Welcome to Dr. Sant’s Lab
Our work combines clinical care, laboratory method development, and data science to better understand biomarkers, improve DNA collection methods, and ultimately support more personalized care. Students and collaborators are welcome to join at multiple levels: clinical, wet-lab, and computational.
Dr. David Sant
Biomonitoring & Biomarker Project
A collaborative effort with the Bills Lab and Monovo (a local biomonitoring device company), this project clusters individuals by biological features to discover biomarkers that distinguish those groups.
We collect continuous biometric data using Monovo devices, continuous glucose monitors, and sleep trackers. When feasible, we also collect blood and other biological samples to measure markers such as cholesterol, triglycerides, and epigenetic indicators.
Student roles:
- Clinical: patient intake, device setup, and participant follow-up.
- Wet lab: sample processing and basic assays.
- Computational: data cleaning, clustering, and biomarker discovery.
Why it matters: Better biomarker identification can improve early detection, risk stratification, and personalized treatment plans across many specialties.
Related specialties: Primarily primary care, but findings are relevant across medical fields.
DNA Extraction Project
This methods-focused project develops protocols to reliably extract high-quality DNA from a variety of tissues. Two long-term goals guide the work:
- Create an extraction protocol suitable for remote collection to enable pharmacogenomic sequencing.
- Optimize tissue extraction for epigenetic analyses relevant to diabetes research.
Student roles:
- Lab techniques: DNA extraction, agarose gel electrophoresis, long-range PCR, and qPCR.
- Optional advanced work: mass spectrometry and bioinformatic analysis (based on interest).
Why it matters: Robust, scalable DNA collection methods expand who can participate in genomic research and improve the quality of downstream sequencing and epigenetic studies.
Related specialties: Applicable to all specialties; presentations and focus can be tailored to your area of interest.
