Dr. DJ Black spent the initial 11 years of his career at the University of Missouri-Kansas City where he taught biochemistry, bioinformatics, and cell biology in the combined seven-year M.D. and DDS programs. He then transitioned from academia to industry at Bio-Logic. After this 11-year extended hiatus, he returned to academia with stints at College of Western Idaho and Birmingham Southern College where he taught general, organic, biological, and medicinal chemistry. He finally ended his gypsy ways coming here in 2024 where his primary teaching responsibilities are in biochemistry, organic, and other subdisciplines in chemistry directly relevant to the health sciences.
The primary focus of his research is elucidating the kinetic mechanism of the calcium dependent bimodal interactions between the superfamily of calcium signaling proteins related to calmodulin and their targets. The combined responses of these proteins and their targets dictate the physiological responses during a physiological Ca2+ transient observed in most cell types and especially dominant in CICR and neuronal signaling.
Education
Ph.D. Medical Biochemistry, Ohio State University Medical School, 2001
B.A. Chemistry (Biochemistry), California State University-Fresno, 1997
