Author

Druha Karunakaran

New York University

Listed by name: these papers carry no ORCID for this author, so different people with the same name may be mixed together.

Biology Disciplines

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Genetics· 2 Genetic & Genomic Medicine· 1 Neuroscience· 1

Signature Assays, Organisms & Methods

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Organism:human· 4 Approach:statistical model· 3 Research Focus:gene regulatory network inference· 2 Assay:ATAC-seq· 1 Assay:bulk RNA-seq· 1 Assay:CUT&Tag· 1 Research Focus:differential expression· 1 Assay:DNA methylation· 1

Frequent Co-Authors

Evan E. EichleriD· 3 shared Kelsey M. HennickiD· 3 shared Rebecca Meyer‐SchumaniD· 3 shared Tianyun WangiD· 3 shared Yang SuiiD· 3 shared Aravinda ChakravartiiD· 2 shared Fisher R. CherryiD· 2 shared Hanna Berk-RauchiD· 2 shared

Activity by Year

2021-2026 · peak 2/yr

Co-Author Collaboration Network

10 top collaborators · 42 mutual co-author links

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3 shared papersGenetics

Evan E. EichlerORCID

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Author profile →

4 papers

Recent·Most cited

A massively parallel reporter assay of MECP2 cis-regulatory elements reveals genetic candidates for male-biased autism

Rebecca Meyer‐Schuman, Fisher R. Cherry, Yang Sui, Athanasios Papastathopoulos-Katsaros, Yi Zhong, Yidan Li, Tianyun Wang, Kelsey M. Hennick, Druha Karunakaran, Hanna Berk-Rauch, Zhandong Liu, Aravinda Chakravarti, Tomasz Nowakowski, Evan E. Eichler, Huda Yahya Zoghbi

The paper identifies noncoding MECP2 variants that cause male-biased autism by disrupting CRE activity and reducing MECP2 expression.

The American Journal of Human Genetics · Oct 1, 2026Peer-reviewedGenetics

Pangenome discovery of missing autism variants

Yang Sui, Jiadong Lin, Michelle D. Noyes, Youngjun Kwon, Isaac Wong, Nidhi Koundinya, William T. Harvey, Mei Wu, Kendra Hoekzema, Katherine M. Munson, Gage H. Garcia, Jordan Knuth, Julie Wertz, Tianyun Wang, Kelsey M. Hennick, , Glenn Hickey

The paper uses long-read sequencing to identify pathogenic variants in autism cases, finding three pathogenic mutations and nine candidate structural variants missed by short-read sequencing.

Nature Communications · Jan 23, 2026Peer-reviewedGenetic & Genomic Medicine

Sex differences in the developing human cortex intersect with genetic risk of neurodevelopmental disorders

Kelsey M. Hennick, Yang Sui, Druha Karunakaran, Ally A. Nicolella, Rachel Leonard, Rebecca Meyer‐Schuman, Hanna Berk-Rauch, Tianyun Wang, Aravinda Chakravarti, Huda Yahya Zoghbi, Evan E. Eichler, Tomasz Jan Nowakowski

The paper identifies sex-biased molecular vulnerabilities in the developing human cortex linked to neurodevelopmental disorders by integrating transcriptomic and epigenomic data with mutation analysis.

bioRxiv · Sep 4, 2025 · PreprintNeuroscience

The clinical and functional effects of TERT variants in myelodysplastic syndrome

Christopher R. Reilly, Mikko Myllymäki, Robert Allyn Redd, Shilpa Padmanaban, Druha Karunakaran, Valerie M. Tesmer, Frederick D. Tsai, Christopher James Gibson, Huma Q. Rana, Liang Zhong, Wael Saber, Stephen R. Spellman, Zhen‐Huan Hu, Esther H. Orr, Maxine M. Chen, , Robert Coleman Lindsley

The paper identifies TERT rare variants in MDS patients, showing shorter telomeres, younger age at diagnosis, and worse survival, suggesting their role in MDS pathogenesis and transplant outcomes.

Blood · May 21, 2021Peer-reviewedGenetics