A specialist in biochemistry and Northwestern College graduate, Dr. Carlson appreciates how chemistry’s patterns and formulas cause biological processes—and describes moments of scientific discovery as “the most genuine form of worship” she can offer.
Captivated by chemistry
Dr. Carlson remembers the first time she found her niche in the realm of biochemistry: “I was in a class learning about the protein hemoglobin, which transports oxygen from our lungs to the tissues in our bodies. My professor explained how oxygen binding to hemoglobin results in small changes to the protein’s structure, allowing it to efficiently deliver oxygen to tissues. It was a light bulb moment for me, and from then on, I was hooked.”
Passionate researcher
Dr. Carlson’s research on the kinetic mechanisms of specialized DNA polymerases that replicate damaged DNA has been published in Molecular and Cellular Biology and Proceedings of the National Academy of Science. She and colleague Dr. David Arnett have also studied how a signaling protein activates an enzyme involved in the dilation of blood vessels.
Devoted Raider
After earning a doctorate in biochemistry from University of Iowa, Dr. Carlson returned to her alma mater to teach. She loves being near some of her closest friends whom she met at Northwestern. In fact, her college roommate also works at Northwestern, so the two friends connect for lunch almost every week.
Raising young scientists
As a mother of three young children, Dr. Carlson is convinced that “children are the best scientists in the world.” She notes that kids are well-versed in observation—the first step of the scientific method—because “everything is new to them and they’re trying to collect enough data to draw hypotheses about the way the world runs.” Her scientific work would drastically improve if she followed their example, she says with a smile, but she’d also be very late for class.
