Lai Lab

Zhao Lai, PhD

Rank: Associate Professor/Research
Department: Molecular Medicine
Office: 4.100.14
Tel: 210-562-9246
laiz@uthscsa.eduEmail

Dr. Zhao Lai is the Director of the Genome Sequencing Facility (GSF) of Greehey CCRI at the UT Health – San Antonio (UTHSA). The GSF utilizes high throughput sequencing platforms to generate high-quality genomic data and provides support to its analysis for a large number of faculty members at Greehey CCRI, May’s Cancer Center, and UTHSA entire campus. The GSF focuses on the various aspects of functional genomics and applications using next-generation sequencing technology. Especially, the GSF assists the PIs to carry out various aspects of genomic studies such as heterogeneity of cell population, cancer driver/rare mutation characterization, biomarker development, and gene expression regulation and network of pathways, using NGS technology.

Dr. Zhao Lai was trained as a genomics scientist with over 20 years of extensive research experience and has co-authored more than 60 peer-reviewed publications and several book chapters. She has guided the establishment and development of every aspect of the Genome Sequencing Facility, including project budgeting and coordination, equipment acquisition and maintenance, training and supervising staff scientists, establishing all standard operating procedures (SOPs), creating a working pipeline from experimental design through subsequent data interpretation of experiments with investigators, and assessing the current and future NGS needs to satisfy the diverse research portfolio of the UTHSA scientific community. As the Director of GSF, Dr. Lai has continually established and significantly expanded the NGS services to develop a comprehensive portfolio of NGS protocols, secured NIH instrument grant S10 to improve the genomic infrastructure, contributed multiple high throughput sequencing studies, and supported diverse biomedical research applications and numerous NIH funded projects.

COVID-19 dashboard – Bexar County SARS-CoV-2 Whole Genome Sequencing Surveillance Dashboard.