Dr. Pederson is a Southern California native but she has lived in Australia, Wales, and England at various times during her childhood. She earned her Bachelor of Arts degree in Chemistry and Physics at Scripps College in Claremont, CA. While at Scripps College, Dr. Pederson played water polo, worked as a Physics and Math tutor, and did research in the Hatcher-Skeers lab. Her experience tutoring and doing research led her to decide to pursue a career in University-level education.
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Dr. Pederson studied DNA dynamics using solid-state and solution NMR techniques as part of the Drobny lab at the University of Washington. She expanded her solution NMR and biochemistry knowledge as a postdoctoral research associate in the Prestegard lab at the Complex Carbohydrate Research Center at the University of Georgia.
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After teaching for 2 years at Randolph-Macon College, Dr. Pederson moved back to California to join the faculty at CSUDH in 2018. Dr. Pederson's primary teaching responsibilities include General Chemistry, Physical Chemistry, Advanced Applications in Chemistry, and Writing for the Chemical Sciences. She is passionate about education and research experience for undergraduates. When she isn't teaching or mentoring students in the research lab, she is most likely spending time with her dog (Bailey), hiking, or camping.
Kari Pederson, PhD
Assistant Professor of Chemistry & Biochemistry
Education
2011-2016
University of Georgia
2005-2010
University of Washington
2001-2005
Scripps College
Postdoctoral Research Associate
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Expressed DC-SIGN and used multidimensional solution NMR to study its interaction with multiple carbohydrate ligands.
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Determined protein structures and collected residual dipolar coupling data as part of the Northeast Structural Genomics Consortium.
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Developed methods for resonance assignment and structure determination of sparsely 15N- or 13C-labeled large and glycosylated proteins.
PhD, Physical Chemistry
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Synthesized and purified site-specifically 2H labeled nucleosides.
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Analyzed ps-ms timescale dynamics of DNA using solid state 2H NMR lineshapes and relaxation.
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Investigated DNA backbone conformational exchange using solution state 1H-31P NMR HSQC experiments and Mathematica modeling.
Bachelor of Arts, Chemistry and Physics
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Performed variable temperature 1H NMR experiments and data analysis towards the investigation of the amide rotational barrier in pyridine carboxamides.