Karen E Mittelstadt
- Title
- Adjunct Assistant Professor
- mittelsk@erau.edu Email
- Department
- Department of Mathematics, Science and Technology
- College
- College of Arts & Sciences
Biography
Dr. Karen Mittelstadt teaches in the Department of Math, Science and Technology at ERAU. She is an applied biologist with specialization in the areas of immunology and oncology. After receiving her B.S. in Biomedical Science from the University of South Alabama, she worked at the National Institutes of Mental Health and did research on traumatic brain injury for two years before obtaining her M.S. in Neurobiology at the University of Kentucky. Her thesis involved research on astrocytes and their role in spinal cord injury. From there, she moved on to Washington D.C and obtained her Ph.D. at Georgetown University in Pharmacology where she investigated the effects of morphine on the immune system. After getting her Ph.D., she became a post-doctoral fellow at the Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center and did research on viral vectors and gene therapy.
Although she enjoyed working in the laboratory, she decided to investigate other careers in science and began working in the technology transfer office reviewing invention disclosures, drafting patents and licensing technologies. She worked in technology transfer for over 10 years. She then began her own consulting company as a biotechnology science writer and consulted for several businesses for 4 years drafting Small Business Innovation Grants as well as technology reviews. In her free time, she enjoys mentoring girls in STEM fields as well as spending time with family, reading, hiking, macrophotography, gardening and baking.
Education
- Ph.D. - Doctor of Philosophy in Pharmacology, Georgetown University
- M.S. - Master of Science in Anatomy and Neurobiology, University of Kentucky
- B.S. - Bachelor of Science in Biomedical Sciences: Chemistry, University of South Alabama
Currently Teaching
- BIOL 120: Foundations of Biology I
- PHYS 142: Intro to Environmental Science
Courses Taught
Foundations of Biology (BIOL 120)
Environmental Science (PHYS 304)
Memberships and Credentials
National Association of Biology Teachers
National Science Teachers Association