Yasminka A. Jakubek, PhD

Yasminka A. Jakubek, PhD

University of Kentucky

Assistant Professor, Internal Medicine & Division of Biomedical Informatics

Expertise: Cancer GenomicsCancer Genomicscopy number alterationscopy number alterationsEpidemiologyEpidemiology

Dr. Yasminka Jakubek is an assistant professor in the Division of Biomedical Informatics at the University of Kentucky and an associate member of the UK Markey Cancer Center. 


She has led and contributed to several genomic studies of tumors, pre-malignant lesions, and genetic mosaicism in pathologically normal samples. Her work includes methods developments for the study of intra-tumor heterogeneity and copy number changes. Dr. Jakubek’s research program aims to advance our understanding of the earliest stages in disease development by studying somatic mutations and clonal dynamics across tissue types.


Dr. Jakubek obtained her B.A. from Cornell University in Ithaca, NY, and her Ph.D. from Emory University in Atlanta, GA. She completed her postdoctoral training at MD Anderson Cancer Center in Houston, TX

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Markey Cancer Center study provides valuable insights into drivers of cancer risk

As people age, the DNA in their cells begins to accumulate genetic mutations. Mosaic chromosomal alterations (mCAs), a category of mutations acquired in blood cells, are linked with a 10-fold increased risk of developing blood cancer.  mCAs hold promise as a tool to identify people at high risk of developing certain cancers and diseases, but they have not yet been studied among a large, diverse cohort of people – a critical step required before such testing can be developed. University of Kentucky Markey Cancer Center researcher Yasminka A. Jakubek, Ph.D., has led the first large-scale effort to understand the co-occurrence of mCAs among individuals of diverse ancestries. The study was published in Nature Genetics Oct. 30.
01-Nov-2023 10:05:59 AM EDT

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