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My research seeks to distinguish features of chemical structure that control how drug molecules interact with DNA. Molecules that become threaded through the helix, thereby distorting DNA shape, can inhibit further replication and are of particular interest. Students in my lab make ruthenium based molecules that intercalate between the base pairs inside the double helix of DNA. Exactly how the ruthenium molecules initially approach DNA, become inserted and eventually exist in equilibrium as a free and bound molecule is studied using synthesis and spectroscopic tools.
My dissertation assessed gender differences in functional, mental, and self-rated health among older adults. Other research I am involved in examines gender differences in suicide among the elderly, aging and the sense of control, racial/ethnic differences in trajectories of functional health, and the occupational turf battle between certified registered nurse anesthetists and anesthesiologists.