Celebrating a Milestone: Hayley Wolff Graduates with PhD in Human Medical Genetics and Genomics

Hayley Wolff is set to celebrate a major milestone—graduating from the Human Medical Genetics and Genomics PhD Program on Saturday, Dec. 14! After four years of hard work, late nights, and groundbreaking research, she’s ready to walk across the stage and mark the culmination of her incredible journey that began in 2020. This graduation isn’t just an academic achievement; it’s a testament to her dedication, innovation, and passion for pushing the boundaries of genomic science.

Turning genomic data into game-changing insights

Throughout her doctoral journey, Wolff has been at the forefront of developing statistical methods and software to improve the utility and equity of summary-level genomic data. Her work has had a significant impact, including the creation of new statistical techniques for detecting local substructures using only allele frequency data. She also developed the R package CCAFE, which estimates case and control allele frequencies from GWAS summary statistics to enable secondary analyses using these data.

Her research tackled pressing challenges in the field, including the underutilization of vast genomic datasets—literally thousands of gigabytes’ worth. One major issue she addressed is substructure detection, which can be masked when summarizing genomic data. Another challenge her work confronts is the variability in how summary statistics are reported and formatted. By enabling the estimation of often missing statistics, her work enhances the reusability of these data.

The methods and software Wolff developed lay the groundwork for more inclusive genomic research, allowing for better substructure estimation, adjustment, and secondary analysis with existing data. As she prepares for graduation, genomic research’s future looks brighter— thanks to pioneers like her.