B.A. Chemistry from the University of Louisville December 1996

Undergraduate research with Professor Frederick Luzzio:

Extensive literature search for organic compounds extracted from tunicates that could serve as potential drug candidates.
Assisted graduate student in oxidative cleavage of benzylidene acetals by 2,2'-bipyridinium chlorochromate.

Ph.D. Chemistry from the University of Louisville August 2002

Graduate research with Professor Muriel Maurer:

• Compared activation and substrate specificity of thrombin for a common polymorphism of Factor XIII and other mutants versus the wild-type Factor XIII by HPLC kinetic, 1-D proton line broadening NMR, 2-D TOCSY NMR, and 2-D transferred NOESY NMR techniques.
• Peptide purification and analysis by RP-HPLC and MALDI-TOF mass spectrometry.
• Activation and purification of thrombin utilizing HPLC, size exclusion chromatography, cation exchange chromatography, SDS-PAGE, and MALDI-TOF mass spectrometry.
• Expression of FXIII in S. cerevisiae and purification, further using the methods mentioned for thrombin plus Western blotting.

Married to Robert and proud mother of two wonderful sons, Brandon and Ryan. Yiayia (grandma) to Brandon Jr.

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