Kathryn Huisinga, Ph.D.

Education

• Ph.D., Biochemistry, Microbiology, and Molecular Biology, The Pennsylvania State University
• B.S., Biochemistry, with honors from University of Iowa

Experience

• 2005-2011: Postdoctoral Fellow- Washington University in St. Louis;  Heterochromatin formation in Drosophila melanogaster;   Mentor: Sarah Elgin
• 2010-2011: Adjunct Faculty- Science & Mathematics Department,  Maryville University, Courses taught: General Chemistry I Laboratory & Immunology
• 1997-1999: Research Technician- University of Iowa;   Molecular and genetic regulation of transvection at the yellow gene in Drosophila melanogaster;    Mentor: Pamela Geyer

Teaching Assignments

• Basic Physiological Chemistry
• Biochemistry I
• Biochemistry II/Molecular Biology
• Genetics
• General Chemistry I
• Gen100: The College Experience
• Honors Sophomore Seminar: The Academy and You

Recent Scholarly Work

• Callahan KP, Peterson CN, Martinez-Vaz BM, Huisinga KL, Galport N, Koletar C, Eddy RM, Provost JJ, Bell JK, Bell E. External Collaboration Results in Student Learning Gains and Positive STEM Attitudes in CUREs. CBE Life Sci Educ. 2022 Dec; 21(4):ar74
• Bell A, Christian L, Hecht D, Huisinga K, Rakus J, Bell E. Teaching virtual protein-centric CUREs and UREs using computational tools. Biochem Mol Biol Educ. 2020 Nov; 48(6):646-647
• Huisinga KL, Riddle NC, Leung W, Shimonovich S, McDaniel S, Figueroa-Clarevega A, Elgin SC. Targeting of P-Element Reporters to Heterochromatic Domains by Transposable Element 1360 in Drosophila melanogaster. Genetics. 2016 Feb; 202:565-82
• Brower-Toland B, Riddle NC, Jiang H, Huisinga KL, Elgin SCR. Multiple SET methyltransferases are required to maintain normal heterochromatin domains in the genome of Drosophila melanogaster. Genetics. 2009 Apr; 181:1303-19
• Huisinga KL, Elgin SCR.  Small RNA directed heterochromatin formation in the context of development: what flies might learn from fission yeast. BBA Gene Regulatory Mechanisms, 2009 Jan; 1789:3-16.
• Huisinga KL, Pugh BF.  A TATA binding protein regulatory network that governs transcription complex assembly. Genome Biol. 2007 Apr 2;  8(4):R46
• Huisinga KL, Brower-Toland B, Elgin SCR.  The Contradictory Definitions of Heterochromatin: Transcription and Silencing.  Chromosoma. 2006 April; 115:110-22.
• Huisinga KL, Pugh BF.  A genome-wide housekeeping role for TFIID and a highly regulated stress-related role for SAGA in Saccharomyces cerevisiae.  Molecular Cell.  2004 Feb 27;  13:573-85.

Biography

My husband Mike and I live in Akron with our two children, Sam and Ellie, and our dog and cats. In my spare time, I enjoy running, hiking, yoga, gardening, baking cakes, reading and chauffeuring my kids to their activities. I'm passionate about increasing diversity in STEM and have been involved in the Malate Dehydrogenase CURE Community to help me bring undergrad research to my classroom.