FACULTY BIOGRAPHIES
Dr. Nady El Hajj (PhD)
- Emailnelhajj@hbku.edu.qa
- Phone+974 44548041
- Office locationB142, LAS Building
Biography
Dr. Nady El Hajj graduated in biology from the American University of Beirut in 2007 and received his PhD from the Institute of Human Genetics at the University of Würzburg in 2011. His dissertation work investigated the epigenetic risks of assisted reproductive technologies and infertility on germ cells and embryos. During his postdoctoral training at the lab of Thomas Haaf, he focused on identifying whether maternal gestational diabetes during pregnancy causes epigenetic alterations in the developing fetus. In addition, he was involved in studying paternal age effects on germ cells and the offspring of older fathers from an epigenetic perspective. In 2017, he joined Baylor College of Medicine on a fellowship supported by the German research foundation where he performed bioinformatics analysis on whole genome bisulfite sequencing data to understand interindividual DNA methylation variation in humans. His research is published in > 40 peer-reviewed articles and has been cited more than 1100 times.
Research Interests
Epigenetic information in form of histone modifications and DNA methylation has an important role in regulating gene expression. Such epigenetic changes are maintained in daughter cells after mitotic cell division. It is well known that the epigenome is highly plastic, particularly during early development and susceptible to internal genetic signals and to external environmental cues. Studies in monozygotic twins have revealed increase in DNA methylation variation during aging, which may contribute to their phenotypic discordance. A subset of sites in the genome is susceptible to age-related DNA methylation changes in somatic tissues and, to some extent, even in germ cells. The accumulation of stochastic and environmentally induced epigenetic changes over time may contribute significantly to the age-related manifestation of complex disease.
-
Study DNA methylation and expression changes in the premature aging disorder Werner Syndrome
-
Determine the effect of paternal aging on epimutations and de novo mutations in germ cells, and how they might contribute to increased disease risk in offspring of older fathers
-
Establishing single nucleus RNA-seq and DNA methylation methodologies to determine the effect of aging on gene expression and DNA methylation within myotube nuclei
Experience
Research Associate
Department of Pediatrics; Baylor College of Medicine, United States
2017 - 2018Postdoctoral Research Scientist
Institute of Human Genetics; University of Würzburg, Germany
2011 - 2017
Education
Ph.D.
University of Würzburg; Würzburg/Germany
2011M.Sc.
American University of Beirut; Beirut/Lebanon
2007
Selected Publications
-
Epigenetic dysregulation of protocadherins in human disease
Seminars in Cell and Developmental Biology; 2017 Sep; 69:172-182
El Hajj N, Dittrich M, Haaf T
2017 -
DNA methylation signatures in cord blood of ICSI children
Human Reproduction; 2017 Aug 1;32(8):1761-1769
El Hajj N, Haertle L, Dittrich M, Denk S, Lehnen H, Hahn T, Schorsch M, Haaf T
2017 -
Paternal age effects on sperm FOXK1 and KCNA7 methylation and transmission into the next generation
Human Molecular Genetics; 2016 Nov 15;25(22):4996-5005
Atsem S, Reichenbach J, Potabattula R, Dittrich M, Nava C, Depienne C, Böhm L, Rost S, Hahn T, Schorsch M, Haaf T, El Hajj N.
2016 -
Epigenetic dysregulation in the developing Down syndrome cortex
Epigenetics; 2016 Aug 2;11(8):563-78
El Hajj N, Dittrich M, Böck J, Kraus TF, Nanda I, Müller T, Seidmann L, Tralau T, Galetzka D, Schneider E, Haaf T
2016 -
Epigenetics and life-long consequences of an adverse nutritional and diabetic intrauterine environment
Reproduction; 2014 Dec;148(6):R111-20
El Hajj N, Schneider E, Lehnen H, Haaf T.
2014 -
De novo mutations in HCN1 cause early infantile epileptic encephalopathy
Nature Genetics; 2014 Jun;46(6):640-5
Nava C, Dalle C, Rastetter A, Striano P, de Kovel CG, Nabbout R, Cancès C, Ville D, Brilstra EH, Gobbi G, Raffo E, Bouteiller D, Marie Y, Trouillard O, Robbiano A, Keren B, Agher D, Roze E, Lesage S, Nicolas A, Brice A, Baulac M, Vogt C, El Hajj N, Schneider E, Suls A, Weckhuysen S, Gormley P, Lehesjoki AE, De Jonghe P, Helbig I, Baulac S, Zara F, Koeleman BP; EuroEPINOMICS RES Consortium, Haaf T, LeGuern E, Depienne C
2014 -
Metabolic programming of MEST DNA methylation by intrauterine exposure to gestational diabetes mellitus
Diabetes; 2013 Apr;62(4):1320-8
El Hajj N, Pliushch G, Schneider E, Dittrich M, Müller T, Korenkov M, Aretz M, Zechner U, Lehnen H, Haaf T
2013 -
Limiting dilution bisulfite (pyro)sequencing reveals parent-specific methylation patterns in single early mouse embryos and bovine oocytes
Epigenetics; 2011 Oct 1;6(10):1176-88
El Hajj N, Trapphoff T, Linke M, May A, Hansmann T, Kuhtz J, Reifenberg K, Heinzmann J, Niemann H, Daser A, Eichenlaub-Ritter U, Zechner U, Haaf T
2011 -
Spatial, temporal and interindividual epigenetic variation of functionally important DNA methylation patterns
Nucleic Acids Res; 2010 Jul;38(12):3880-90
Schneider E, Pliushch G, El Hajj N, Galetzka D, Puhl A, Schorsch M, Frauenknecht K, Riepert T, Tresch A, Müller AM, Coerdt W, Zechner U, Haaf T
2010
MYHBKU LOGIN