Our Group

Thompson Group Fall 2018

Primary Investigator:

Matthew K. Thompson, PhD
Assistant Professor

Phone #: (205) 348-7020
Email: mthompson10@ua.edu
Shelby Hall 3006-E

Education:
Postdoctoral Fellow, Vanderbilt University, 2011-2017

PhD, North Carolina State University, 2011
BS, Eastern Kentucky University, 2004

Graduate Students:

Courtney Petersen
B.S. Chemistry, Salisbury University
cmpetersen@crimson.ua.edu

Research Interests:
My research focuses on elucidating the structural/functional role of [4Fe4S] clusters and electron transfer in human DNA replication enzymes. I am currently working with human DNA primase and DNA polymerase delta. In the future, I hope to study the electron transfer pathway in human DNA primase and to help develop new methods for tracking electron transfer in other [4Fe4S] cluster DNA processing enzymes.

Genoah Collins
M.S. Chemistry, University of Alabama in Huntsville, 2019
B.S. Chemistry, University of Alabama at Birmingham, 2008
glcollins1@crimson.ua.edu

Research Interests:
I am interested in using biochemical and biophysical approaches to understand and cure human illness. Antibiotic resistance significatly impacts global health and wellness and the future of drug treatment initiatives. Developing new strategies to reduce these instances through the examination of protein structure and biochemical processes and the application of biophysical techniques will improve the diseased state. My research will focus on generating novel approaches to characterizing and combating Fosfomycin antibiotic drug resistance.

Skye Travis
M.S. Chemistry, University of Alabama
B.S. Chemistry, University of Southern Mississippi
srtravis1@crimson.ua.edu

Research Interests:
My current work is on characterizing a fosfomycin resistance protein in M. bolletii, including kinetic, and thermodynamic properties. Other interests include drug design and structural biology.

Hailey Dollard
B.S. Chemistry, Gardner-Webb University
hrdollard@crimson.ua.edu

Vanessa Wiltsie
B.S. Chemistry, State University of New York at Oswego
vwiltsie@crimson.ua.edu

Undergraduate Students:

Madeline Shay
Majors: Chemistry & Microbiology
Aspiration: PhD program

Research Interests:
My current projects include the structural/functional characterization of a fosfomycin resistance protein in E.faecium, as well as FosA in A.baumannii. Methods include x-ray crystallography, circular dichroism, P-NMR, as well as computational chemistry.