Jesse W. Karr

Jesse W. Karr is an Associate Professor of Chemistry and Biochemistry at Siena University, where he has taught since 2010 after serving as a Post-Doctoral Faculty Fellow at Boston University. His office resides in the Morrell Science Center, and he instructs courses including General Chemistry, Inorganic Chemistry, and Advanced Biochemical Methods.

His educational background:

• Ph.D. in Chemistry, University of Maryland, Baltimore County
• B.S. in Chemistry (minor: Environmental Science), State University of New York College at Plattsburgh

Dr. Karr's research centers on metal ion toxicity in biological systems, with current emphasis on Pb(II) mechanisms in lead poisoning. His work bridges biochemistry and inorganic chemistry to investigate how metal-protein interactions drive neurodegenerative diseases and environmental health crises, particularly through studies of Amyloid-β in Alzheimer's and Synaptotagmin-1 in synaptic function.

His publication history (2004-2019) reveals consistent focus on metallobiochemistry, evolving from Cu(II) binding in Alzheimer's-related proteins to Pb(II) toxicity mechanisms and educational innovations in thermochromic metal complexes. Key themes include protein-metal coordination chemistry, disease pathology modeling, and science pedagogy development.

Scientific recognition:

• No awards or fellowships documented in source materials

Dr. Karr actively mentors undergraduate researchers through Siena's Summer Research Symposium and regional ACS conferences, emphasizing hands-on laboratory experiences. His curriculum development work includes redesigning General Chemistry labs using an atoms-first approach and creating biochemistry research proposal frameworks adopted across multiple courses. He champions a teaching philosophy prioritizing critical thinking and information literacy over rote memorization.

He leads a research group within Siena's Chemistry and Biochemistry department investigating metal-induced structural changes in neural proteins, with particular focus on lead's disruption of calcium signaling pathways through Synaptotagmin-1 binding studies.