Madilyn Stahl

Saint Paul, MN

Dual-degree PhD candidate in molecular biology and MS student in bioinformatics with a strong background in epigenetics and translational cancer biology focused on accelerating therapeutic discovery. Expertly bridges wet-lab chromatin biology, including CUT&RUN and HiChIP, with genomic data analysis in R and Bash.

Technical Skills

Molecular & Cellular Techniques Computational Skills
HiChIP CUT&RUN RNA-Seq Nanopore Sequencing CRISPR-Cas9 CyTOF Flow Cytometry Mammalian Cell Culture High-Throughput Drug Screening Immunohistochemistry Western Blot RT-qPCR Python R Bash (HPC) MATLAB FlowJo GraphPad Prism

Experience

Technology Commercialization Intern

Technology Commercialization Office, University of Minnesota | Apr 2026 - Present

  • Perform invention evaluations and intellectual property assessments by conducting literature/patent searches and market analysis to determine the commercial viability of new technologies
  • Develop strategic marketing materials and identify potential licensing partners by translating complex biological discoveries into clear value propositions for industry stakeholders

PhD Candidate

Dr. David Largaespada, Department of Pediatrics, University of Minnesota - Twin Cities | 2022 - Present

  • Elucidate mechanisms of transcriptional rewiring and therapeutic response in PRC2-deficient cancer models by integrating high-resolution chromatin assays with epigenetic drug screening
  • Develop and optimize bioinformatics pipelines in Bash and R to process and visualize NGS datasets
  • Investigate tumor transformation using single-cell proteomic profiling and CRISPR/Cas9 gene editing in iPSC-derived models
  • Lead three cross-functional collaborations to advance joint research efforts

Undergraduate Research Assistant

Dr. Deborah Ferrington, Department of Ophthalmology and Visual Neurosciences, University of Minnesota - Twin Cities | 2019 - 2022

  • Developed a protocol to isolate photoreceptor outer segments from human tissue and performed functional studies on phagocytosis in age-related macular degeneration
  • Performed molecular assays including RT-qPCR and Western blotting to assess mitochondrial dysfunction
  • Managed biobanking operations by genotyping and logging human tissue samples

Education

PhD - Molecular, Cellular, Developmental Biology and Genetics

University of Minnesota - Twin Cities | Expected 2027

MS - Bioinformatics and Computational Biology

University of Minnesota - Twin Cities | Expected 2026

BS - Genetics, Cell Biology, and Development

University of Minnesota - Twin Cities | 2022

Minor: Computational Biology

Leadership

Programming Director

Biotech Leaders of Tomorrow, University of Minnesota | 2025 - Present

  • Founding leadership member of a student-led initiative dedicated to advancing biotech innovation and fostering entrepreneurial growth within the Twin Cities ecosystem
  • Oversee strategic planning for networking opportunities and career exploration events outside of academia for undergraduate and graduate students, and implement new programming to bridge the gap between academic research and industry applications

Co-Founder & Co-President

Girls Who Code, University of Minnesota | 2024 - Present

  • Direct executive operations and fiscal strategy, including securing funding, budget allocation, and overseeing board governance to ensure sustainable growth
  • Foster an inclusive community by spearheading coding workshops and career development series to support the advancement of women in computational fields
  • Cultivate strategic partnerships with industry leaders and academic departments to execute high-impact hackathons, panel discussions, and networking events

Teaching Assistant

University of Minnesota - Twin Cities | 2024

  • Molecular Biology of Cancer: Held weekly office hours to support student understanding of topics, clarify course material, and provide guidance for exam preparation
  • Genetics and Society: Facilitated interactive activities to help nonmajors engage with foundational genetics topics, graded exams and group work, and held office hours to assist with exam preparation

Lead Vision Screener

Phillips Eye Institute - Early Youth Eyecare | 2021 - 2023

  • Oversaw and conducted vision screenings for elementary and middle school students, supporting academic success by removing vision-related obstacles
  • Documented results and referred students for follow-up on potential vision concerns

Publications & Presentations

Publications
  1. Stahl MR, Stehn CM, Seeman ZJ, Faulk C, Largaespada DA. DNA hypomethylation is not intrinsically toxic to Polycomb repressive complex 2 deficient malignant peripheral nerve sheath tumors. 2026. Manuscript in Submission.
  2. Karunadharma PP, Kapphahn RJ, Stahl MR, Olsen TW, Ferrington DA. Dissecting regulators of aging and Age-Related Macular Degeneration in the Retinal Pigment Epithelium. Oxid Med Cell Longev. 2022 Nov 16;2022:6009787. doi: 10.1155/2022/6009787. PMID: 36439688; PMCID: PMC9683958.
  3. Ebeling MC, Fisher CR, Kapphahn RJ, Stahl MR, Shen S, Qu J, Montezuma SR, Ferrington DA. Inflammasome activation in Retinal Pigment Epithelium from human donors with Age-Related Macular Degeneration. Cells. 2022 Jun 30;11(13):2075. doi: 10.3390/cells11132075. PMID: 35805159; PMCID: PMC9265516.
  4. Ebeling MC, Geng Z, Stahl MR, Kapphahn RJ, Roehrich H, Montezuma SR, Ferrington DA, Dutton JR. Testing mitochondrial-targeted drugs in iPSC-RPE from patients with Age-Related Macular Degeneration. Pharmaceuticals (Basel). 2022 Jan 4;15(1):62. doi: 10.3390/ph15010062. PMID: 35056119; PMCID: PMC8781759.
Presentations
  1. Stahl MR, Stehn C, Largaespada D. Quantitative mapping of chromatin rewiring via PRC2 and HDACi in MPNSTs [Poster]. 2026 Masonic Cancer Center Research Symposium, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN.
  2. Stahl MR, Stehn C, Largaespada D. Quantitative mapping of PRC2-regulated and HDAC inhibitor-mediated changes in super-enhancer chromatin contacts in malignant peripheral nerve sheath tumors [Poster]. 2026 Keystone Symposia: Epigenetics and Gene Regulation in Health and Disease: Linking Basic Mechanisms with Therapeutic Opportunities, Geneva, Switzerland.
  3. Stahl MR, Draper G, Clarke D, Largaespada D. PRC2 loss drives genome instability in malignant peripheral nerve sheath tumors [Poster]. 2025 NF Conference, Washington, DC.
  4. Stahl MR, Stehn C, Seeman Z, Faulk C, Largaespada D. Differential effects of decitabine and azacitidine on PRC2-deficient MPNSTs [Poster]. 2025 Masonic Cancer Center Research Symposium, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN.
  5. Stahl MR, Draper G, Williams K, Larsson A, Sokolowski M, Clarke D, Largaespada D. Investigating the Loss of H3K27me3 via PRC2 as a Cause of Genome Instability in Malignant Peripheral Nerve Sheath Tumors [Poster]. 2024 NF Conference, Brussels, Belgium.
  6. Stahl MR. Evaluating the phagocytosis of diseased photoreceptor outer segments by Retinal Pigment Epithelial cells in Age-Related Macular Degeneration [Report]. 2021 University of Minnesota Digital Conservancy.
  7. Stahl MR and Ferrington DA. Mitochondrial content in Retinal Pigment Epithelium with Age-Related Macular Degeneration [Poster]. Fall 2020 Undergraduate Research Symposium, University of Minnesota.

Awards & Certifications

Awards
  • Top 10 Abstract - Masonic Cancer Center Research Symposium, University of Minnesota - Twin Cities | 2026
  • Robert K. Herman Award - Department of Genetics, Cell Biology & Development, University of Minnesota - Twin Cities | 2025
  • Conference Grant - Council of Graduate Students, University of Minnesota - Twin Cities | 2025
  • Young Investigator Day Awardee - Neurofibromatosis Conference, Children's Tumor Foundation | 2025
  • Undergraduate Research Opportunities Program Awardee - Office of Undergraduate Research, University of Minnesota - Twin Cities | 2020, 2021
  • Dean's Scholar - College of Biological Sciences, University of Minnesota - Twin Cities | 2018-2022
Certifications
  • Applied Data Science with Python Specialization - University of Michigan (Coursera) | In progress
  • Machine Learning Boot Camp: Analyzing Biomedical and Health Data - Columbia University SHARP Training Program | 2025