Education:

B.S. 1999 University of Iowa
M.S. 2002 University of Iowa

Research Interests:

I joined the Ballard lab in August 2002. I am involved in research investigating the correlation between longevity and mitochondrial efficiency using Drosophila simulans as a model system. Drosophila simulans flies exhibit three distinct mitochondrial haplotypes (siI, -II and -iIII). SiI and siIII haplotypes are most divergent based on mtDNA sequence. The flies of these haplotypes also show differences in longevity. If the differences between the mitochondrial haplotypes contribute to the observed difference in longevity between siI and siIII flies then we expect that isolated siI and siIII mitochondria will function differently in biochemical assays. My work mainly deals with measuring the rates of oxygen consumption and the rates of hydrogen peroxide release by the intact mitochondria. We use complex-specific inhibitors to identify what complexes of the electron transport chain are most active in free radical production and whether there are differences in the activity of the complexes between haplotypes. These differences are then related to longevity differences of the two haplotypes and to the differences in the mtDNA sequences that encode the subunits of the electron chain complexes.

I work on this project with Rich Melvin, another member of this lab. If interested, visit his link for more details on our current research.