Faculty

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Kristin Edwards, PhD

Assistant Professor 
(601) 815-3423

Current research

I received my B.S. degree from Jacksonville State University, in Jacksonville, AL, in Biology and Chemistry, and my Ph.D. in Biochemistry from the University of Mississippi Medical Center.

As a predoctoral student, I was responsible for establishing protocols for isolating mitochondria from various tissues, assays for measuring coupled respiration in intact mitochondria, assays for whole-chain electron transfer in broken mitochondria, and assays of the individual electron transfer complexes of oxidative phosphorylation. My protocols are still utilized by the Mitochondrial Research Core at UMMC. Through collaborative work as the Director of the Mitochondrial Research Core at the University of Mississippi Medical Center, I have explored alterations of mitochondrial bioenergetics in various disease rodent models and clinical samples.

My lab focuses on the role of mitochondrial dysfunction in various diseases, such as polycystic ovarian syndrome (PCOS) and inflammatory bowel disease (IBD), and the use of mitochondrial-targeted therapeutics. I am also interested in determining sex differences in mitochondrial function throughout age and how alterations to sex hormone levels will alter mitochondrial function.