Dr. Lauren Klabonski

B.S., Pennsylvania State University; Ph.D., Drexel University

Bio:

Dr. Lauren Klabonski is an Assistant Professor of Biology. She teaches courses in Microbiology, Medical Microbiology, and Biological Science for non-majors. Dr. Klabonski often incorporates research-style lab experiences into her courses and loves working with students in the classroom and the lab.

Dr. Klabonski earned her Bachelor of Science in Biology from Penn State University in 2011 and her Ph.D. in Biological Sciences from Drexel University in 2019. Prior to joining the faculty at Methodist, she had academic appointments as a Visiting Assistant Professor at Gettysburg College in Gettysburg, Penn. and Stillman College, an HBCU in Tuscaloosa, Ala.

Dr. Klabonski’s areas of expertise include microbiology, cell biology, molecular biology, and genetics. Her research focuses on growth factors, which are proteins necessary for growth, development, metabolism, and other essential biological processes. Growth factors also play important roles in the development of several diseases, including cancer and Alzheimer’s disease. Dr. Klabonski’s research aims to understand how specific growth factors are transported within and, ultimately, released from a cell to exert their effects. To answer these questions, she uses a genetic model organism, the microscopic worm C. elegans. Ultimately, Dr. Klabonski’s research can be used to identify new avenues for treating disease by targeting growth factor release.