Emily Solomon completes her M.S. thesis on polygenic risk for endometriosis and early menopause

Congratulations to RIPLRT Research Alumni Fellow Emily Solomon, who completed her Master of Science in Biological Sciences at Lynn University with the capstone thesis Analysis of Early Menopause and Endometriosis Genetics Merit in Use of Polygenic Risk Assessments for Prediction, advised by Dr. Félix E. Rivera-Mariani.

Emily's thesis asked whether polygenic risk scores (PRS) can provide clinically meaningful, personalized prediction for two under-researched women's health conditions: endometriosis and early menopause. Reviewing the growing body of genetic evidence for both conditions, she argued that:

• An endometriosis PRS could give patients a value that guides further diagnostic steps and earlier care.
• An early-menopause PRS could help guide reproductive-health management earlier in life.
• Multifactorial models that combine genetics with clinical information are likely to outperform genetics-only PRS for these polygenic conditions.
• Emerging genetic and molecular links between endometriosis and menopause timing point toward interconnected, rather than separate, risk assessments.

She concluded that future work should prioritize prediction models built on diverse genetic populations that integrate genetic and clinical factors, so that PRS can serve personalized reproductive healthcare equitably.

Emily, a graduate of Lynn's B.S. in Biology program, also served as a Graduate Assistant in Dr. Rivera-Mariani's Microbiology course. She plans to pursue a Ph.D. in Human Genetics. The thesis is available through Lynn University's SPIRAL repository.

• mentees
• thesis defense
• genetics