Meet the Team
Dr. Carter Clinton
Director, ASHES Laboratory
Dr. Clinton earned his Ph.D. in Biology from Howard University and completed a postdoctoral fellowship in Anthropology at Pennsylvania State University. For over a decade, he has conducted genomic research on the New York African Burial Ground population, examining their identities, ancestry, and health and shaped guidelines for community-led research. His research spans ancient DNA analysis, African American genomics, soil microbiology, genotype-phenotype interactions, human microbiome studies, and the exploration of ancestry-linked disease susceptibilities and health disparities.
Varun Deepak Gudhe
Graduate Student
Varun develops and applies advanced computational methods to analyze ancient DNA sequences recovered from New York African Burial Ground soil samples to uncover the genetic makeup, health, and interactions of the population. He also studies pleiotropic genetic traits in diverse human populations with a focus on identifying genetic markers that inform their evolutionary history and health.
Shirley Jacquet
Graduate Student
Shirley Jacquet is a first-year graduate student in the Genetics and Genomics Scholars Program at NC State. Her research interest is in human microbiomes and epigenetics. She is working to identify evidence of trauma in enslaved African populations.
Jaylin Knight
Graduate Student
Jaylin is a doctoral student in the Genetics program interested in human adaptation and the intersection between genetics, evolution, history, and health through an anthropogenic lens. Her research focuses on understanding the genomic diversity in African Americans and the origins of genetic markers contributing to complex diseases.
Picture coming soon
Ashton Humphrey
Undergraduate Researcher
Ashton is a senior studying Animal Science. Her research interests include animal ecology, welfare, behavior, and their influence on human-animal-environmental interactions to gain insights into the health and well-being of African American communities and animal management efforts today.
Jalen Franklin
Undergraduate Researcher
Jalen is a sophomore majoring in biological sciences with a concentration in human biology. He currently working on a project analyzing genomic data in populations of African descent to identify associations between genes and specific characteristics or phenotypes, such as diet and chronic health conditions.
Nusaybah Roberson
Undergraduate Researcher
Nusaybah is a senior studying ESKAPEE pathogens in soil samples to explore historical epidemiology and the evolution of antibiotic resistance. Additionally, she assists with analyzing bacterial DNA from soil samples derived from the New York African Burial Ground, hoping to gain insights into the plants, animals, health, and diet of the time period,
Kimsey Cooper
Undergraduate Researcher
Kimsey is a senior at NC State majoring in Biological Sciences with a concentration in Human Biology. She is working on a project analyzing genomic data to uncover links between genetic variations and common health conditions and the New York African Burial Ground project to understand historical shifts in infectious disease and its impact on current health issues in African American communities.
Lab Alumni
Justice Skinner
Post-graduate Researcher
Justice Skinner earned his B.S. in Animal Science with a wildlife science minor. Currently, Justice assists with research projects at UNC Chapel Hill and the N.C. Museum of Natural Sciences. He continues to lead a project exploring associations between the New York African Burial Ground population and animals in post-colonial New York to assess conservation efforts.
Justice is applying for graduate schools to study fisheries, wildlife, or conservation biology.