Graduate Student, Curriculum in Genetics and Molecular Biology
B.S. Winthrop University (2006)
started in the lab May 2007
PhD, May 2013

Research Interests

I am interested in how the fates (i.e. crossover or non-crossover) of the programmed double-strand breaks in meiotic recombination are "chosen". Initially, my research focused on the Drosophila protein REC (short for 'recombination defective') because the rec mutant phenotypes suggested a role for REC in the CO/NCO decision. Since then, my project has expanded to include all of the known Drosophila precondition genes (rec, mei-217, mei-218, and MCM5). I am currently using genetic and biochemical approaches to study the functions of these four proteins in meiotic recombination.

        Read about a day in the life of Kathryn!

Publications from research in the Sekelsky Lab

• M.C. LaFave., S.L. Andersen, E.P. Stoffregen, J.K. Holsclaw, K.P. Kohl, L.J. Overton, and J. Sekelsky (2013) Sources and structures of mitotic crossovers that arise when BLM helicase is absent in Drosophila. Genetics (in revision).
   
• S. McMahan, K.P. Kohl, and J. Sekelsky (2013) Variation in meiotic recombination frequencies between allelic transgenes inserted at fifferent sites in the Drosophila melanogaster genome. G3 3: 1419-1427.
   
• K.P. Kohl and J. Sekelsky (2013) Meiotic and mitotic recombination in meiosis. Genetics 194: 327-334.
   
• K.P. Kohl, C.D. Jones, and J. Sekelsky (2012) Evolution of an MCM complex in flies that promotes meiotic crossovers by blocking BLM helicase. Science 338: 1363-1365.
   
• K.A. Collins, J.G. Callicoat, C.M. McClurken, K.P. Kohl, and R.S. Hawley (2012) A germline clone screen on the X chromosome reveals novel meiotic mutants in Drosophila melanogaster. G3: Genes, Genomes, Genetics 2: 1369-1377.
   
• S.L. Andersen, D.T. Bergstralh, K.P. Kohl, J.R. LaRocque, C.B. Moore, and J. Sekelsky (2009) Drosophila MUS312 and the vertebrate ortholog BTBD12 interact with DNA structure-specific endonucleases in DNA repair and recombination. Molecular Cell 35: 128-135.
   

Talks at conferences

• "The role of the Drosophila meiotic MCM proteins in crossover formation"
  Harold Weintraub Symposium, Seattle, WA, May 3, 2013.
• "The role of the Drosophila meiotic MCM proteins in crossover formation"
  GSA Drosophila Research Conference, April 5, 2013.
• "Identification of a Novel MCM Complex Involved in Meiotic Crossover Formation"
  Gordon-Kenan Research Seminar, June 2, 2012.
• "Functions of a Meiotic MCM Complex in Generating Crossovers"
  Genetics/GMB Retreat at the Beach, Sept. 17, 2011.
• "Identification of a Novel MCM Complex Involved in Meiotic Crossover Formation"
  Gordon-Kenan Research Seminar, June 12, 2010.

Awards

• Life Sciences Research Foundation postdoctoral fellowship (2014-2017).
• Larry Sandler Award for most oustanding dissertation in Drosophila research, runner-up (2014).
• Harold M. Weintraub Graduate Student Award (2013).
• Kenan-Hobgood Dissertation Fellowship for outstanding student in GMB (2011).
• National Science Foundation Graduate Research Fellowship, honorable mention (2008).
• Genetics and Molecular Biology training grant (2006-2007).