معرفی
Shannen Cravens, Ph.D., is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Chemistry & Biochemistry at Gonzaga University. Her research integrates biophysical chemistry and molecular biology to investigate fundamental biological processes.
- Key Research Areas: DNA biophysics, sequence-specific DNA targeting molecules, and biochemical mechanisms of DNA repair enzymes.
- Recent Expansion: Applied atomic force and confocal microscopy to study tooth decay and enamel erosion.
The Cravens Lab focuses on three primary projects: (1) Investigating chemical damage effects on DNAzymes for RNA-targeting therapeutics; (2) Characterizing anti-bacterial/anti-tumor chalcones interacting with DNA; (3) Analyzing calcium leaching from tooth enamel under dietary stressors. Students engage with molecular biology, structural biology, and analytical chemistry techniques.
Recent publications highlight her work on ubiquitin ligase regulation (2024), DNA glycosylase dynamics (2017, 2014), and damage search mechanisms (2016). Research aligns with Sustainable Development Goals 3 (Good Health) and 4 (Quality Education).
