Alaa Koleilat, Ph.D., FACMG

Director, Cytogenetics Laboratory, Knight Diagnostic Laboratories

Director, Molecular Diagnostics, Knight Diagnostic Laboratories

Oregon Health & Science University

Biographical Sketch

Dr. Koleilat attended the University of California, Los Angeles and obtained a Bachelor of Science in Biology. She completed a Master of Science in Biological Sciences at the University of Minnesota, Twin Cities. She received her Ph.D. in Biomedical Sciences from Mayo Clinic with a concentration in clinical and translational science. The primary focus of her doctoral research included an interdisciplinary approach to genetic hearing loss and hearing loss screening technologies. Her interest in human genetics and specifically diagnostics led her to complete training in the Laboratory Genetics and Genomics fellowship program through the American Board of Medical Genetics and Genomics at Mayo Clinic.

Dr. Koleilat is a driven scientist and laboratorian committed to research and contributing to the scientific community, dedicated to educating the next generation of leaders in science and medicine, and passionate about answering the complex diagnostic questions regarding the influence of genetics in human disease. Her research interests span both inherited disorders and cancer genetics and exploring ways to improve current genetic testing technologies. Lastly, Dr. Koleilat is passionate about mentorship and is engaged in initiatives to increase representation of minorities in the genetics workforce.

CONTACT INFO
koleilat@ohsu.edu

SELECTED PUBLICATIONS

1. Koleilat A, Kumar V, AlHmada Y, Milosevic D, Zheng G, Lopes MB, Ida CM. Concurrent TERT promoter C228T and C250T mutations in diffuse gliomas: Rare occurrence of intratumoral heterogeneity. J Neuropathol Exp Neurol. 2023 Oct 9. 
2. Koleilat A, Poling GL, Schimmenti LA, Hasadsri L. The importance of mitochondrial disease testing in young adults with new onset sensorineural hearing loss. Ear and Hearing. In Press.
3. Choate LA*, Koleilat A*, Harris K, et al. Confirmation of Insertion, Deletion, and Deletion-Insertion Variants Detected by Next-Generation Sequencing. Clinical chemistry. 2023 Aug 11. *co-first authors
4. Koleilat A*. Tang H*. et al. Disparity in the detection of chromosome 15 centromere in patients of African ancestry with a plasma cell neoplasm. Genetics in Medicine Open. 2023 May 2023.
5. Koleilat A, Smadbeck JB, Zepeda C, Williamson CM, Pitel BA, Golden CL, Xu X, Greipp PT, Ketterling RP, Hoppman NL, Peterson JF, Harrison CJ, Akkari YMN, Tsuchiya KD, Shago M, Baughn LB. Characterization of Unusual iAMP21 B-lymphoblastic leukemia (iAMP21-ALL) from the Mayo Clinic and Children's Oncology Group. Genes Chromosomes Cancer. 2022 Jun 30.
6. Koleilat A, McGarrah PW, Olteanu H, Van Dyke DL, Smadbeck JB, Johnson SH, Vasmatzis G, Hoppman NL, Xu X, Ketterling RP, Greipp PT, Baughn LB, Patnaik MS, Peterson JF. Utilizing next-generation sequencing to characterize a case of acute myeloid leukemia with t(4;12)(q12;p13) in the absence of ETV6/CHIC2 and ETV6/PDGFRA gene fusions. Cancer Genet. 2022 Jan;260-261:1-5.
7. Beurg M, Schimmenti LA, Koleilat A, Amr SS, Oza A, Barlow AJ, Ballesteros A, Fettiplace R. New Tmc1 Deafness Mutations Impact Mechanotransduction in Auditory Hair Cells. J Neurosci. 2021 May 19;41(20):4378-4391.
8.  Koleilat A, Dugdale JA, Christenson TA, Bellah JL, Lambert AM, Masino MA, Ekker SC, Schimmenti LA. L-type voltage-gated calcium channel agonists mitigate hearing loss and modify ribbon synapse morphology in the zebrafish model of Usher syndrome type 1. Dis Model Mech. 2020 Nov 27;13(11):dmm043885.
9.  Koleilat A, Argue DP, Schimmenti LA, Ekker SC, Poling GL. The GoAudio Quantitative Mobile Audiology Test Enhances Access to Clinical Hearing Assessments. Am J Audiol. 2020 Dec 9;29(4):887-897
10. Koleilat A, Driscoll CLW, Schimmenti LA, Poling GL. Emerging Therapies and Approaches to Treat and Prevent Hearing Loss. Perspectives SIG 6 Hearing and Hearing Disorders: Research and Diagnostics. 2020 Oct 23.
11.  Koleilat A, Schimmenti LA, Poling GL. Current approaches to the management of Usher Syndrome for the clinician. Perspectives: SIG 6 Hearing and Hearing Disorders: Research and Diagnostics. 2020 June 17. 
12.  Lee HB, Schwab TL, Koleilat A, Ata H, Daby CL, Cervera RL, McNulty MS, Bostwick HS, Clark KJ. Allele-Specific Quantitative PCR for Accurate, Rapid, and Cost-Effective Genotyping. Hum Gene Ther. 2016 Jun;27(6):425-35.