Michaella Rekowski, PhD

Professional Background

I have experience in multiple applications of mass spectrometry to answer biological questions. In graduate school, I used hydroxyl radical footprinting mass spectrometry as a primary analytical tool to understand the interaction interfaces of a 4-protein complex. After the completion of my PhD research, I accepted an ORISE postdoctoral fellowship focusing on mass spectrometry at the FDA in the Division of Pharmaceutical Analysis to developed mass spectrometry methods to define critical quality attributes of biosimilar therapeutics using intact, top-, and middle-down mass spectrometry. To further enrich my career as a mass spectrometrist and analytical chemist, I transferred to the Proteomics Core at the Stowers Institute for Medical Research. It was during this tenure that I learned bottom-up proteomics using label free and tandem mass tag quantitation. I was an active participant with collaborators executing experimental design, sample preparation, and LC-MS and data analysis as well as developed methods to answer biological questions with mass spectrometry. I enjoyed assisting research programs further their scientific goals and seeing the results published in high impact journals.

Lastly, I spent a bit of time at a contract research organization (CRO) in a management position where I learned lab and support staff management, forecasting budgets, and honed my client interaction skills. I feel the experience I gained working in a fast paced, productivity focused environment has given me a unique edge for directing the Mass Spectrometry and Proteomics Facility at KUMC and contributing to collaborator’s research.

I look forward to establishing strong collaborations, supporting research programs at KUMC, and further developing mass spectrometry as an application to analyze complex samples that will ultimately lead to answering questions to improve human health.

• BS, Chemistry, Truman State University
• PhD, Chemistry, Texas A&M University, College Station, TX
• Post Doctoral Fellowship, Analytical Chemistry, US Food and Drug Administration, Division of Pharmaceutical Analysis, St. Louis, MO

• Olsen Luke, Levy MichaellaJ, Medley JKyle, Hassan Huzaifa, Miller Brandon, Alexander Richard, Wilcock Emma, Yi Kexi, Florens Laurence, Weaver Kyle, McKinney SeanA, Peuss Robert, Persons Jenna, Kenzior Alexander, Maldonado Ernesto, Delventhal Kym, Gluesenkamp Andrew, Mager Edward, Coughlin David, Rohner Nicolas. 2023. Metabolic Reprogramming Underlies Cavefish Muscular Endurance Despite Loss of Muscle Mass and Contractility. PNAS, 120 (5). https://www.pnas.org/doi/10.1073/pnas.2204427120
• Levy MichaellaJ, Montgomery DavidC, Sardiu MihaelaE, Montano JoseL, Bergholtz SarahE, Nance KellieD, Thorpe AbigailL, Fox StephenD, Lin Qishan, Andersson Thorkell, Florens Laurence, Washburn MichaelP, Meier JordanL. 2020. A systems chemoproteomic analysis of acyl-CoA signaling networks. Cell Chemical Biology, 27 (3), 322-333. https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC8237707/
• Levy MichaellaJ, Washburn MichaelP, Florens Laurence. 2018. Probing the Sensitivity of the Orbitrap Lumos Mass Spectrometer Using a Standard Reference Protein in a Complex Background. Journal of Proteome Research, 17 (10), 3586-3592. https://pubs.acs.org/doi/10.1021/acs.jproteome.8b00269
• Levy MichaellaJ, Boyne 2nd MichaelT, Rogstad Sarah, Skanchy DavidJ, Jiang Xiaohui, Geerlof-Vidavsky Ilan. 2015. Marketplace Analysis of Conjugated Estrogens: Determining the Consistently Present Steroidal Content with LC-MS. AAPS Journal (6), 1438-45. https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC4627451/