Bio

My research in genetics is focused primarily on inherited human diseases but I have also used mouse models for studies of orofacial clefts and neuropathic pain. I am currently Principal Investigator on a large study of the severe orofacial pain condition Trigeminal Neuralgia involving Whole Genome Sequencing (WGS) of 100 patients. Statistical genetic analyses require high performance computing with advanced AI algorithms and other bioinformatics tools. The goal is to identify rare, causative variants hidden within the mountain of “Big Data” that WGS studies provide.

Education

BS, State University of New York, Stony Brook (SUNY)

PhD, University of Texas, Austin

Postdoctoral Fellowship University of Massachusetts, Amherst

Research Associate University of Michigan, Ann Arbor

Research Interests

  1. Trigeminal Neuralgia and other forms of neuropathic pain
  2. Aggressive and Chronic Periodontitis
  3. Dental Caries, including studies of the Microbiome
  4. Oral and Pharyngeal Cancer and Nasopharyngeal Carcinoma
  5. Non-syndromic Cleft Lip and Palate
  6. Health effects of Air Pollution

Publications

  1. Fine DH, Armitage GC, Genco RJ, Griffen AL, Diehl SR. Unique etiologic, demographic, and pathologic characteristics of localized aggressive periodontitis support classification as a distinct subcategory of periodontitis. J Am Dent Assoc. 150:922-931, 2019.
  2. Yu G, Hsu WL, Coghill AE, Yu KJ, Wang CP, Lou PJ, Liu Z, Jones K, Vogt A, Wang M, Mbulaiteye SM, Chen HH, Boland J, Yeager M, Diehl SR, Chen CJ, Hildesheim A, Goldstein AM. Whole-Exome Sequencing of Nasopharyngeal Carcinoma Families Reveals Novel Variants Potentially Involved in Nasopharyngeal Carcinoma. Sci Rep 9:9916, 2019.
  3. Diehl SR, Erickson RP Genome scan for teratogen-induced clefting susceptibility loci in the mouse: Evidence of both allelic and locus heterogeneity distinguishing cleft lip and cleft palate. Proc Natl Acad Sci USA 94:5231-5236, 1997.
  4. Seltzer Z, Wu T, Max M, Diehl SR. Mapping a gene for neuropathic pain-related behavior following peripheral neurectomy in the mouse. Pain 93:101-106, 2001.\
  5. Pfeiffer RM, Hildesheim A, Gail MH, Pee D, Chen CJ, Goldstein AM, Diehl SR. Robustness of inference on measured covariates to misspecification of genetic random effects in family studies. Genet Epidemiol 24:14-23, 2003.
  6. Coghill AE, Hsu WL, Yang Q, Wang CP, Lou PJ, Yu KJ, Yu G, Diehl SR, Chen CJ, Goldstein AM, Hildesheim A. Elevated antibodies against Epstein-Barr virus among individuals predicted to carry nasopharyngeal carcinoma susceptibility variants. J Gen Virol. 99:1268-1273, 2018.
  7. Young A, Viswanath A, Kalladka M, Khan J, Eliav E, Diehl SR. Mouse model demonstrates strain differences in susceptibility to opioid side effects. Neurosci Lett. 675:110-115, 2018.
  8. Nasri-Heir C, Khan J, Benoliel R, Feng C, Yarnitsky D, Kuo F, Hirschberg C, Hartwell G, Huang CY, Heir G, Korczeniewska O, Diehl SR, Eliav E. Altered pain modulation in patients with persistent postendodontic pain. Pain 156: 2032-2041, 2015.
  9. Yu KJ, Hsu WL, Chiang CJ, Cheng YJ, Pfeiffer RM, Diehl SR, Goldstein AM, Gravitt PE, Chen CJ, Hildesheim A. Cancer patterns in nasopharyngeal carcinoma multiplex families in Taiwan. Int J Cancer.124:1622-1625, 2009.
  10. Hsu WL, Yu KJ, Chien YC, Chiang CJ, Cheng YJ, Chen JY, Liu MY, Chou SP, You SL, Hsu MM, Lou PJ, Wang CP, Hong JH, Leu YS, Tsai MH, Su MC, Tsai ST, Chao WY, Ger LP, Chen PR, Yang CS, Hildesheim A, Diehl SR, Chen CJ. Familial tendency and risk of nasopharyngeal carcinoma in Taiwan: effects of covariates on risk. Am J Epidemiol. 173:292-299, 2011.
  11. Yu KJ, Hsu WL, Pfeiffer RM, Chiang CJ, Wang CP, Lou PJ, Cheng YJ, Gravitt P, Diehl SR, Goldstein AM, Chen CJ, Hildesheim A. Prognostic utility of anti-EBV antibody testing for defining NPC risk among individuals from high-risk NPC families. Clin Cancer Res. 17:1906-1914, 2011.
  12. Diehl SR, Chih-Hung C, Kuo F and Huang C-Y. Genetic Factors and Periodontal Disease. In: M.G. Newman et al. ed. Carranza’s Clinical Periodontology, 11th Edition. Saunders (Elsevier), Philadelphia, 2012.
  13. Association between changes in air pollution levels during the Beijing Olympics and biomarkers of inflammation and thrombosis in healthy young adults. Rich DQ, Kipen HM, Huang W, Wang G, Wang Y, Zhu P, Ohman-Strickland P, Hu M, Philipp C, Diehl SR, Lu SE, Tong J, Gong J, Thomas D, Zhu T, Zhang JJ. JAMA. 307:2068-2078, 2012.
  14. Diehl SR, Kuo F, Hart TC. Interleukin 1 genetic tests provide no support for reduction of preventive dental care. J Am Dent Assoc 146:164-173, 2015.
  15. Zavras AI, Wu T, Laskaris G, Wang YF, Cartsos V, Segas J, Lefantzis D, Joshipura K, Douglass CW, Diehl SR. Interaction between a single nucleotide polymorphism in the alcohol dehydrogenase 3 gene, alcohol consumption and oral cancer risk. Int J Cancer. 2002; 97:526-30