Jay-Russell M.T., Chandler C., Haghani V., Williams S.R., Tuatges N., Gaudin A., Pires A.F.A. Crop-livestock integration in vegetable production: Survival of generic E. coli and non-O157 STEC in Organic Fields Grazed by Sheep. Abstract presented by S. Cheong at the 2021 International Association for Food Protection Conference.

Warren T.L., Lambert J.T., Su-Feher L., Haghani V., Castillo E., Parolini H., Shrestha D., Nord A.S. In vivo AAV-based transient enhancer-reporter assays in mouse brain. Poster presented by T.L. Warren at the 2021 Biology of Genomes (Virtual) Meeting at Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory.

2019

Stover J., Jay-Russell M.T., Haghani V., Aminabadi P., Ramos T., Pires A. Salmonella and indicator bacteria profiles of produce and meat products sold in Northern California farmers' markets: Implications for microbial food safety. Abstract presented by A. Pires at the 2019 International Association for Food Protection Meeting.

Haghani V. Attendee at Net Impact: Widening the Lens Conference in 2019 in Detroit, Michigan. Acted as a mentor in a workshop targeted at improving LinkedIn profiles and networking ("Be the Mentor"). Acted as a student dinner lead, taking a group of 15 students out to dinner to discuss the Up to Us project and advise students on their university's campaign.

2018

Haghani V. Attendee at Net Impact: Outside the Lines Conference in 2018 in Phoenix, Arizona. Attended speaker events and workshops for topics related to sustainability and leadership skills.

Research Experience

Graduate Student Researcher | LaSalle Lab and Korf Lab at UC Davis | Davis, CA | March 2021 - Present

Lab Manager | Pires Lab at UC Davis | Davis, CA | February 2017 - October 2020

Volunteer Research Assistant | Nord Lab at UC Davis | Davis, CA | May 2018 - March 2020

Student Lab Assistant II | Western Institute for Food Safety and Security | Davis, CA | July 2019 - September 2020

Student Lab Assistant II | Boundy-Mills Lab at UC Davis | Davis, CA | March 2019 - July 2019

Professional Workshops

Navigating Charged Discussions | UC Davis Center for Educational Effectiveness | 2024

Seeking Alignment: Writing an Artificial Intelligence Teaching Philosophy Statement | UC Davis Center for Educational Effectiveness | 2024

Syllabus Design for Equity | UC Davis Center for Educational Effectiveness | 2024

Data Analysis Collaboratory | UC Davis DataLab | 2023

Graduate Anti-Racism Symposium | UC Davis Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion & UC Davis Grad Studies | 2021

A Hands-On Introduction to Conda | National Institutes of Health Common Fund Data Ecosystem | 2021

Accessibility and Inclusion in Teaching: Perspectives of Autistic and Neurodivergent Students | UC Davis Autism and Neurodiversity Community | 2020

Teaching Experience

GGG 280 - Genetics, Racism, & Inequality | UC Davis | Davis, CA | 2022

Teaching Assistant for BIS 101 (Genes and Gene Expression) | UC Davis | Davis, CA | Spring 2022

Mentoring Experience

Letters to a Pre-Scientist (LPS) | LPS | North Carolina | 2021-Present

Sheldon High School Biotech Academy eMentor Program | Sheldon High School | Sacramento, CA | 2021-Present

Integrative Genetics and Genomics (IGG) Graduate Group Internal Mentorship Program | UC Davis | Davis, CA | 2021-Present

Multiculturalism in Agriculture, Natural Resources, and Related Sciences (MANRRS) | UC Davis | Davis, CA | 2023

College of Biological Sciences (CBS) Community, Mentorship, and Training Program (CoMeT) | UC Davis | Davis, CA | 2021 - 2022

CITRIS EDGE in STEM Mentoring Program | CITRIS and the Banatao Institute | Berkeley, CA | Summer 2021

Jesse Bethel High School Future Medical Professional's Club Mentoring Program | Jesse Bethel High School |Vallejo, CA | 2021-2022

Lab Manager | Pires Lab at UC Davis | Davis, CA | February 2017 - October 2020

BioLaunch Mentor Collective | UC Davis | Davis, CA | 2018-2020

Students Tutoring Students | UC Davis | Davis, CA | 2017-2018

Other Experiences and Affiliations

Student Lead for the Davis Python Users Group (DPUG) | UC Davis | Davis, CA | 2024-Present

Webmaster for the Integrative Genetics and Genomics (IGG) Graduate Group | UC Davis | Davis, CA | 2024-Present

Membership Committee for the Integrative Genetics and Genomics (IGG) Graduate Group | UC Davis | Davis, CA | 2023-2024

Recruitment Officer for the Integrative Genetics and Genomics (IGG) Graduate Group | UC Davis | Davis, CA | 2021-2023

Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) Chair for the Integrative Genetics and Genomics (IGG) Graduate Group | UC Davis | Davis, CA | 2021 - 2023

Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) Committee for the Integrative Genetics and Genomics (IGG) Graduate Group | UC Davis | Davis, CA | 2020 - 2023

Net Impact Davis | UC Davis | Davis, CA | 2016-2020

Genetic Counseling Club | UC Davis | Davis, CA | 2017-2019

Genetic Counseling Shadow Program | UC Davis Mind Institute | Sacramento, CA | January 2018 - February 2018

Food Service Worker | UC Davis Student Housing and Dining Services | Davis, CA | December 2016 - November 2017

Projects

Planet Heroes: Sustainability is Elementary - Easy as TK - 8 (Recycling Competition and Workshop Series) | Net Impact Davis | Davis, CA | 2019

Up to Us 2018 and 2019 | Up to Us | Oakland, CA | Fall 2018, Fall 2019

The More You Know, The More You Grow | Citrus Tech for Social Good | Davis, CA | 2018

Farm Internship Program | Net Impact Davis | Davis, CA | 2016-2017

Qualifications/Skills

Intermediate/Advanced bioinformatics experience (Python (primary), R, GitHub, Conda, Snakemake)

NGS Data Analysis (CUT&RUN, WGBS, snRNA-seq, Spatial Transcriptomics, RNA-seq), including Gene Ontology and Weighted Gene Correlation Network Analysis

Management of high-performance computing environments

Type 90+ words per minute

Strong oral and written communication skills

Ability to prioritize and perform tasks with minimal supervision

Website creation/maintenance

Languages

English (fluent speaking, reading, and writing)

Western Armenian (conversational speaking, basic reading and writing)

Professional Affiliations

UC Davis Data Lab Affiliate (2024-Present)

American Society of Human Genetics Member (2023)

American Association for the Advancement of Science (2021-2022)

Phi Sigma Pi National Honor Society Invitee (2018-2021)

Honor Society Foundation (2017-2021)

Prytanean Women's Honor Society Invitee (2017-2019)

Golden Key International Honour Society Invitee (2017- 2019)

Net Impact Davis Undergraduate Chapter (2016)

California Aggie Student Alumni Association (2016)

The National Academy of Future Physicians and Medical Scientists (2015)

The National Society of High School Scholars (2016)

National Honor Society (2012)

National Junior Honor Society (2010)

Honors and Awards

Interviewed by The California Aggie (2018)

UC Davis College of Biological Sciences Dean's Honors List (Winter 2017)

UC Davis College of Biological Sciences Dean's Honors List (Fall 2016)

Valedictorian of Jurupa Hills High School (2016)

Top 1% of San Bernardino County Award (2015)

Received 7 gold medals for academic achievement in high school (2013-2016)

Links

  • GitHub

  • ORCiD

  • LinkedIn

  • Twitter

  • Please note that not all platforms may be up to date.

    News Mentions

    2024

    "Study shows that Rett syndrome in females is not just less severe, but different " - UC Davis Health News (Oct. 17, 2024)

    2022

    "ASF Awards 2022 Pre- and Postdoctoral Fellowships to Nine Early-Career Researchers" - GlobeNewswire (Apr. 19, 2022)

    2020

    "Study Verifies Low Food-Safety Risk at CA Farmers Markets" - Vegetables West (Nov. 24, 2020)

    "Farmers market fresh produce often comes with a fecal load included in price" - Dan Flynn (Nov. 18, 2020)

    "UC Davis: Low Food-Safety Risk At Northern California Farmers Markets Study Examined Prevalence Of Salmonella And E. Coli On Produce, Meat" - Amy Quinton (Nov. 16, 2020)

    Good Day Sacramento Interview for Up to Us Competition - Tina Macuha (Jun. 22, 2021)

    2018

    "Net Impact team at UC Davis holds forum on national debt" - Clara Zhao (Dec. 5, 2018)

    2016

    "Haghani, Medina are named top students at Jurupa Hills" - Fontana Herald News (May 26, 2016)

    Contact Me

    Please feel free to contact me if you have any questions, comments, or concerns. My current expected graduation date is around Fall of 2025, so I am hoping to look for a job then. Any recommendations are welcome.