Table of Contents
Table of Contents
Masters of Science, Science Communication (admitted)
University of California, Santa Cruz (UCSC) • September 2025 • Santa Cruz, CA
Bachelor of Science, Biology: Molecular concentration
California State University, Monterey Bay (CSUMB) • 2023 • Seaside, CA
Upper Division STEM GPA: 3.83
Dean’s List Spring 2022, Fall 2022, Spring 2023
Junior Biocurator, ClinGen#-affiliated Biocuration Core
University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill • July 2023 - current
Curating the genetic and experimental evidence to define the clinical relevance of human genes and variants for the NHGRI-funded Clinical Genome Resource. Curation requires in-depth literature searches, evidence categorization/organization, SOP compliance, human genetics understanding and strong presentation skills.
Notable Contributions: Gene Curations, Variant Curations, 2nd Annual ClinGen Excellence Awards Committee Member, Immunology CDWG Curation Workshop Social Media Lead, ClinGen Community Curation Working Group Coordinator, ClinGen Community Curation Working Group Baseline Annotation Training Coordinator
Current and past working group and expert panel membership here.
#ClinGen is a National Institutes of Health (NIH)-funded resource dedicated to building an authoritative central resource that defines the clinical relevance of genes and variants for use in precision medicine and research. https://clinicalgenome.org/about/
Research Assistant, Sullivan Lab, Dept. of Molecular and Cell Biology
University of California, Santa Cruz • June 2023 - September 2024
Principal Investigator: William Sullivan | (Supervised by Simon Titen)
Project: The Effect of Wolbachia in Drosophila Reproductive Success with a Focus on Cytoplasmic Incompatibility at Different Drosophila Ages
Investigating the impact of Wolbachia on the viability of an infected Drosophila’s offspring (cytoplasmic incompatibility) with the aim to expand the current understanding of both the lethality of Wolbachia in the paternal line and the maternal rescue effect in infected Drosophila females at different ages of either fly sex.
Technical Skills: Drosophila ovary dissection, Drosophila ovary tissue fixation, antibody staining, confocal microscopy, Drosophila husbandry
GAIN REU Fellow, Camps Lab, Dept. of Microbiology and Environmental Toxicology
University of California, Santa Cruz • June - July 2022
Principal Investigator: Manel Camps (Supervised by Gerardo Cortes-Cortes)
Project: Analysis of antibiotic pressure on conjugation efficiency of antimicrobial resistance genes in E. coli (See Honors and Awards)
Two months of full time lab work as an REU fellow with some oversight from a postdoc mentor. Continued collaboration with the lab over the next year. Investigation into the transmission of antibiotic resistance genes between E. coli and the effect that different antibiotic doses and combinations have on the efficiency of the gene transfer (HGT).
Technical Skills: Conjugation assays, plasmid extractions, PCR, PCR primers, Thermocycler operation, NanoDrop analysis, gel electrophoresis, protocol writing, agar plating, autoclave operation, antibiotic stocks, microbe strain culturing and keeping, COPLA, ResFinder 4.1, general lab maintenance, reagent and equipment ordering.
“Detection of Horizontal Gene Transfer Mediated by Natural Conjugative Plasmids in E. coli” ∙ Moto Bravo et al., 2023 ∙ Journal of Visualized Experiments
∙ Performed part of the protocol in an accompanying online video
∙ Listed in the acknowledgements for technical support in experiments
COURSE BASED RESEARCH EXPERIENCES
California State University, Monterey Bay ∙ Semester long, skill building projects in upper division classes that required students to apply course concepts to projects where student success is driven by their own effort.
Bioinformatics/Genomics CURE ∙ Spring 2023
De novo Genome Assembly (Passerculus sandwichensis) for the Vertebrate Genome Project
Microbial Resource Announcement on H. denitrificans for Integrated Microbial Genomes Manuscript
In process of submitting with Joint Genome Institute
Skills: Galaxy EU, sequence analysis, sequence assembly, genome assembly quality analysis
Genomics CURE ∙ Fall 2022
Genetic variant curation and annotation of biomedical literature for cerebral creatine deficiency syndrome
Continued this project as a volunteer with ClinGen
Skills: Literature review, Hypothesis annotation
Microbiology CURE ∙ Fall 2022
Genetic identification of an unknown bacterium (P. frigoritolerans) collected from campus. Results analysis included a lab write up on consequences of discovery in the environment.
Skills: Biochemical microbiology tests, bacterial DNA isolation, PCR, carboxylated-bead cleanup, gel electrophoresis, BLAST
Genetics CURE ∙ Spring 2022
Genetic variant curation of common cancer variants
Special Topics in Microbiology ∙ Spring 2022
DNA Extraction, PCR, gel electrophoresis, and PCR clean-up to identify the true species of fish sold at local supermarket
St. Clair, P (2025). O43: Crowd-sourced annotation: A curation tool engaging future medical genomics professionals, Genetics in Medicine Open, Volume 3, Supplement 2,2025,102353, ISSN 2949-7744, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.gimo.2025.102353.
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2949774425003929
St. Clair, Pepper. (2025, July). ClinGen engages students with crowd-sourced literature annotations. The ACMG Medical Geneticist.
“Crowd-sourced Annotation: A Curation Tool Engaging Future Medical Genomics Professionals”
Platform Presentation. American College of Medical Genetics Annual Meeting 2025. March 2025.
Top ranking abstract submissions selected for oral presentation with Q&A.
“Updating Gene-Disease Classifications and Inheritance Patterns for Porphyric Disease Entities to Improve Diagnostic Accuracy and Patient Management”
Rapid Fire Poster Session. American College of Medical Genetics 2025 Annual Meeting. Los Angeles, CA. March 2025.
Top ranking poster abstract selected for short oral presentation.
“Analysis of antibiotic pressure on conjugation efficiency of antimicrobial resistance genes in E. coli”
Honors Capstone Presentation, Department of Biology and Chemistry Class of 2023 Convocation. CSUMB. May 2023.
Four students selected from graduating class to present at the department convocation. 10 minute oral presentation with Q&A poster session.
“Analysis of antibiotic pressure on conjugation efficiency of antimicrobial resistance genes in E. coli”
CSU Monterey Bay Delegate for the 37th Annual CSU Student Research Competition. San Diego State University. April 2023. (See Honors and Awards)
CSU-wide annual student research competition. Students from all 23 CSU campuses present their original research. 10 minute oral presentation with Q&A afterwards.
“Analysis of antibiotic pressure on conjugation efficiency of antimicrobial resistance genes in E. coli”
California State University, Monterey Bay Fall Research Competition. CSUMB. November 2022. (See Honors and Awards)
CSUMB annual competition for undergraduate students. 10 students are chosen from applicants to present their original research. 10 minute oral presentation with a Q&A from an interdisciplinary panel of judges afterwards.
“Updating Gene-Disease Classifications and Inheritance Patterns for Porphyric Disease Entities to Improve Diagnostic Accuracy and Patient Management”
American College of Medical Genetics 2025 Annual Meeting. Los Angeles, CA. March 2025.
“Recommendations from the ClinGen Peroxisomal variant curation expert panel for variant classification in ABCD1”*
American College of Medical Genetics 2025 Annual Meeting. Los Angeles, CA. March 2025.
“Pseudodeficiency: A Poorly Defined and Misunderstood Term
in an Era of Precision Medicine” *
WORLDSymposium 2025. San Diego, CA. February 2025.
“Expert Panel Assessment of Clinical Validity of Interstitial Lung Disease Related Genes” *
22nd International Colloquium on Lung and Airway Fibrosis Poster Session. Athens, Greece. October 2024.
“Insights from Annotating the Literature on Peroxisomal Biogenesis Disorders due to PEX1 Defects ”
Curating the Clinical Genome 2024 Poster Reception. Baltimore, MD. May 2024.
“ClinGen Glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase (G6PD) Variant Curation Expert Panel: addressing the need for genetic variant classification in G6PD deficiency”*
Curating the Clinical Genome 2024 Poster Reception. Baltimore, MD. May 2024.
“Unraveling Cytoplasmic Incompatibility from the Perspective of the Male Germ Line in Drosophila simulans and Drosophila Melanogaster”
Program in Biomedical Sciences and Engineering Fall Research Conference Poster Session. Felton, CA. University of California, Santa Cruz. September 2023.
“Analysis of antibiotic pressure on conjugation efficiency of antimicrobial resistance genes in E. coli”
Program in Biomedical Sciences and Engineering Fall Research Conference Poster Session. Felton, CA. University of California, Santa Cruz. September 2023.
“Analysis of antibiotic pressure on conjugation efficiency of antimicrobial resistance genes in E. coli”
Graduate School Interview Day, Seymour Discovery Center Poster Session. University of California, Santa Cruz. January 2023.
“Analysis of antibiotic pressure on conjugation efficiency of antimicrobial resistance genes in E. coli”
Undergraduate Research Opportunities Center Summer Symposium. CSUMB. August 2022. (See Honors and Awards)
* an asterisk denotes presentations where Pepper St. Clair was not the presenting author
ClinGen Community Curation (C3) Working Group Coordinator
University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill Promoting Advocacy and Research Awareness for Diversity in Genomic Medicine (PARADIGM) Genetics-in-a-Day 2025 Workshop Planning Committee
ClinGen Excellence Awards 2024 Planning Committee
CSUMB College of Science Dean’s List • Spring 2022 - Spring 2023
California State University 37th Annual Student Research Competition: Second Place (Session 22, Undergraduate Biology)
San Diego State University • April 2023 • San Diego, CA
“Analysis of antibiotic pressure on conjugation efficiency of antimicrobial resistance genes in E. coli” (Oral Presentation, Q&A)
CSUMB Fall Research Competition: First Place
California State University, Monterey Bay • November 2022 • Seaside, CA
“Analysis of antibiotic pressure on conjugation efficiency of antimicrobial resistance genes in E. coli” (Oral Presentation, Q&A)
Undergraduate Research Opportunities Center Summer Symposium: Outstanding Poster Presentation
California State University, Monterey Bay • August 2022 • Seaside, CA
“Analysis of antibiotic pressure on conjugation efficiency of antimicrobial resistance genes in E. coli” (Poster Presentation, Q&A)
Breakout Session Speaker, Program for Precision Medicine in Health Care Genetics-in-a-Day Workshop, Spring 2025.
North Carolina Central University, Durham, North Carolina.
Guest Speaker, Comparative Genomics, Spring 2025.
California State University, Monterey Bay.
Will lead the students through a course based undergraduate research experience on annotating biomedical literature and performing variant curation on PROC and PROS1 variants.
Baseline Annotation Training Coordinator. ClinGen Community Curation Working Group. Fall 2024 - current.
University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
Worked with underrepresented students from a Berg Lab affiliated summer internship to participate in ClinGen Baseline Annotation as volunteers during the academic year. I supported these students in identifying goals and how Baseline Annotation experience supports those goals (such as getting a better grasp of the biomedical literature).
Guest Speaker. Comparative Genomics. Spring 2024.
California State University, Monterey Bay.
Led the students through a course based undergraduate research project annotating the literature on the PEX1 gene and analyzing phenotypic prevalence. This product of this work resulted in nine students being authors on a poster at Curating the Clinical Genome 2024. The project also introduced students to variant curation as a career route.
FDA Approved Variant Pathogenicity Curation Level 2 Training for Peroxisomal Disorders Variant Curation Expert Panel∙ October 2024 ∙ ClinGen
FDA Approved Variant Pathogenicity Curation Level 2 Training for Thrombosis Variant Curation Expert Panel∙ November 2023 ∙ ClinGen
Variant Pathogenicity Curation Level 1 Training ∙ September 2023 ∙ ClinGen
HIPAA Training ∙ August 2023 ∙ University of North Carolina
Gene-Disease Clinical Validity Training ∙ August 2023 ∙ ClinGen
Confocal Microscope Training ∙ July 2023 ∙ University of California, Santa Cruz
Baseline Curation Training ∙ October 2022 ∙ ClinGen
Responsible Conduct of Research ∙ August 2022 ∙ CITI Program
Laboratory Safety Trainings ∙ June 2022 ∙ University of California, Santa Cruz
• UC Laboratory Safety Fundamentals
• Laboratory Safety Research Personnel
• Hazardous Waste Management
• Bloodborne Pathogens
• Biosafety in Research Laboratories
University of North Carolina Program in Precision Medicine and Health ∙ March 2024 to current
Clinical Genome Resource (ClinGen) ∙ September 2022 to current
Berg Lab, Department of Genetics, School of Medicine, University of North Carolina ∙ July 2023 to current
Sullivan Lab, Department of Molecular, Cell, and Developmental Biology, University of California, Santa Cruz ∙ June 2023 to current
Camps Lab, Department of Microbiology and Environmental Toxicology, University of California, Santa Cruz ∙ June 2022 to current
Society for Advancement of Chicanos/Hispanics & Native Americans in Science (SACNAS) ∙ June 2022 to current
ClinGen: Baseline Annotation
Remote (Oct 2022 - June 2023)
Baseline annotation of cerebral creatine deficiency syndrome (GATM, SLC6A8, and GAMT gene variants) biomedical literature for expert panels
Return of the Natives: Service Learning
Seaside, Ca (Jan 2022 - May 2022)
Native habitat restoration, community education on native species