EDUCATION

• Postdoctoral Fellowship, Medical College of Wisconsin

• Ph.D., Medical College of Wisconsin — Cell and Developmental Biology

• B.S., Wisconsin Lutheran College — Biology

BACKGROUND

I became a member of the Biology faculty at WLC in 2022. In the interim between graduating from and returning to WLC, I ventured a few minutes north to the Medical College of Wisconsin; there I conducted graduate work studying rare pediatric genetic eye disorders and post-graduate work investigating how the formation of new blood vessels controls lung development, aging, and regeneration. In my free time, I enjoy playing Ultimate Frisbee, singing in choir and playing my French horn at church, gardening, camping, reading, and watching science fiction and crime-solving shows.

TEACHING

• BIO 202 - Principles of Biology 2
• BIO 331 - Cell Biology
• BIO 355 - Pathophysiology
• BIO 360 - Genetics
• BIO 401 - Research Strategies 1
• BIO 402 - Research Strategies 2
• BIO 403 - Research Strategies 3
• LAS 401 - Liberal Arts Capstone

RESEARCH INTERESTS

My main interests are genetics, cell and molecular biology, and developmental biology. I am captivated by the intricate, complex, beautiful design of the cell, especially our genetic makeup, and how such a tiny unit can perform so many functions and act in concert with trillions of other cells to form a living being. I am also intrigued by discerning disease processes and looking for potential therapeutic targets. I would like to generate animal or cell culture models of disease via genome editing technologies like CRISPR-Cas9 and then use the models to determine signaling mechanisms contributing to various disease phenotypes.

SCHOLARLY WORKS

• Mammoto, T., Hunyenyiwa, T., Kyi, P., Hendee, K., Matus, K., Rao, S., Lee, S. H., Tabima, D. M., Chesler, N. C., & Mammoto, A. (2022). Hydrostatic pressure controls angiogenesis through endothelial YAP1 during lung regeneration. Frontiers in Bioengineering and Biotechnology, 10, 823642. PMID: 35252132.
• Hunyenyiwa, T., Hendee, K., Matus, K., Kyi, P., Mammoto, T., & Mammoto, A. (2021). Obesity inhibits angiogenesis through TWIST1-SLIT2 signaling. Frontiers in Cell and Developmental Biology, 9, 693410. PMID: 34660572.
• Hendee, K., Hunyenyiwa, T., Matus, K., Toledo, M., Mammoto, A., & Mammoto, T. (2021). Twist1 signaling in age-dependent decline in angiogenesis and lung regeneration. Aging (Albany NY), 13(6), 7781-7799. PMID: 33764901.
• Mammoto, A., Hendee, K., Muyleart, M., & Mammoto, T. (2020). Endothelial Twist1-PDGFB signaling mediates hypoxia-induced proliferation and migration of αSMA-positive cells. Scientific Reports, 10(1), 7563. PMID: 32371931.
• Mammoto, T., Torisawa, Y.S., Muyleart, M., Hendee, K., Anugwom, C., Gutterman, D., & Mammoto, A. (2019). Effects of age-dependent changes in cell size on endothelial cell proliferation and senescence through YAP1. Aging (Albany NY), 11(17), 7051-7069. PMID: 31487690.
• Hendee, K. E., Sorokina, E. A., Muheisen, S. S., Reis, L. M., Tyler, R. C., Markovic, V., Cuturilo, G., Link, B. A., & Semina, E. V. (2018). PITX2 deficiency and associated human disease: insights from the zebrafish model. Human Molecular Genetics, 27(10), 1675-1695. PMID: 29506241.
• Hendee, K. E., Wang, L. W., Reis, L. M., Rice, G. M., Apte, S. S., & Semina, E. V. (2017). Identification and functional analysis of an ADAMTSL1 variant associated with a complex phenotype including congenital glaucoma, craniofacial, and other systemic features in a three-generation human pedigree. Human Mutation, 38(11), 1485-1490. PMID: 28722276.
• Reis, L. M., Tyler, R. C., Weh, E., Hendee, K. E., Kariminejad, A., Abdul-Rahman, O., Ben-Omran, T., Manning, M. A., Yesilyurt, A., McCarty, C. A., Kitchner, T. E., Costakos, D., & Semina, E. V. (2016). Analysis of CYP1B1 in pediatric and adult glaucoma and other ocular phenotypes. Molecular Vision, 22, 1229-1238. PMID: 27777502.
• Reis, L. M., Tyler, R. C., Weh, E., Hendee, K. E., Schilter, K. F., Phillips, J. A., Sequeira, S., Schinzel, A., & Semina, E. V. (2016). Whole exome sequencing identifies multiple diagnoses in congenital glaucoma with systemic anomalies. Clinical Genetics, 90(4), 378-382. PMID: 27272408.