Karen G. Hales

Karen G. Hales
Associate Professor of Biology
Davidson College

Office and lab: Dana 201
Phone: (704) 894-2324 FAX:(704) 894-2512
Mailing address: Box 7118, Davidson NC 28035
Shipping address: 217 Concord Road, Davidson NC 28035

Fall 2009 Office Hours: to be determined

Recommendation letter requests: please see my guidelines.

Curriculum vitae

Courses
BIO100W Clones, Clones, Clones, Clones (Spring 2008)
BIO111 Molecules, Genes, and Cells (Spring 2009)
BIO301 Genetics (Fall 2008)
BIO352 Group Investigation: Genetics of Mitochondrial Structure in Drosophila Spermatogenesis (Spring 2008)
BIO362 Human Genetics Seminar (Spring 2008)
BIO371/372 Independent Research (each semester)

Genetics links

Research
In my laboratory we perform genetic analysis with the fruit fly Drosophila melanogaster to explore the molecular mechanisms by which mitochondria are moved and shaped in cells. Mitochondria are the organelles often referred to as the "powerhouses of the cell," since they are the sites where energy from food is stored in ATP. In many cell types with unusual energy needs, mitochondria move in a regulated way to be close to energy-requiring structures such as flagella or ion pumps. In addition, mitochondria often undergo regulated fusion and division, sometimes existing as a single large network in the cell, and sometimes as many individual units. We speculate that such changes may contribute to the efficiency of ATP generation in certain contexts. In Drosophila melanogaster (as in most other higher organisms), mitochondria undergo a dramatic series of shape changes during spermatogenesis. Through the analysis of male-sterile mutants defective in mitochondrial morphogenesis, we isolate and characterize genes whose protein products function in this process. Work in the Hales lab is supported by Davidson College and Academic Research Enhancement Award 1 R15 GM080689-01 from the National Institutes of Health.

Lab members
Present: Sarah Pyfrom '11, Madeleine Pilon '12, Shanawa Richardson '08 (research technician).
Past: Laura Bergner '09, Eddie Hickman '09, Hunter Stone '09, Carolyn Wakeman '09, Kin Lau '10, Bevin English '08, Katie Wood '08, Mike Beaucaire '09, Sarah Coffey '09, Ben Whigham '07, Sarah Durnbaugh '06, Kara Koehrn '06, Anna Nam '08, Levi Benson (Colgate University '06), Lindsay Nakaishi '05, Kevin Saunders '05, Carrie Black '06, Lucy Marcil '06, Laura Sedig '07, Sarah Baxley '04, Sara Holmberg '04, Lauren Watson '06, Ty Plowshay '05, Monica Siegenthaler '03, Laura Quillian '03, Sean Burke '02, Marisa Wilson '02, Fitz Sturgill '01, Shaheen Counts '01, Sheena Favors (research technician), Amanda Aldridge (research technician), Courtney Ewart '01 (visiting research technician), Ridling Waller (visiting scholar, spring '01).

Davidson Biology

Darwin Year 2008-2009

dPUI

Misc links