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Kirst King-Jones is a Professor in the Faculty of Science at the University of Alberta, specializing in Biological Sciences. His research focuses on steroid hormones, which are ancient signaling molecules that play fundamental roles in development and disease. Specifically, he studies how steroid hormones act as critical regulators of reproductive tissues in humans and how they determine developmental processes in insects. His research explores the mechanisms by which steroid hormones maintain mineral salt concentrations and control stress and inflammatory responses in humans. A significant aspect of his work involves understanding the pulsatile release of steroid hormones, which generates systemic signals that coordinate various physiological and developmental changes in the body. Using Drosophila as a model organism, he investigates the roles of steroid hormones in major developmental transitions such as larval molts and metamorphosis. Additionally, he models the function of rare human disease genes in Drosophila, revealing unexpected connections between cellular signaling pathways that regulate steroid hormone production. King-Jones is also active in teaching, offering courses such as GENET 304, which examines gene expression regulation and the molecular biology of genetic processes across different organisms.
Department: Mechanical Engineering and Engineering Management