Associate Professor
Co-Director, Biomedical Sciences Programs; Graduate Program Director, Biomedical Sciences (BMS-MS) and Graduate Certificate Programs
Profile
Department
School of Health Sciences
Role: Faculty
Campus: Springfield
Postal mail
Missouri State University
School of Health Sciences
901 S. National Ave.
Springfield, MO 65897
Details
Education
- PhD, Biology, University of Missouri-St. Louis
- MS, Biology, University of Missouri-St. Louis
- BS, Cell and Molecular Biology, Missouri State University
Teaching
- BMS 525 Molecular Biology
- BMS 625 Molecular Biology
- BMS 701 Research in The Biomedical Sciences
Research and professional interests
My research focuses on genes regulation that influences health and development. One area examines A-to-I RNA editing, a process that can change messages after they are copied from DNA, and how this process changes during inflammation. Males and females respond differently to inflammation at the molecular level, which helps understand why many autoimmune diseases are more common or more severe in one sex than the other. I also study DNA methylation during early human development, an important process that helps control which genes are turned on or off as cells develop and specialize. I am also interested in using CRISPR gene-editing technology as a teaching and learning tool, helping students understand modern genetics by engaging them in hands-on, research-inspired experiments and critical thinking about how these technologies are used in science and medicine.