Epigenetics of Trauma
You didn’t come this far to stop
My research on epigenetics has played an important role in expanding our understanding of how environmental and social factors influence gene expression. I have been among the first to identify an epigenetic signature of trauma across three generations in humans, demonstrating how the effects of traumatic experiences can be biologically inherited. My work highlights that genes are not fixed determinants of destiny; instead, they can be turned on or off depending on experiences such as stress, nutrition, and education. One of my key breakthroughs has been emphasizing the connection between early childhood environments and long-term biological outcomes, showing how positive interventions can reshape health and development across generations.
Through my interdisciplinary approach, I have also linked scientific research with social initiatives, advocating for education and community programs that support both cognitive and biological well-being. My contributions aim to bridge the gap between genetics and social sciences, making epigenetics more accessible and relevant to real-world challenges. We are able to ask difficult questions within hard-to-reach communities, and lately my work has focused primarily on three key questions: What is the long-term impact of trauma on DNA? Can programs such as We Love Reading help reverse these epigenetic changes? And do these changes transfer across generations?
Select publications:
Mulligan, C.J., Quinn, E.B., Hamadmad, D….Dajani R. Epigenetic signatures of intergenerational exposure to violence in three generations of Syrian refugees. Sci Rep 15, 5945 (2025). https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-025-89818-z
Dajani R, Glass D, Fuentes A. Doing Science With Our Grandmother's WISDOM: A Worldview Integrating Sociality, Diversity, and Observant Meaning-Making. Am J Hum Biol. 2025 Oct;37(10):e70138. doi: 10.1002/ajhb.70138. Erratum in: Am J Hum Biol. 2026 Jan;38(1):e70190. doi: 10.1002/ajhb.70190. PMID: 41025390; PMCID: PMC12481471.
Merrill S, Konwar C, Fraihat Z, Parent J, Dajani R Molecular Insights into Trauma: A Framework of Epigenetic Pathways to Resilience through Intervention Accepted in Cell Med MED-D-24-00316R3
Manaswitha Edupalli, TivadarPéter Török, Madhava Jay, Keelan Jordan, Zeynab Abdirahman, Devy Frederick, Carika Weldon, Rana Dajani, Xi Dawn Chen bioRxiv 2026.02.12.705603; doi: https://doi.org/10.64898/2026.02.12.705603
Mulligan CJ, Clukay CJ, Matarazzo A, Hadfield K, Nevell L, Dajani R, Panter-Brick C. Novel GxE effects and resilience: A case:control longitudinal study of psychosocial stress with war-affected youth. PLoS One. 2022 Apr 4;17(4):e0266509. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0266509. PMID: 35377919; PMCID: PMC8979449.
Chris Clukay, Rana Dajani et al. Effect of MAOA genetic variants and resilience on perceived stress in Syrian refugee youth. PLoS One. 2019 Jul 17;14(7):e0219385. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0219385. eCollection 2019