Breen Lab @ NCSU

Megan is from Virginia Beach, Virginia. She received her BS in biology from Randolph-Macon College. After working on diverse projects throughout her undergrad, ranging from fish speciation to beer brewing, she joined the NCSU Genetics program as a Genetics and Genomics Academy scholar and began her PhD. Megan’s project focuses on the genetics of dogs that live around the Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant in Ukraine. She currently is searching for evidence of local adaptation and DNA mutations in response to the multi-generational exposures faced by these dogs. In her free time, Megan enjoys skiing, hiking, and playing fetch with her cat, Waylon.

Congratulations to Megan for being awarded the 2025 William R. Atchley Research Award at the Annual Genetics, Genomics, & Bioinformatics Graduate Student Research Symposium. This award recognizes excellence in research, particularly as evidenced by notable first-author publications, but also through other student-led activities enhancing research progress through community or resource building.

Congratulations to Megan for receiving a TriCEM Graduate Student Award for her project “Dogs of Chernobyl: Effects of exposure on the genome and disease vectors”

Congratulations to Megan for passing her PhD prelims (March 2023)

Megan and Isabella representing the lab at the The Wildlife Society 2023 Conference in Louisville