Monkol Lek, PhD
Associate Professor Term of GeneticsDownloadHi-Res Photo
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Genetics
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Associate Professor Term of Genetics
Biography
Monkol received an undergraduate degree in Engineering (Computer Engineering) in 2000 at the University of New South Wales (UNSW) and then worked for IBM for 3.5 years. He returned to UNSW and completed undergraduate degrees in Science (Physiology) and Engineering (Bioinformatics) and received the University Medal in 2007. He completed his PhD (Medicine) at the University of Sydney in 2012 with the thesis topic: Functional differences between alpha-actinin-2 and alpha-actinin-3. Monkol did his post-doctoral training in Daniel MacArthur’s lab based at Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical School and the Broad Institute.
He was the lead author/analyst for the Exome Aggregation Consortium (ExAC) project that was published in Nature 2016. He went on to lead the NIH funded Broad Center for Mendelian Genomics (CMG) analysis team. As lead analyst, he oversaw the analysis strategy for all major CMG collaborations and organized monthly meetings to foster sharing of new methods and analysis amongst the rare disease community. He also coordinated the data processing and preliminary analysis of NIH Gabriella Miller Kids First (GMKF) cohorts sequenced or reprocessed at the Broad Institute.
Monkol has a strong passion for rare muscle disease research as a patient with Limb Girdle Muscular dystrophy (LGMD2G). During his time in the Broad Institute, he lead the exome/genome analysis of MYOSEQ (European cohort of >1000 LGMD patients) and SeqNMD (an international consortium of undiagnosed rare muscle diseases) which has resulted in novel disease gene discovery.
Last Updated on May 07, 2025.
Appointments
Genetics
Associate Professor on TermPrimary
Other Departments & Organizations
- Computational Biology and Biomedical Informatics
- Genetics
- Human Genome Sciences
- Janeway Society
- Molecular Cell Biology, Genetics and Development
- Yale Center for Genomic Health
- Yale Combined Program in the Biological and Biomedical Sciences (BBS)
- Yale-BI Biomedical Data Science Fellowship
Education & Training
- Senior Research Fellow
- Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard (2017)
- Post-doctoral Fellow
- Harvard Medical School (2016)
- PhD
- University of Sydney, Medicine (2012)
- BSc
- University of New South Wales, Physiology (2007)
- BE
- University of New South Wales, Bioinformatics (2007)
- BE
- University of New South Wales, Computer Engineering (2001)
Research
Overview
Medical Research Interests
Genetics; Genetics, Medical; Genomics; Neuromuscular Diseases
ORCID
0000-0003-1227-6293- View Lab Website
Lek Lab
Research at a Glance
Yale Co-Authors
Frequent collaborators of Monkol Lek's published research.
Publications Timeline
A big-picture view of Monkol Lek's research output by year.
Research Interests
Research topics Monkol Lek is interested in exploring.
Nicole J. Lake, PhD
Justin Cohen, PhD
Shushu Huang, MD, PhD
Hongyu Zhao, PhD
Farren Isaacs, PhD
Ke Dong, MD, MS
24Publications
11,411Citations
Publications
2025
Reversible compromise of physiological resilience by accumulation of heteroplasmic mtDNA mutations
Huang H, Wang Y, Zsengeller Z, Gorham J, Vemireddy V, Clark A, Pan H, Dreyfuss J, Jotwani V, Shlipak M, Sarnak M, Parikh C, Thiessen-Philbrook H, Katz R, Waikar S, Lake N, Lek M, Shi W, Puiu D, Hong Y, Seidman J, Arking D, Parikh S. Reversible compromise of physiological resilience by accumulation of heteroplasmic mtDNA mutations. Science 2025, eadk7978. PMID: 40906782, DOI: 10.1126/science.adk7978.Peer-Reviewed Original ResearchCitationsAltmetricConceptsHeteroplasmic mtDNA mutationsMtDNA mutationsAdenylate kinase 4Purine biosynthetic enzymesMitochondrial DNA mutationsMetabolically active cellsPurine biosynthesisBiosynthetic enzymesDNA mutationsNucleotide metabolismATP generationMutationsKinase 4NucleotidePhysiological resilienceActive cellsUK Biobank participantsMtDNABiosynthesisCumulative effectBiobank participantsAdenylateMutational burdenEnzymeATPPrecision multiplexed base editing in human cells using Cas12a-derived base editors
Schweitzer A, Adams E, Nguyen M, Lek M, Isaacs F. Precision multiplexed base editing in human cells using Cas12a-derived base editors. Nature Communications 2025, 16: 5061. PMID: 40449999, PMCID: PMC12126522, DOI: 10.1038/s41467-025-59653-x.Peer-Reviewed Original ResearchAltmetricMeSH Keywords and ConceptsConceptsMultiplex base editingBase editingBase editorsBase editor variantsMammalian genome engineeringBase editing technologyGenome engineering technologiesDNA double strand breaksBase editing systemMammalian genomesDouble strand breaksMultiple lociPolygenic phenotypesHuman cell linesHuman genomeGenome engineeringTarget nucleotideEditing outcomesMutation rateMultiplex editingMultiple gRNAsHuman cellsExpression cassetteEditing technologyGenome
2024
Mitochondrial heteroplasmy improves risk prediction for myeloid neoplasms
Hong Y, Pasca S, Shi W, Puiu D, Lake N, Lek M, Ru M, Grove M, Prizment A, Joshu C, Platz E, Guallar E, Arking D, Gondek L. Mitochondrial heteroplasmy improves risk prediction for myeloid neoplasms. Nature Communications 2024, 15: 10133. PMID: 39578475, PMCID: PMC11584845, DOI: 10.1038/s41467-024-54443-3.Peer-Reviewed Original ResearchCitationsAltmetricMeSH Keywords and ConceptsConceptsClonal hematopoiesis of indeterminate potentialClonal hematopoiesisVariant allele fractionHeteroplasmic variantsIndeterminate potentialMyeloid neoplasmsHeteroplasmyMultiple mutationsAllele fractionMutationsHigh-risk groupPathogenic risk factorsMarkersRisk score modelDeleteriousnessSpliceosomeHematologic malignanciesRisk stratificationNeoplasm developmentNeoplasmsNeoplasm incidenceRisk factorsVariantsMitochondrial Heteroplasmy Is a Novel Predictor of Chronic Lymphocytic Leukemia Risk
Pasca S, Hong Y, Shi W, Puiu D, Lake N, Lek M, Guallar E, Arking D, Gondek L. Mitochondrial Heteroplasmy Is a Novel Predictor of Chronic Lymphocytic Leukemia Risk. Blood 2024, 144: 4054-4054. DOI: 10.1182/blood-2024-210250.Peer-Reviewed Original ResearchConceptsMitochondrial heteroplasmyClonal hematopoiesis of indeterminate potentialMtDNA heteroplasmyWhole-exome sequencing dataSomatic mutationsPresence of somatic mutationsExome sequencing dataCancer-associated genesClonal hematopoiesisClonal expansionVariant allele frequencyAssociated with myeloid malignanciesMtDNA variantsMitochondrial DNAPresence of mutationsSequence dataUK Biobank (UKBBiologically significant roleDeleterious mutationsHeteroplasmyChronic lymphocytic leukemia riskAllele frequenciesOncogenic transformationMitochondrial functionMyeloid genesQuantifying constraint in the human mitochondrial genome
Lake N, Ma K, Liu W, Battle S, Laricchia K, Tiao G, Puiu D, Ng K, Cohen J, Compton A, Cowie S, Christodoulou J, Thorburn D, Zhao H, Arking D, Sunyaev S, Lek M. Quantifying constraint in the human mitochondrial genome. Nature 2024, 635: 390-397. PMID: 39415008, PMCID: PMC11646341, DOI: 10.1038/s41586-024-08048-x.Peer-Reviewed Original ResearchCitationsAltmetricConceptsMitochondrial genomeDeleterious variationMtDNA mutator modelHuman mitochondrial genomeGenome Aggregation DatabaseMtDNA variationMtDNA variantsMitochondrial DNANoncoding regionsMitochondrial proteinsRRNA geneGenetic variationMtDNAThree-dimensional structureMutation modelPathogenic variationDisease relevanceAggregation DatabaseGenomeLarge-scale population datasetRRNAConstrained sitesGenesTRNAPopulation datasetsA cell type-aware framework for nominating non-coding variants in Mendelian regulatory disorders
Lee A, Ayers L, Kosicki M, Chan W, Fozo L, Pratt B, Collins T, Zhao B, Rose M, Sanchis-Juan A, Fu J, Wong I, Zhao X, Tenney A, Lee C, Laricchia K, Barry B, Bradford V, Jurgens J, England E, Lek M, MacArthur D, Lee E, Talkowski M, Brand H, Pennacchio L, Engle E. A cell type-aware framework for nominating non-coding variants in Mendelian regulatory disorders. Nature Communications 2024, 15: 8268. PMID: 39333082, PMCID: PMC11436875, DOI: 10.1038/s41467-024-52463-7.Peer-Reviewed Original ResearchCitationsAltmetricMeSH Keywords and ConceptsConceptsNon-coding variantsCranial motor neuronsMendelian disordersIn vivo transgenic assayPredictor of enhancer activityCis-regulatory elementsMulti-omic frameworkWhole-genome sequencingEnhanced activityVariant discoveryGenome sequenceChromatin accessibilityPutative enhancersHistone modificationsRegulatory elementsGene expression assaysGene predictionTransgenic assaysEpigenomic profilingMendelian casesExpression assaysMutational enhancementCongenital cranial dysinnervation disordersCell typesFunctional impactSaturation mutagenesis-reinforced functional assays for disease-related genes
Ma K, Huang S, Ng K, Lake N, Joseph S, Xu J, Lek A, Ge L, Woodman K, Koczwara K, Cohen J, Ho V, O'Connor C, Brindley M, Campbell K, Lek M. Saturation mutagenesis-reinforced functional assays for disease-related genes. Cell 2024, 187: 6707-6724.e22. PMID: 39326416, PMCID: PMC11568926, DOI: 10.1016/j.cell.2024.08.047.Peer-Reviewed Original ResearchCitationsAltmetricConceptsDisease-related genesDisease-causing genetic variantsGenome-wide resolutionMutation scanning methodsSingle-nucleotide variantsDeep mutational scanning methodFunctional assaysDisease genesComputational predictorsSaturation mutagenesisHuman geneticsGenetic variantsGenesVariantsSmurfAssayMutagenesisLARGE1GeneticsDisease severityExpanding the genetics and phenotypes of ocular congenital cranial dysinnervation disorders
Jurgens J, Barry B, Chan W, MacKinnon S, Whitman M, Ruiz P, Pratt B, England E, Pais L, Lemire G, Groopman E, Glaze C, Russell K, Singer-Berk M, Di Gioia S, Lee A, Andrews C, Shaaban S, Wirth M, Bekele S, Toffoloni M, Bradford V, Foster E, Berube L, Rivera-Quiles C, Mensching F, Sanchis-Juan A, Fu J, Wong I, Zhao X, Wilson M, Weisburd B, Lek M, Consortium O, Abarca-Barriga H, Al-Haddad C, Berman J, Bothun E, Capasso J, Chacon-Camacho O, Chang L, Christiansen S, Ciccarelli M, Cordonnier M, Cox G, Curry C, Dagi L, Dahm T, David K, Davitt B, De Berardinis T, Demer J, Désir J, D’Esposito F, Drack A, Eggenberger E, Elder J, Elliott A, Epley K, Feldman H, Ferreira C, Flaherty M, Fulton A, Gerth-Kahlert C, Gottlob I, Grill S, Halliday D, Hanisch F, Hay E, Heidary G, Holder C, Horton J, Iannaccone A, Isenberg S, Johnston S, Kahana A, Katowitz J, Kazlas M, Kerr N, Kimonis V, Ko M, Koc F, Larsen D, Lay-Son G, Ledoux D, Levin A, Levy R, Lyons C, Mackey D, Magli A, Mantagos I, Marti C, Maystadt I, McKenzie F, Menezes M, Mikail C, Miller D, Miller K, Mills M, Miyana K, Moller H, Mullineaux L, Nishimura J, Noble A, Pandey P, Pavone P, Penzien J, Petersen R, Phalen J, Poduri A, Polo C, Prasov L, Ramos F, Ramos-Caceres M, Robb R, Rossillion B, Sahin M, Singer H, Smith L, Sorkin J, Soul J, Staffieri S, Stalker H, Stasheff S, Strassberg S, Strominger M, Taranath D, Thomas I, Traboulsi E, Ugrin M, VanderVeen D, Vincent A, G M, Wabbels B, Wong A, Woods C, Wu C, Yang E, Yeung A, Young T, Zenteno J, Zubcov-Iwantscheff A, Zwaan J, Brand H, Talkowski M, MacArthur D, O’Donnell-Luria A, Robson C, Hunter D, Engle E. Expanding the genetics and phenotypes of ocular congenital cranial dysinnervation disorders. Genetics In Medicine 2024, 27: 101216. PMID: 39033378, PMCID: PMC11739428, DOI: 10.1016/j.gim.2024.101216.Peer-Reviewed Original ResearchCitationsAltmetricConceptsCongenital cranial dysinnervation disordersPrioritized variantsProtein-coding regionsSingle-nucleotide variantsDe novo variantsAnimal model phenotypesGenetically heterogeneous disorderAnalysis of pedigreesGenes associated with syndromesGenome sequenceStructural variantsMendelian conditionsModel phenotypesGenotype/phenotype correlationGenetic etiologyGenotype/phenotype associationsPathogenic variant(sGenesFunctional studiesSyndrome phenotypeSyndrome componentsPhenotypeGeneticsProbandsVariantsHigh-throughput assays to assess variant effects on disease
Ma K, Gauthier L, Cheung F, Huang S, Lek M. High-throughput assays to assess variant effects on disease. Disease Models & Mechanisms 2024, 17: dmm050573. PMID: 38940340, PMCID: PMC11225591, DOI: 10.1242/dmm.050573.Peer-Reviewed Original ResearchCitationsAltmetricMeSH Keywords and ConceptsConceptsDeep mutational scanningGenetic variantsRare disease diagnosticsRare genetic variantsDisease mechanismsHigh-throughput assaySequencing effortsInvestigation of variantsMutational scanningModel cell lineVariant effectsMolecular toolsCell linesCell survival rateFunctional assaysDrug resistanceDisease diagnosticsDisease-relevant assaysVariantsClinical case reportBiological mechanismsAssayCase reportClinical reportsSurvival rateTranslating multiscale research in rare disease
Hooper K, Justice M, Lek M, Liu K, Rauen K. Translating multiscale research in rare disease. Disease Models & Mechanisms 2024, 17: dmm052009. PMID: 38982973, PMCID: PMC11261626, DOI: 10.1242/dmm.052009.Peer-Reviewed Original ResearchCitations
Clinical Trials
Current Trials
Pediatric Genomics Discovery Program (PGDP)
HIC ID1411014977RoleSub InvestigatorPrimary Completion Date12/31/2023Recruiting ParticipantsGenderBoth
Academic Achievements & Community Involvement
Honors
honor Development Grant
01/01/2016National AwardMuscular Dystrophy AssociationDetailsUnited Stateshonor CJ Martin Fellowship
06/01/2013International AwardAustralian National Health and Medical Research Council (NHMRC)DetailsAustraliahonor Sir Keith Murdoch Fellowship
08/01/2012International AwardAustralian American AssociationDetailsAustraliahonor Australian Post-graduate Award
03/01/2009International AwardUniversity of SydneyDetailsAustraliahonor University Medal
03/01/2008International AwardUniversity of New South WalesDetailsAustralia
News
News
- June 09, 2025Source: Yale News
Yale Genome Engineers Expand the Reach and Precision of Human Gene Editing
- December 02, 2024
This Faster, Low-tech Test Identifies Rare Disease-causing Genetic Mutations
- September 10, 2024
NIH Recognizes Yale’s Expertise in the Genetics of Rare Diseases
- June 07, 2024
Polycystic Kidney Disease Treatment: Gene Target Identified at Yale
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300 Cedar Street
New Haven, CT 06519
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The Anlyan Center
300 Cedar Street
New Haven, CT 06519