Our Team

Muhammed Murtaza, MBBS PhD

Director

Dr. Murtaza earned a Bachelor of Medicine and Bachelor of Surgery (equivalent to U.S. MD) at Aga Khan University Medical College in Karachi, Pakistan, and a PhD in Medical Science from the Cancer Research UK Cambridge Institute at the University of Cambridge. He was previously Assistant Professor of Medicine at Mayo Clinic in Scottsdale, Arizona, and faculty member and co-director of the Center for Noninvasive Diagnostics in the Translational Genomics Research Institute in Phoenix.

His research interests include improving access to cutting-edge technology in cancer diagnostics (liquid biopsies) for patients in lower-income settings.

The Murtaza Lab is interested in furthering research around circulating and cell-free tumor DNA and RNA. More specifically how it can provide insights Into the tumor’s genome thus providing improvements to cancer care.

Jacalyn McHugh, MSc

Assistant Director

Jackie joined the UW Center for Human Genomics and Precision Medicine as Assistant Director on October 1, 2018. Jackie provides administrative and strategic leadership, programmatic and operational support, and oversee the effective management of the multiple and complex fiscal and human resources needed to fulfill the educational, research, and clinical missions.  She will accomplish this through building partnerships with our internal and external colleagues.

Prior to joining the Center, Jackie served as the Research Operations Manager for the Regenerative Medicine Institute at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center in Los Angeles, CA.  There she played an integral role in establishing the research operation infrastructure and managed the grant portfolio for the Institute.  She has conducted research as part of a team using stem cells to elucidate the mechanisms of Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis and to investigate potential treatments for the disease.

This work developed her passion for translating research to treatments and her appreciation for the operational infrastructure needed to support researchers to do their best work.