Faculty
Laura Lorentzen, PhD
Chairperson; Department of Science & Technology
Education
NJ Center for Science, Technology & Math Education
Townsend Hall 117
908-737-3424
llorentz@kean.edu
Dr. Lorentzen is the Department Chairperson and Associate Professor for the NJ Center for Science, Technology & Mathematics Education at Kean University. She became active in the NJ Academy of Science (NJAS) upon her entry to Kean University in 2000, and now serves as President-Elect NJAS and in April 2007 hosted the annual NJAS meeting at Kean University.
EDUCATION
Ph.D. in Molecular Physiology and Biophysics, Graduate School of Biomedical
Sciences, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX. Dissertation research on neuronal control of cardiac function in Neuroscience lab of Dr. Mariella De Biasi.
1994. Master’s of Science Degree in Cellular and Molecular Biology at Duquesne University, Pittsburgh, PA. Thesis research on molecular evolution and phylogenetic relationships of lower metazoans in lab of Dr. James R. Garey (now at Unv. S. Florida).
1992. Bachelor’s of Science Degree in Biology with a Chemistry Minor at The University of Charleston, Charleston, WV.
Area of CURRENT Research
Dr. Lorentzen's research centers on the importance of a ligand-gated ion channel, the neuronal nicotinic acetylcholine receptor, in mediating neural transmission at sympathetic ganglia synapses innervating the heart. Altered autonomic neural activity, as in human patients presenting with cardiac arrhythmias, hypertension, or autonomic failure, may directly impair cardiac function. Her research investigates the effect of disrupted neural activity caused by the absence of the 3-containing nicotinic acetylcholine receptors, on the heart muscle as well as biochemical changes at the level of the sympathetic ganglia.
SELECTED PEER-REVIEWED PUBLICATIONS (L. Lorentzen formerly L. Mackey)
Kousa, Y. and Lorentzen, L.Y. (2006) College math education majors work alongside peer molecular biology majors to learn basic neuroscience and biology, and in turn excite elementary and middle school children. Kean University COE Press. School Connections. In press.
Witkowski, C., Otsuka, A., Hutter, D., Lorentzen, L., Harb, O (2004) Instructor’s Manual for Genes VIII Lewin. Upper Saddle River NJ: Pearson Prentice Hall. 280p.
Lorentzen, L.Y. (2004) To Leave or Not to Leave? That Was the Question AWIS Magazine. 33(3)26-7.
Franceschini, D., Orr-Urtreger, A., Yu, W., Mackey, L.Y., Bond, R.A., Armstrong, D.,
Patrick, J.W., Beaudet, A.L., De Biasi, M. (2000) Altered baroreflex responses in alpha3 deficient mice. Behav. Brain Res. 113(1-2):3-10.
Aghdasi, B., Mackey, L.Y. and Hamilton, S.L. (1999) Neomycin in The Encyclopedia of Molecular Biology, ed. Creighton, T.E. (John Wiley and Sons, Inc., New York). 304:1574-76.
Garey, J.R., Nelson, D.R., Mackey, L.Y., Li, J. (1999) Tardigrade Phylogeny: Congruency of Morphological and Molecular Evidence. Zoologischer Anzeiger. 238:205-210.
Blaxter M., DeLey P., Garey J.R., Liu L.X., Scheldeman P., Vierstraete A., Vanfleteren
J.R., Mackey L.Y., Dorris M., Frisse L.M., Vida J.T., and Thomas K.T. (1998) A Molecular Evolutionary Framework for the Phylum Nematoda. Nature. 392:71-75.
Mackey L.Y., Winnepenninckx B., De Wachter R., Backeljau T., Emschermann P., and
Garey J.R. (1996) 18S rRNA Suggests that Entoprocts are Protostomes, Unrelated to Ectoprocta. J. Mol. Evol. 42(5): 552-559.
Winnepenninckx B., Backeljau T., Mackey L.Y., Brooks J.M., De Wachter R., Kumar S., and Garey J.R. (1995) 18S rRNA Data Indicate that Aschelminthes are Polyphyletic in Origin and Consist of at Least Three Distinct Clades. Mol. Bio. Evol. 12(6):1132-1137.