Katherine Mitsouras, PhD
Associate Professor of Biochemistry
College of Osteopathic Medicine of the Pacific
Join year: April 2007
Postdoctoral Fellow, Microarray Technology Development, Department of Human Genetics, David Geffen School of Medicine, UCLA, Los Angeles, CA, 2001-2005.
Ph.D., Biological Chemistry summa cum laude, David Geffen School of Medicine, UCLA, Los Angeles, CA, 2001
B.S., Biochemistry & Molecular Biology with honors, Brown University, Providence, RI, 1995
Associate Professor, Western University of Health Sciences, COMP, Pomona, CA, 2019-present
Assistant Professor, Western University of Health Sciences, COMP, Pomona, CA, 2007-2019
Instructor, Department of Biology, Victor Valley College, Victorville, CA, 2006
Teaching Assistant, Eukaryotic Gene Expression Laboratory Course, Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory, Cold Spring Harbor, NY, summer 1998
Teaching Assistant, Introductory Biology Department of Molecular, Cell and Developmental Biology, UCLA, Los Angeles, CA, Spring 1998
Teaching Assistant, Human Biochemistry and Nutrition Laboratory, David Geffen School of Medicine, UCLA, Los Angeles, CA, Spring 1997
Teaching Assistant, Introductory Biology, Department of Biochemistry, Brown University, Providence, RI, Spring 1994
Teaching Assistant, Inorganic Chemistry Laboratory, Department of Chemistry, Brown University, Providence, RI, 1993-1994
Introduction to the Study of Osteopathic Medicine (foundations of histology, anatomy, physiology, biochemistry, and genetics; OMS-I)
Foundations of Osteopathic Medicine 1 (musculoskeletal and dermal systems; OMS-I)
Foundations of Osteopathic Medicine 3 (cardiovascular, respiratory, hematopoetic and renal systems; OMS-I)
Foundations of Osteopathic Medicine 4 (nutrition, gastrointestinal, endocrine and reproductive systems; OMS-I)
Advanced Study of Osteopathic Medicine (pharmacology and microbiology; OMS-II)
Patient Centered Cases, an Interprofessional Approach: Faculty Facilitator
In order to help our students maximize their opportunities to match into residency in the extremely competitive unified GME environment, I have shifted my research interests towards medical education research, which aims to advance the knowledge, skills, and professionalism of students by understanding and evaluating educational programs and environments. I am specifically interested in metrics and parameters that associate with matching into first-choice residency, with optimizing licensing exam performance (USMLE and COMLEX) as well as with the effective teaching of the basic medical sciences. Information gained by educational research can be used to better advise students, inform curricular design, development and evaluation. Educational research is very amenable to student involvement, and I am always willing to mentor students in research projects.
DO2019 Outstanding BMS Faculty Award, College of Osteopathic Medicine of the Pacific, WesternU,Pomona, CA, 2016
Teamwork Award, College of Osteopathic Medicine of the Pacific, WesternU, Pomona, CA, 2015
Student Focus Award, College of Osteopathic Medicine of the Pacific, Western University of Health Sciences, Pomona, CA, 2014
DNA Genotek Travel Award for Plant and Animal Genome XIX International Conference in San Diego, California, 2011
Dissertation Year Fellowship, UCLA Graduate Division, UCLA, Los Angeles, CA, 2000-01
NIH Cell and Molecular Biology Training Grant, UCLA, Los Angeles, CA, 1996-99
Honors Undergraduate Thesis in Biochemistry, Brown University, Providence, RI, 1995
Howard Hughes Undergraduate Research Fellowship, Brown University, Providence, RI, 1994
Women in Science and Engineering Undergraduate Research Fellowship, Brown University, Providence, RI, 1993
International Association of Medical Science Educators
American Society for Biochemistry and Molecular Biology
Association of Biochemistry Educators
Association of Professors of Human and Medical Genetics
- Mitsouras, K., Dong, F., Safaoui, M. N., & Helf, S. C. Student academic performance factors affecting matching into first-choice residency and competitive specialties. 2019. BMC medical education, 19(1), 241. https://doi.org/10.1186/s12909-019-1669-9
- Pearce, D.D, Mitsouras, K., and Irizarry, K.J. Discriminating the effects of Cannabis sativa and Cannabis indica: a web survey of medical cannabis users. 2014. J Altern Complement Med. (10):787
- Irizarry, K.J.L, Malladi, S., Gao, X., Mitsouras, K., Melendez, L., Burris, P., Brockman, J., and Al-Murrani, S. Sequencing and Comparative Genomic Analysis of 1227 Felis catus cDNA Sequences Enriched for Developmental, Clinical and Nutritional Phenotypes. 2012. BMC Genomics 13: 31
- Mitsouras K, Faulhaber EA, Hui G, Joslin J, Eng C, Barr M, Irizarry K. Development of a PCR Assay to Detect Papillomavirus Infection in the Snow Leopard. 2011. BMC Vet Res 7: 38 (Highly Accessed).
- Liao G, Wen Z, Irizarry K, Huang Y, Mitsouras K, Darmani M, Leon T, Shi L and Bi X. Abnormal gene expression in cerebellum of Npc1-/- mice during postnatal development. Brain Res. 2010 Apr 14;1325:128-40.
- Mitsouras K and Faulhaber EA. Saliva as an alternative source of high yield canine genomic DNA for genotyping studies. BMC Res Notes. 2009 Oct 29;2:219.
- Voith VL, Ingram E, Mitsouras K and Irizarry K. Comparison of adoption agency breed identification and DNA breed identification of dogs. J Appl Anim Welf Sci. 2009 Jul;12(3):253-62.
- Rickabaugh T, Brown H, Wu TT, Song MJ, Hwang S, Deng H, Mitsouras K and Sun R. Kaposi's Sarcoma-Associated Herpesvirus/Human Herpesvirus 8 RTA Reactivates Murine Gammaherpesvirus-68. J Virol. 2005 Mar;79(5):3217-22.
- Le K *, Mitsouras K*, Roy M, Wang Q, Xu Q, Nelson SF and Lee C. Detecting Tissue-Specific Regulation of Alternative Splicing as a Qualitative Change in Microarray Data. Nucleic Acids Res. 2004 Dec 14;32(22):e180.*Co-first authors, listed alphabetically.
- Mitsouras K, Wong B, Arayata C, Johnson RC and Carey M. “The DNA Architectural Protein HMGB1 Displays Two Distinct Modes of Action that Promote Enhanceosome Assembly.” Mol Cell Biol. 2002 Jun;22(12):4390-401.
- Johnson K, Mitsouras K and Carey M. “Eukaryotic Transcription: the Core of Eukaryotic Gene Activation.” Curr Biol. 2001 Jul 10;11(13):R510-3.
- Ellwood K, Chi T, Huang W, Mitsouras K and Carey M. “Cooperative Assembly of RNA Polymerase II Transcription Complexes.” Cold Spring Harb Symp Quant Biol. 1998;63:253-61.
- Ozer J, Mitsouras K, Zerby D, Carey M and Lieberman PM. “Transcription Factor IIA derepresses TATA-Binding Protein (TBP)-Associated Factor Inhibition of TBP-DNA Binding.” J Biol Chem. 1998 Jun 5;273(23):14293-300.
Poster Presentations
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Mitsouras, K., Dong, F., Safaoui, M.N., and Helf, S.C. “Student Academic Performance Factors Affecting Matching into First-Choice Residency and Competitive Specialties.” 2019. Asia Pacific Medical Education Conference, Singapore
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Mitsouras, K., Dong, F., Safaoui, M.N., and Helf, S.C. “Student Academic Performance Factors Affecting Matching into First-Choice Residency and Competitive Specialties.” 2018. International Association of Medical School Educators Annual Meeting, Las Vegas, Nevada
- Barr, M.C., Irizarry, K.J.L., Joslin, J.O., Mockler, T.C., Tetzloff, J., Mitsouras, K., Kendall, V.R. “Snow leopard (Uncia uncia) Functional Genomics Initiative: Integrating genomics into the management of captive endangered species.” 2012. American Association of Zoo Veterinarians Annual Meeting, Oakland, California
- Irizarry, K., Scudder, J., Mitsouras, K., and Rutlant, J. “Characterization of Bullmastiff Head Morphology and Identification of Runx2 Allelic Variation within the Breed.” 2012. Plant and Animal Genome XIX International Conference, San Diego, California
- Mitsouras, K., Faulhaber, E.A., Hui, G., and Irizarry, K.J.L. “Development of a PCR-assay to detect papillomavirus in the snow leopard.” 2011. Plant and Animal Genome XIX International Conference, San Diego, California
- Priest, H.D., Fox, S., Hui, G., Mitsouras, K., Joslin, J., Barr, M.C., Tetzloff, J., Irizarry, K.J.L., and Mockler, T. “Sequencing the Uncia uncia Genome: Endangered Species Conservation Genomics.” 2010. Oregon State University, Corvallis, Oregon
- Hui, G., Faulhaber, E.A., Camacho, A., Mitsouras, K., and Irizarry, K.J.L. “Construction of a Comparative Genomics Map to Facilitate the Annotation of the Draft Snow Leopard Genome.” 2010. Merial Veterinary Scholars’ Symposium, Athens, Georgia
- Voith, V., Chadik, C., Ingram, E., Irizarry, K.J.L., Mitsouras, K., and Marilo, J. “Dog Breed Identification.” 2010. American College of Veterinary Behaviorists and The American Veterinary Society of Animal Behaviorists Symposium, Atlanta, Georgia
Patents
- Licinio J, Wong ML, Irizarry KJL and Mitsouras KM. “Compositions and Methods for Determining and Predicting Treatment Response for Depression and Anxiety.” International Patent PCT/US2005/028790, filed 8/12/2005