Author

Mei-Lin Okino

University of California San Diego

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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Genomics· 7 Genetics· 3 Systems Biology· 1

Signature Assays, Organisms & Methods

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Organism:human· 11 Research Focus:gene regulatory network inference· 8 Approach:statistical model· 8 Research Focus:fine-mapping· 5 Assay:scATAC-seq· 5 Research Focus:differential expression· 4 Research Focus:GWAS / association mapping· 4 Assay:ATAC-seq· 3

Frequent Co-Authors

Kyle J. GaultoniD· 11 shared Joshua ChiouiD· 8 shared Maike SanderiD· 6 shared Paola Benaglio· 6 shared Anthony AylwardiD· 5 shared Jee Yun HaniD· 5 shared Michael MilleriD· 5 shared David U. GorkiniD· 4 shared

Activity by Year

2018-2026 · peak 3/yr

Co-Author Collaboration Network

10 top collaborators · 45 mutual co-author links

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11 shared papersGenomics

Kyle J. GaultonORCID

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11 papers

Recent·Most cited

Functional genomics reveals mediators of beta cell survival in ER stress and type 2 diabetes risk

Mei-Lin Okino, Han Zhu, Sierra Corban, Paola Benaglio, Jovina Djulamsah, Bailey OMahony, Kennedy VanderStel, Ruth M. Elgamal, Michael Miller, Allen Wang, Maike Sander, Kyle J. Gaulton

The paper identifies gene regulators of ER stress in beta cells and links them to type 2 diabetes risk through functional genomics and CRISPR screening.

bioRxiv · Apr 2, 2026 · PreprintGenomics

Comprehensive molecular impact mapping of common and rare variants at GWAS loci

Brad Balderson, Sanjana Tule, Mei-Lin Okino, William JF Rieger, Sierra Corban, Jeff Jaureguy, Nathan J. Palpant, Kyle J. Gaulton, Loïc Yengo, Mikael Bodén A, Graham McVicker

DNACipher predicts variant effects across cell types and assays, identifying imVars at most GWAS loci with support from experimental data.

bioRxiv · Jun 5, 2025 · PreprintGenetics

An integrated map of cell type-specific gene expression in pancreatic islets

Ruth M. Elgamal, Parul Kudtarkar, Rebecca L. Melton, Hannah M Mummey, Paola Benaglio, Mei-Lin Okino, Kyle J. Gaulton

The paper creates an integrated gene expression map of pancreatic islet cell types from healthy and diabetic donors, identifying marker genes and differential expression patterns.

Diabetes · Aug 15, 2023Peer-reviewedGenomics

Integration of single-cell multiomic measurements across disease states with genetics identifies mechanisms of beta cell dysfunction in type 2 diabetes

Gaowei Wang, Joshua Chiou, Chun Zeng, Michael Miller, Ileana Matta, Jee Yun Han, Nikita Kadakia, Mei-Lin Okino, Elisha Beebe, Medhavi Mallick, Joan Camuñas-Soler, Theodore dos Santos, Xiao-Qing Dai, Cara E. Ellis, Yan Hang, , Maike Sander

The paper integrates single-cell multiomic data with genetics to identify gene regulatory changes in beta cells associated with type 2 diabetes.

bioRxiv · Dec 31, 2022 · PreprintSystems Biology

Type 1 diabetes risk genes mediate pancreatic beta cell survival in response to proinflammatory cytokines

Paola Benaglio, Han Zhu, Mei-Lin Okino, Jian Yan, Ruth M. Elgamal, Naoki Nariai, Elisha Beebe, Katha Korgaonkar, Yunjiang Qiu, Margaret K. R. Donovan, Joshua Chiou, Gaowei Wang, Jacklyn M. Newsome, Jaspreet Kaur, Michael Miller, , Kyle J. Gaulton

The paper identifies T1D risk genes and regulatory elements that influence beta cell survival under proinflammatory cytokine exposure using functional genomics and genetics.

Cell Genomics · Nov 11, 2022Peer-reviewedGenomics

Large-scale genetic association and single cell accessible chromatin mapping defines cell type-specific mechanisms of type 1 diabetes risk

Joshua Chiou, Ryan J. Geusz, Mei-Lin Okino, Jee Yun Han, Michael Miller, Rebecca L. Melton, Elisha Beebe, Paola Benaglio, Serina Huang, Katha Korgaonkar, Sandra Heller, Alexander Kleger, Sebastian Preißl, David U. Gorkin, Maike Sander, Kyle J. Gaulton

This study combines large-scale GWAS and single-cell epigenomics to identify cell type-specific mechanisms of type 1 diabetes risk.

Nature · May 19, 2021Peer-reviewedGenetics

Glucocorticoid signaling in pancreatic islets modulates gene regulatory programs and genetic risk of type 2 diabetes

Anthony Aylward, Mei-Lin Okino, Paola Benaglio, Joshua Chiou, Elisha Beebe, Jose Andres Padilla, Sharlene Diep, Kyle J. Gaulton

This study identifies glucocorticoid-responsive gene regulatory programs in pancreatic islets and links them to type 2 diabetes risk through chromatin and gene expression analysis.

PLoS Genetics · May 13, 2021Peer-reviewedGenomics

Single cell chromatin accessibility reveals pancreatic islet cell type- and state-specific regulatory programs of diabetes risk

Joshua Chiou, Chun Zeng, Cheng Zhang, Jee Yun Han, Michael Schlichting, Michael Miller, Robert Mendez, Serina Huang, Jinzhao Wang, Yinghui Sui, Allison Deogaygay, Mei-Lin Okino, Yunjiang Qiu, Ying Sun, Parul Kudtarkar, , Kyle J. Gaulton

The paper uses single-cell chromatin accessibility to identify cell type- and state-specific regulatory programs associated with type 2 diabetes risk.

Nature Genetics · Apr 1, 2021Peer-reviewedGenomics

Mapping genetic effects on cell type-specific chromatin accessibility and annotating complex trait variants using single nucleus ATAC-seq

Paola Benaglio, Jacklyn M. Newsome, Jee Yun Han, Joshua Chiou, Anthony Aylward, Sierra Corban, Mei-Lin Okino, Jaspreet Kaur, David U. Gorkin, Kyle J. Gaulton

The paper uses snATAC-seq to map chromatin accessibility QTLs in immune cell types and fine-maps complex trait loci, identifying cell type-specific causal variants.

bioRxiv · Dec 3, 2020 · PreprintGenomics

Pancreatic islet chromatin accessibility and conformation defines distal enhancer networks of type 2 diabetes risk

William W. Young Greenwald, Joshua Chiou, Jian Yan, Yunjiang Qiu, Ning Dai, Allen Wang, Naoki Nariai, Anthony Aylward, Jee Yun Han, Nikita Kadakia, Laura Regué, Mei-Lin Okino, Frauke Drees, Dana Krämer, Nicholas K. Vinckier, , Kyle J. Gaulton

The paper identifies distal enhancer networks in pancreatic islets associated with type 2 diabetes risk by integrating chromatin accessibility, conformation, and genetic data.

Nature Communications · May 7, 2019Peer-reviewedGenomics

Shared genetic contribution to type 1 and type 2 diabetes risk

Anthony Aylward, Joshua Chiou, Mei-Lin Okino, Nikita Kadakia, Kyle J. Gaulton

This study identifies shared genetic risk factors between type 1 and type 2 diabetes, showing overlapping regulatory elements and causal variants affecting islet function and growth.

bioRxiv · May 7, 2018 · PreprintGenetics