Graduate Student

Education
2006- BABS, University of NSW, Sydeny, Australia
1995 M.S. University of Minnesota
1991 B.S. University of Minnesota

Research Interests
I joined the Ballard lab in December of 2002 and am interested in the biochemistry and molecular biology that underlies the observed differences in longevity between the mitochondrial haplogroups.

Publications

Melvin, R.G., S.D. Katewa and J. W.O. Ballard. In press. A candidate complex approach to study functional mitochondrial DNA changes: Sequence variation and quaternary structure modeling of Drosophila simulans cytochrome c oxidase. J. Mol. Evol.

Ballard, J.W.O., R.G. Melvin, J. T. Miller and S.D. Katewa, In press. Sex differences in survival and disparity of mitochondrial bioenergetics in Drosophila simulans. Aging Cell.

Ballard, J.W.O., S.D. Katewa, R.G. Melvin and G. Chan. In press. Comparative analysis of mitochondrial genotype and aging. Ann. NY Acad Sci.

Melvin, R.G., W.A. Van Voorhies and J.W.O. Ballard. In press. Working harder to stay alive: Metabolic rate increases with age in Drosophila simulans but does not correlate with life span. J. Insect Physiol.

Ballard, J.W.O. and R.G. Melvin. In press. Tetracycline treatment influences mitochondrial metabolism and mtDNA density two generations after treatment in Drosophila. Insect Mol. Biol.

Ballard, J.W.O., R.G. Melvin, S.D. Katewa and K. Maes. 2007. Mitochondrial DNA variation is associated with measurable differences in life history traits and mitochondrial metabolism in Drosophila simulans. Evolution. 61:1735-1747.

Katewa, S.D., R.G. Melvin. and J.W.O. Ballard. 2006.Comparison of methods and body parts for estimation of hydrogen peroxide production by isolated mitochondria from Drosophila simulans. Dros. Inf. Serv. 89:107-111

Melvin, R.G. and J.W.O. Ballard. 2006.Intraspecific variation in survival and mitochondrial oxidative phosphorylation in wild-caught Drosophila simulans. Ageing Cell 5: 225-233.

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