Dr. Ivelitza Garcia
Protein Biochemistry and Biophysics
Protein Biochemistry and Biophysics
Northwestern University Postdoctoral Research: Dr. Olke C. Uhlenbeck 2003-2008
Comparative biochemical studies of four S. cerevisiae ribosome biogenesis DEAD-box proteins. Improved existing assays to monitor ATP hydrolysis and develop high-throughput assays to measure RNA duplex unwinding for mechanistic elucidation of each protein. Developed spectroscopic methods to monitor ATP binding and protein domain dynamics.
University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill Graduate Research: Dr. Kevin M. Weeks 1997-2002
Structural compensation studies of ribonucleoprotein assembly and intron splicing facilitation for an RNA chaperone. Kinetic studies of RNA folding intermediate in the presence of an RNA chaperone. Developed a splicing selection assay to utilize nucleotide analog interference mapping. Developed a method for producing and labeling homogenous 3’ RNA ends.
Florida International University Undergraduate Research: Dr. Kevin E. O’Shea 1994-1997
Monitored the photocatalytic degradation pathway of organophosphorus compounds.
Florida State University Summer Intern: Dr. Jack Saltiel 1995
Fluorescence and ultraviolet adsorption analysis of diphenylpolyenes.
March 2024 ASBMB NSF Conference travel award.
Summer 2023 NSF Faculty fellow in the Malate Dehydrogenase CUREs Community Faculty Fellow (MCC FF) Cohort 2023 (under the Eastern Regional Hub).
July 2022 NSF S-STEM; PIs: Ivelitza Garcia, Lauren French, and Jennifer Foreman.
April 2021 HHMI Inclusive Excellence 3 Learning Community: PIs: Tim Chapp, Brad Hersh, Ivelitza Garcia, and Lisa Whitenack.
February 2017 NSF MRI Major Research Instrumentation Grant; PIs: Tim Chapp, Ivelitza Garcia, and Mark Ams.
May 2015 FASEB RUI travel award.
January 2015 Diversity Innovation Funds.
November 2014 NSF RUI. PI: Ivelitza Garcia
May 2014 Spectroscopy Society of Pittsburgh Equipment grant: PI: Ivelitza Garcia and Ryan Van Horn.
August 2012 ACS inter-chapter outreach grant: Westminster College and Allegheny College Outreach program for Malawi, Africa. PI: Sarah A. Kennedy. Co-PI Ivelitza Garcia.
Summer 2010 Robert W. Baum travel award from Allegheny College
Spring 2010 Samuel K. Edwards travel award from Allegheny College
Summer 2009 Demmler Award for Innovative Teaching
2004-2007 American Cancer Society Postdoctoral Fellowship
Ivelitza Garcia, K. Cornely, C.N. Peterson, M.B. Berkmen. Roles of the oncometabolite enantiomers of 2-hydroxyglutarate and their metabolism by diverse dehydrogenases. Essays Biochem. 2024 Jun 26:EBC20230077. doi: 10.1042/EBC20230077.
Ivelitza Garcia, Just-in-Time Approach to Undergraduate Biochemistry Research. Developing and Maintaining a Successful Undergraduate Research Program, Chapter 8, 2013, pp 91-120. ACS Symposium Series, Volume 1156. Publication Date: January 1, 2014
Ivelitza Garcia, Michael Albring and Olke C. Uhlenbeck. Duplex destabilization by four ribosomal DEAD-box proteins. Biochemistry. 51(50) 2012.
Ivelitza Garcia and Olke C. Uhlenbeck. Differential RNA-dependent ATPase activities of four rRNA processing yeast DEAD-box proteins. Biochemistry. 47(47): 12562-73 (2008)
Andrzej M. Turek, Govindarajan Krishnamoorthy, Donald F. Sears, Jr., Ivelitza Garcia, Olga Dmitrenko, and Jack Saltiel. Resolution of Three Fluorescence Components in the Spectra of all-trans-1,6-Diphenyl-1,3,5hexatriene under Isopolarizability Conditions. J. Phys. Chem. A, 109 (2): 293 -303, (2005).
Ivelitza Garcia and Kevin M. Weeks. Structural basis for the self-chaperoning function of an RNA collapsed state. Biochemistry. 43(48): 15179-86 (2004).
Ivelitza Garcia and Kevin M. Weeks. Small structural costs for evolution from RNA to RNP-based catalysis. J. Mol. Biol. 331(1): 57-73 (2003).
Kevin E. O’Shea, Stephan H. Jannach, and Ivelitza Garcia. The Reactions of Substituted Acyclic 1,3 butadienes in Irradiated TiO2 Acetonitrile Suspensions. J. Photochem. Photobiol., A:Chem, 122:127-131 (1999).
Kevin E. O’Shea, Shawn Beighton, Ivelitza Garcia, David V. Kalen, and William J. Cooper. Photocatalytic Decomposition of Organophosphorus Compounds in Irradiated TiO2 Suspension. J. Photochem. Photobiol.,A:Chem, 107:1-3;221-226 (1997).
Kevin E. O’Shea, Ivelitza Garcia, and Martha Aguilar. TiO2 Photocatalytic Degradation of Dimethyl- and Diethyl-Methylphosphonate. Effects of Catalyst and Environmental Factors. Res. Chem. Intermediates 23:325 (1997).
J. Saltiel, J.O. Choi, D. F. Sears, Jr., D.W. Eaker. K. E. O’Shea and Ivelitza Garcia. Resolution of trans-1-(2Naphthyl)-2-phenylethene Fluorescence in the Presence of tri-n-Butylamine into Pairs of Monomer and Exciplex Spectra. Selectivity in Conformer Quenching. J. Am. Chem. Soc. 118: 7478 (1996).