Present | Assistant Professor, St. Catherine University ‐ Biology Department | |
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Disciplines
Research Interests
My primary research interest is testis development, in the field of reproductive biology. In humans, infertility affects twenty percent of all couples and half of cases result from male infertility. Furthermore, twenty-five percent of male infertility cases are determined to be idiopathic, or unexplained. My research goal is to further investigate and characterize the basic biology of testis development in the mouse using primary cells and cell culture models. I have extensive experience in mouse genetics, testis biology, and germ cell isolation and cell culture. and I am also a faculty member in the Genomics Education Partnership (GEP). This project provides opportunities for undergraduate students to participate in genomics research and there are no costs associated with implementing the Course-Based Undergraduate Research Experience (CURE). All the students need is access to the internet and a computer. The main project focuses on the dot chromosome (F element) of Drosophila. Past GEP students have sequenced and annotated the F elements (and comparison D element domains) of several Drosophila species across 40 million years of evolution. The GEP has published several papers on the evolution of the F element, with all contributing students as co-authors. Through this program, students learn how to take raw sequence data to high quality finished sequence, and to annotate genes and other features, leading to analysis of a question in genomics and a research publication.
Professional Service and Affiliations
2019 - Present | Faculty Member, Genomics Education Partnership | 2016 - Present | Member, Developmental Biology Center | 2016 - Present | Member, Society of Developmental Biology |
Honors and Awards
- St Kate's Summer Scholars Research Program 2021
- NIH Training Grant “Training Research Educators in Minnesota (TREM) whilst increasing diversity” 2017 - 2020
- IRACDA 2019 National Conference Outstanding Poster Award 2019
- CBS Postdoc Research Symposium Best Poster Award 2019
- Developmental Biology Symposium Postdoc Poster Award and Travel Award 2018
- NW Reproductive Science Symposium & Center for Reproductive Biology Travel Grant 2014, 2016
- Simperman Academic Achievement in Science and Math Scholarship 2010 - 2011
Courses
- Anatomy and Physiology I
- Cell Biology
- Sophomore Seminar
- Anatomy and Physiology II
September 2016 - August 2020 | Postdoctoral Research Associate, University of Minnesota ‐ Genetics, Cell, and Developmental Biology | |
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August 2012 - July 2016 | PhD, Washington State University ‐ School of Molecular Biosciences | |
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August 2008 - May 2012 | BA, Carroll College ‐ Biology Department | |
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