91ÖÆƬ³§

BIOMED PhD Research Proposal 

Title: 
A Graph Learning Framework To Identify Shared Genetic Drivers of Congenital Heart Defects (CHD) and Neuroblastoma

Speaker:
Benjamin Stear, PhD Candidate
School of Biomedical Engineering, Science and Health Systems
91ÖÆƬ³§

Advisors:
Deanne Taylor, PhD
Research Associate Professor of Pediatrics
Department of Biomedical and Health Informatics
Perelman School of Medicine
University of Pennsylvania 
Director, Bioinformatics Group
Children's Hospital of Philadelphia (CHOP)

Ahmet Sacan, PhD
Teaching Professor
School of Biomedical Engineering, Science and Health Systems
91ÖÆƬ³§ 

Details:
Congenital heart defects (CHDs) and neuroblastoma (NBL) are major contributors to pediatric morbidity and mortality, yet their genetic etiologies remain poorly understood. Converging evidence suggests a shared developmental origin rooted in neural crest biology, in which perturbations to early cell fate decisions and regulatory programs may give rise to both structural birth defects and pediatric malignancy. However, conventional approaches such as single-trait genome-wide association studies are limited in their ability to capture the complex, pleiotropic, and network-driven nature of these diseases.

This work develops an integrative framework to identify and characterize shared genetic mechanisms underlying CHD and NBL by combining whole-genome sequencing data with biological interaction networks and single-cell transcriptomic trajectories. Graph neural networks are used to prioritize disease-associated variants and genes within an interactome context, while network propagation and enrichment analyses map genetic burden onto neural crest gene regulatory networks to identify functionally relevant modules. To resolve temporal and cell state–specific effects, single-cell trajectory data are incorporated into a state-resolved graph, enabling the application of temporal graph attention models to infer how genetic perturbations influence developmental progression.

Together, this approach provides a systems-level view of pleiotropy by linking genetic variation to dynamic regulatory processes across development. The results are expected to uncover previously unrecognized disease-associated genes, identify critical developmental windows of vulnerability, and provide mechanistic insight into how disruptions in neural crest development give rise to divergent pediatric phenotypes. This framework offers a generalizable strategy for studying complex developmental diseases and advancing precision medicine in pediatric populations.

Pearlstein Gallery is pleased to present two concurrent exhibitions in Spring 2026, with artists selected from our 2025-26 Call for Entries.  

Conflagrations, a group show featuring recent works by Viola Bordon, Evan Curtis Charles Hall, Narendra Haynes, and Emmanuela Soria Ruiz, investigates fire as force, event, and aftermath.  Moving between active burn and residual trace, the artists ask how we might respond to fire's capacity to clear, consume, reveal, and reorder. As fire increasingly shapes our ecological context, these works reflect on how fire constructs and destroys in the same gesture, reshaping ecologies, infrastructures, and collective memory. What burns. What survives. What returns.  


Gallery Hours:
Tuesday - Friday 12 p.m. - 6 p.m.
Saturday 12 p.m. - 5 p.m.


About Pearlstein Gallery: 

The Leonard Pearlstein Gallery is an inclusive gallery space that welcomes the public to experience free exhibitions of contemporary art and design. Located on 91ÖÆƬ³§’s campus, the Pearlstein Gallery is committed to cultivating engagement with emerging artists, Drexel’s faculty and student populations, and community partners in the nearby neighborhoods of Powelton Village and Mantua. Since its creation in 2012, the Gallery has fostered innovation and collaboration, developing strong relationships within Philadelphia’s arts and culture sector.  

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Each year, the College of Arts and Sciences' entire community comes together for Research Day. Join faculty, students, and staff for a celebration of exploration across the humanities, natural sciences, and social sciences.

This campus gathering pays tribute to those who have lost their lives in service as we prepare for the nation’s observance of Memorial Day.  This year’s event, Philadelphia’s Unforgettable Edison 64, honors the legacy of the 64 Edison High School students who lost their lives in Vietnam from 1965 to 1971 - earning Edison the somber distinction of being the public school with the largest number of students lost to the war at the time. Excerpts from Richard Sand’s book Edison 64, will be shared along with remarks from community leaders, Veterans, service members, and content from the documentary film produced by American Veterans Media.