Biography
I earned a B.S. in Biomedical Sciences from Colorado State University and a Ph.D. in Biochemistry and Molecular Biology from Indiana University School of Medicine. My undergraduate research used genetics and molecular biology techniques to study the IGF2BP1 promoter in canine osteosarcoma. My graduate work focused on the regulatory mechanisms involved in RNA Polymerase II transcription. While transcription is taught as if it is a fully understood process, there are still many unknowns in regard to proteins involved and their recruitment. In my later graduate work, I helped develop a novel method for investigating how mutations within a protein can affect the rest of the cell and lead to disease. Courses I teach at Marian include Principles of Biology II, Cell and Molecular Biology, Biochemistry, Data Skills for Biologists, and Medical Physiology. Additionally, I am on the advisory board for and heavily involved with the Saint Luke Scholars program.
