2008 Woodie Awards
UMKC biology professor enjoys teaching, research
Shayne Sprenkle
Issue date: 12/5/05 Section: News
- Page 1 of 1
"It's like imagining a kid on a set of monkey bars," said King. "They take steps moving one hand at a time. If one hand slips, it's okay, but it both hands slip, the child falls off,"
Dr. Stephen King, assistant professor in the UMKC School of Biological Sciences, uses childhood antics to explain the complex bidirectional movements of proteins.
This is only one example of his remarkable teaching and research skills.
In 2004 King was awarded the UMKC Faculty Scholar Award for outstanding performance in teaching and research. King currently teaches the Biology 109 and Cell Biology 202 courses.
"I always surprise myself how much I enjoy teaching," he said. "I hope to create and teach a course in molecular motors in the near future."
As a committee member of the National Institute of Health-Study Section, King is accustomed to reviewing scientific grant proposals.
"It is very difficult to write a good grant proposal," King said.
However challenging the essential scientific skill, King has performed well as the principal investigator of two large grants from the NIH and associated programs in his work on dynein motility interactions with microtubules and the characterization of the step sizes, force generation, and motility properties of cytoplasmic dynein motors. Microtubules are in every cell in the human body. They are the structural tracks along which the motor proteins dynein and dynactin move during departure to and from the cellular nucleus.
"My research will contribute much to understanding the nerve degenerating disorders such as Alzheimer's and Parkinson's disease," King said.
King's four-year presence at UMKC continues a lifelong passion for biology.
King received his bachelor's degree in Biology from Cornell University in 1990. The following six years were dedicated to attaining a Ph.D. in Molecular Biology at the University of Colorado-Boulder. He concluded his five-year postdoctoral research in the laboratory of Dr. Trina Schroer at Johns Hopkins University in 2001. During this time King began work on the dynein/dynactin motor complex. His efforts led to publication in distinguished scientific journals such as Nature, Journal of Cell Science, and Current Biology.
As a proud father of three-ages, 4, 5 and 7-King enjoys answering his children's many questions about how science really works.
"I always answer questions truthfully," King said. "There are no false answers in science."
Many are familiar with fiction writer Stephen King, yet as we turn our awareness toward scientific biological discovery, all eyes focus on Stephen King, the UMKC scientist.
ssprenkle@unews.com
Dr. Stephen King, assistant professor in the UMKC School of Biological Sciences, uses childhood antics to explain the complex bidirectional movements of proteins.
This is only one example of his remarkable teaching and research skills.
In 2004 King was awarded the UMKC Faculty Scholar Award for outstanding performance in teaching and research. King currently teaches the Biology 109 and Cell Biology 202 courses.
"I always surprise myself how much I enjoy teaching," he said. "I hope to create and teach a course in molecular motors in the near future."
As a committee member of the National Institute of Health-Study Section, King is accustomed to reviewing scientific grant proposals.
"It is very difficult to write a good grant proposal," King said.
However challenging the essential scientific skill, King has performed well as the principal investigator of two large grants from the NIH and associated programs in his work on dynein motility interactions with microtubules and the characterization of the step sizes, force generation, and motility properties of cytoplasmic dynein motors. Microtubules are in every cell in the human body. They are the structural tracks along which the motor proteins dynein and dynactin move during departure to and from the cellular nucleus.
"My research will contribute much to understanding the nerve degenerating disorders such as Alzheimer's and Parkinson's disease," King said.
King's four-year presence at UMKC continues a lifelong passion for biology.
King received his bachelor's degree in Biology from Cornell University in 1990. The following six years were dedicated to attaining a Ph.D. in Molecular Biology at the University of Colorado-Boulder. He concluded his five-year postdoctoral research in the laboratory of Dr. Trina Schroer at Johns Hopkins University in 2001. During this time King began work on the dynein/dynactin motor complex. His efforts led to publication in distinguished scientific journals such as Nature, Journal of Cell Science, and Current Biology.
As a proud father of three-ages, 4, 5 and 7-King enjoys answering his children's many questions about how science really works.
"I always answer questions truthfully," King said. "There are no false answers in science."
Many are familiar with fiction writer Stephen King, yet as we turn our awareness toward scientific biological discovery, all eyes focus on Stephen King, the UMKC scientist.
ssprenkle@unews.com
