Aimy Sebastian

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  • Title
    Research Scientist
  • Email
    sebastian4@llnl.gov
  • Phone
    (925) 422-9893
  • Organization
    STE PLS-STE BBTD-BIOSCIENCES, BIOTECHNOLOGY

Research Interests

Computational biology, functional genomics, transcriptional regulation, skeletal development and bone metabolism, genetics of osteoporosis and osteoarthritis, neurobiology and cancer.

I am interested in applying computational methods to understand the molecular mechanisms and pathways involved in complex biological processes, including development and disease. I enjoy working in an interdisciplinary environment, in close collaboration with experimental biologists and clinicians. My current research involves application of genomic and transcriptomic techniques to study diseases including cancer, post-traumatic osteoarthritis and osteoporosis. I also use “omics” techniques to identify and characterize transcriptional regulatory elements in bone.

PhD, Quantitative and Systems Biology, University of California, Merced

MS, Bioinformatics, Amrita University, India

BS, Bioinformatics, Punjab Technical University, India

  1. Sebastian A, Hum NR, McCool JL, Wilson SP, Murugesh DK, Martin KA, Rios-Arce NDeliz, Amiri B, Christiansen BA, Loots GG. Single-cell RNA-Seq reveals changes in immune landscape in post-traumatic osteoarthritis. Frontiers in Immunology. 2022 July 29. DOI:10.3389/fimmu.2022.938075          
  2. Hum NR, Sebastian A, Martin KA, Rios-Arce ND, Gilmore SF, Gravano DM, Wheeler EK, Coleman MA, Loots GG. IL-17A Increases Doxorubicin Efficacy in Triple Negative Breast Cancer. Front Oncol. 2022 Jul 18;12:928474. doi: 10.3389/fonc.2022.928474. PMID: 35924165; PMCID: PMC9340269.
  3. Barwe SP, Sebastian A, Sidhu I, Kolb EA, Gopalakrishnapillai A. Modeling Down Syndrome Myeloid Leukemia by Sequential Introduction of GATA1 and STAG2 Mutations in Induced Pluripotent Stem Cells with Trisomy 21. Cells. 2022 Feb 11;11(4):628. doi: 10.3390/cells11040628. PMID: 35203280; PMCID: PMC8870267.
  4. Goukassian D, Arakelyan A, Brojakowska A, Bisserier M, Hakobyan S, Hadri L, Rai AK, Evans A, Sebastian A, Truongcao M, Gonzalez C, Bajpai A, Cheng Z, Dubey PK, Addya S, Mills P, Walsh K, Kishore R, Coleman M, Garikipati VNS. Space flight associated changes in astronauts' plasma-derived small extracellular vesicle microRNA: Biomarker identification. Clin Transl Med. 2022 Jun;12(6):e845. doi: 10.1002/ctm2.845. PMID: 35653543; PMCID: PMC9162436.
  5. Bisserier M, Brojakowska A, Saffran N, Rai AK, Lee B, Coleman M, Sebastian A, Evans A, Mills PJ, Addya S, Arakelyan A, Garikipati VNS, Hadri L, Goukassian DA. Astronauts Plasma-Derived Exosomes Induced Aberrant EZH2-Mediated H3K27me3 Epigenetic Regulation of the Vitamin D Receptor. Frontiers in Cardiovascular Medicine. 2022 Jun:doi: 10.3389/fcvm.2022.855181
  6. Hum NR, Bourguet FA, Sebastian A, Lam D, Phillips AM, Sanchez KR, Rasley A, Loots GG, Weilhammer DR. MAVS mediates a protective immune response in the brain to Rift Valley fever virus. PLoS Pathog. 2022 May 18;18(5):e1010231. doi: 10.1371/journal.ppat.1010231. PMID: 35584192; PMCID: PMC9154093.
  7. Rai AK, Rajan KS, Bisserier M, Brojakowska A, Sebastian A, Evans AC., Coleman MA., Mills PJ, Arakelyan A, Uchida S, Hadri L, Goukassian DA, Garikipati VNS. Spaceflight-Associated Changes of snoRNAs in Peripheral Blood Mononuclear Cells and Plasma Exosomes—A Pilot Study. Frontiers in Cardiovascular Medicine. 2022 Jun; doi: 10.3389/fcvm.2022.886689.
  8. Rios-Arce ND, Murugesh DK, Hum NR, Sebastian A, Jbeily EH, Christiansen BA, Loots GG. Preexisting Type 1 Diabetes Mellitus Blunts the Development of Posttraumatic Osteoarthritis. JBMR Plus. 2022 Apr 19;6(5):e10625. doi: 10.1002/jbm4.10625. PMID: 35509635; PMCID: PMC9059474.
  9. Robertson C, Sebastian A, Hinckley A, Rios-Arce ND, Hynes WF, Edwards SA, He W, Hum NR, Wheeler EK, Loots GG, Coleman MA, Moya ML. Extracellular matrix modulates T cell clearance of malignant cells in vitro. Biomaterials. 2022 Mar;282:121378. doi: 10.1016/j.biomaterials.2022.121378. Epub 2022 Jan 23. PMID: 35121359.
  10. Bisserier M, Saffran N, Brojakowska A, Sebastian A, Evans AC, Coleman MA, Walsh K, Mills PJ, Garikipati VNS, Arakelyan A, Hadri L, Goukassian DA. Emerging Role of Exosomal Long Non-coding RNAs in Spaceflight-Associated Risks in Astronauts. Front Genet. 2022 Jan 17;12:812188. doi: 10.3389/fgene.2021.812188. PMID: 35111205; PMCID: PMC8803151.
  11. Sebastian A, McCool JL, Hum NR, Murugesh DK, Wilson SP, Christiansen BA, Loots GG. Single-Cell RNA-Seq Reveals Transcriptomic Heterogeneity and Post-Traumatic Osteoarthritis-Associated Early Molecular Changes in Mouse Articular Chondrocytes. Cells. 2021 Jun 10;10(6):1462. doi: 10.3390/cells10061462. PMID: 34200880; PMCID: PMC8230441.
  12. Donham C, Chicana B, Robling AG, Mohamed A, Elizaldi S, Chi M, Freeman B, Millan A, Murugesh DK, Hum NR, Sebastian A, Loots GG, Manilay JO. Sclerostin Depletion Induces Inflammation in the Bone Marrow of Mice. Int J Mol Sci. 2021 Aug 24;22(17):9111. doi: 10.3390/ijms22179111. PMID: 34502021; PMCID: PMC8431516.
  13. Emami AJ, Sebastian A, Lin YY, Yee CS, Osipov B, Loots GG, Alliston T, Christiansen BA. Altered canalicular remodeling associated with femur fracture in mice. J Orthop Res. 2022 Apr;40(4):891-900. doi: 10.1002/jor.25119. Epub 2021 Jun 21. PMID: 34129247; PMCID: PMC8671555.
  14. Peran I, Dakshanamurthy S, McCoy MD, Mavropoulos A, Allo B, Sebastian A, Hum NR, Sprague SC, Martin KA, Pishvaian MJ, Vietsch EE, Wellstein A, Atkins MB, Weiner LM, Quong AA, Loots GG, Yoo SS, Assefnia S, Byers SW. Cadherin 11 Promotes Immunosuppression and Extracellular Matrix Deposition to Support Growth of Pancreatic Tumors and Resistance to Gemcitabine in Mice. Gastroenterology. 2021 Mar;160(4):1359-1372.e13. doi: 10.1053/j.gastro.2020.11.044. Epub 2020 Dec 9. PMID: 33307028; PMCID: PMC7956114.
  15. Sebastian A, Hum NR , Martin KA , Gilmore SF, Peran I, Byers S, Wheeler EK, Coleman MA, Loots GG. Single-cell transcriptomic analysis of tumor-derived fibroblasts and normal tissue-resident fibroblasts reveals fibroblast heterogeneity in breast cancer. Cancers 2020. doi: 10.3390/cancers12051307
  16. Mendez ME, Sebastian A, Murugesh DK, Hum NR, McCool JL, Hsia AW, Christiansen BA and Loots GG. LPS-induced Inflammation Prior to InjurExacerbates the Development of Post-Traumatic Osteoarthritis in Mice. J Bone Miner Res 2020. doi: 10.1002/jbmr.4117
  17. Enright HA, Lam D, Sebastian A, Sales AP, Cadena J, Hum NR, Osburn JJ, Peters SKG, Petkus B, Soscia DA, Kulp KS, Loots GG, Wheeler EK, and Fischer NO.  Functional and transcriptional characterization of complex neuronal co-cultures. Scientific Reports 2020. 10(1):11007
  18. Mendez ME, Murugesh DK, Sebastian A, Hum NR, McCloy SA, Kuhn EA, Christiansen BA, Loots GG. Antibiotic Treatment Prior to Injury Improves Post-Traumatic Osteoarthritis Outcomes in Mice. Int J Mol Sci. 2020. 21(17):6424.
  19. Sebastian A, Murugesh DK, Mendez ME, Hum NR, Rios-Arce ND, McCool JL, Christiansen BA, Loots GG. Global Gene Expression Analysis Identifies Age-Related Differences in Knee Joint Transcriptome during the Development of Post-Traumatic Osteoarthritis in Mice. Int J Mol Sci. 2020. Pii: E364. Doi: 10.3390/ijms21010364.
  20. Hum NR, Sebastian A, Gilmore SF, He W, Martin KA, Hinckley A, Dubbin KR, Moya ML, Wheeler EK, Coleman MA, Loots GG. Comparative Molecular Analysis of Cancer Behavior Cultured In Vitro, In Vivo, and Ex Vivo. Cancers (Basel) 2020. Pii: E690. Doi: 10.3390/cancers12030690.
  21. Harvestine JN, Gonzalez-Fernandez T, Sebastian A, Hum NR, Genetos DC, Loots GG and Leach JK. Osteogenic preconditioning in perfusion bioreactors improves vascularization and bone formation by human bone marrow aspirates. Science Advances 2020. Doi: 10.1126/sciadv.aay2387
  22. Martin KA, Hum NR, Sebastian A, Siddiqui S, Ghosh PM, Pan C, de Vere White R and Loots GG. Methionine adenosyltransferase 1a (MAT1A) enhances cell survival during chemotherapy treatment and is associated with drug resistance in bladder cancer PDX mice. Int J Mol Sci 2019. Doi: 10.3390/ijms20204983
  23. Bullock WA, Hoggatt AM, Horan DJ, Lewis KJ, Yokota H, Hann S, Warman ML, Sebastian A, Loots GG, Pavalko FM and Robling AG. Expression of a Degradation-Resistant β-Catenin Mutant in Osteocytes Protects the Skeleton from Mechanodeprivation-Induced Bone Wasting. J Bone Miner Res. 2019. Doi: 10.1002/jbmr.3812.
  24. Parasido E, Avetian GS, Naeem A, Graham G, Pishvaian M, Glasgow E, Mudambi S,  Lee Y, Ihemelandu C, Choudhry M, Peran I, Banerjee PP, Avantaggiati ML, Bryant K, Baldelli E, Pierobon M, Liotta L, Petricoin E, Fricke ST, Sebastian A, Cozzitorto J, Loots GG, Kumar D, Byers S, Londin E, DiFeo A, Narla G, Winter J, Brody JR, Rodriguez O and  Albanese C. The Sustained Induction of c-MYC Drives Nab-paclitaxel Resistance in Primary Pancreatic Ductal Carcinoma Cells. Mol Cancer Res. 2019. Doi: 10.1158/1541-7786.MCR-19-0191. PMID: 31164413.
  25. Sebastian A, Chang JC, Mendez ME, Murugesh DK, Hatsell S, Economides AN, Christiansen BA and Loots GG. Comparative Transcriptomics Identifies Novel Genes and Pathways Involved in Post-Traumatic Osteoarthritis Development and Progression. Int J Mol Sci. 2018.  Doi: 10.3390/ijms19092657. PMID: 30205482
  26. Sebastian A, Hum NR, Morfin C, Murugesh DK and Loots GG. Global gene expression analysis identifies Mef2c as a potential player in Wnt16-mediated transcriptional regulation. Gene. 2018. Doi: 10.1016/j.gene.2018.06.079. PMID: 29981832.
  27. Chang JC, Christiansen BA, Murugesh DK, Sebastian A, Hum NR, Collette NM, Hatsell S, Economides AN, Blanchette CD and Loots GG. SOST/Sclerostin Improves Posttraumatic Osteoarthritis and Inhibits MMP2/3 Expression After Injury. J Bone Miner Res. 2018. Doi: 10.1002/jbmr.3397. PMID: 29377313.
  28. Sebastian A and Loots GG. Genetics of Sost/SOST in sclerosteosis and van Buchem disease animal models. Metabolism. 2018. Doi: 10.1016/j.metabol.2017.10.005.PMID: 29080811.
  29. Sebastian A, Hum NR, Murugesh DK, Hatsell S, Economides AN and Loots GG. Wnt co-receptors Lrp5 and Lrp6 differentially mediate Wnt3a signaling in osteoblasts. PloS One. 2017. Doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0188264. PMID: 29176883.
  30. Sebastian A and Loots GG. Transcriptional control of Sost in bone. Bone. 2017. Doi: 10.1016/j.bone.2016.10.009. PMID: 27771382.
  31. Chang JC*, Sebastian A*, Murugesh DK, Hatsell S, Economides AN, Christiansen BA and Loots GG. Global molecular changes in a tibial compression induced ACL rupture model of post-traumatic osteoarthritis. J Orthop Res. 2017. Doi:  PMID: 27088242. * Equal contribution.
  32. Hudson BD, Hum NR, Thomas CB, Kohlgruber A, Sebastian A, Collette NM, Coleman MA, Christiansen BA and Loots GG. SOST Inhibits Prostate Cancer Invasion. PloS One. 2015. Doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0142058. PMID: 26545120; PubMed Central PMCID: PMC4636315.
  33. Sebastian A, Hum NR, Hudson BD and Loots GG. Cancer-Osteoblast Interaction Reduces Sost Expression in Osteoblasts and Up-Regulates lncRNA MALAT1 in Prostate Cancer. Microarrays (Basel). 2015. Doi:10.3390/microarrays4040503. PMID: 27600237.
  34. Collette NM, Yee CS, Murugesh D, Sebastian A, Taher L, Gale NW, Economides AN, Harland RM, Loots GG. Sost and its paralog Sostdc1 coordinate digit number in a Gli3-dependent manner. Dev Biol. 2013. Doi: 10.1016/j.ydbio.2013.08.015. PMID: 23994639.
  35. Keshava Prasad TS, Goel R, Kandasamy K, Keerthikumar S, Kumar S, Mathivanan S, Telikicherla D, Raju R, Shafreen B, Venugopal A, Balakrishnan L, Marimuthu A, Banerjee S, Somanathan DS, Sebastian A, Rani S, Ray S, Harrys Kishore CJ, Kanth S, Ahmed M, Kashyap MK, Mohmood R, Ramachandra YL, Krishna V, Rahiman BA, Mohan S, Ranganathan P, Ramabadran S, Chaerkady R and Pandey A. Human Protein Reference Database—2009 update. Nucleic Acids Res. 2009. Doi: 10.1093/nar/gkn892. PMID: 18988627.

2021   PLS Directorate Award for Excellence in Publication, Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory, Livermore, CA, USA

2021    Performance Spot Award, Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory, Livermore, CA.

2020    Performance Spot Award, Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory, Livermore, CA.

2019    Best Poster Award, Postdoc Poster Symposium, Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory

2016    Travel Award, The American Society for Bone and Mineral Research.

2015    2nd place, poster competition, Annual Cancer Research Symposium, UC Davis Comprehensive Cancer Center, Sacramento, CA.

2015    Summer research fellowship, University of California, Merced, CA.

2013    Summer research fellowship, University of California, Merced, CA.

2008    Academic Achievement Award, Amrita University, India.

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