Lifelong learner adjusts to rapid changes in both research and teaching by Randy Weiler Professor Rebecca Seipelt-Thiemann spends some of her downtime away from her work at MTSU learning to play the cello, splitting time in a weekly private lesson for the last three years with her high school daughter. “I like learning new things, and it’s a pretty instrument, too,” said Seipelt-Thiemann, a Biology professor for 21 years. Similar to her work as a researcher and educator in genetics and bioinformatics, those cello lessons moved from in-person to virtual in March 2020 because of the pandemic. But learning new things has driven Seipelt-Thiemann for as long as she remembers, so, of course, she made the most of it for her students and her work. Gravitating toward STEM (science, technology, engineering, and math) at an early age, particularly biology, Seipelt-Thiemann expanded her interest in “learning new things” to medical microbiology and immunology while earning her doctorate from the University of Kentucky (UK). Then came postdoctoral studies in hematology and on the genetics of yeast. At MTSU, her expertise has led to major research grants in recent years totaling more than $501,000.
26 | Innovations
“It's always changing” Seipelt-Thiemann uses molecular biology and bioinformatic tools to study gene expression in eukaryotes—organisms whose cells have a nucleus enclosed within a nuclear envelope—and to examine gene structure conservation in gene families. She also studies the development and utility of concept inventory assessment tools and hands-on models/ analogies for genetics education. “It’s interesting—it’s always changing and [has] new things to learn. It keeps me excited about science,” she said when asked why genetics has been a passion since grad school. Seipelt-Thiemann’s recent research, which has been collaborations with colleagues and often involves students, saw publication in scientific journals Virulence, MDPI, and Plos One in 2020. The Plos One study focuses on macrophages—the first line of defense against a yeast that causes the cryptococcosis pulmonary infection, which predominantly affects immune-compromised individuals and can result in life-threatening fungal meningitis. Another current project involves RNA sequencing analysis of MRSA infection in diabetic mice with a Vanderbilt researcher. While lab research was affected during the pandemic, that opened doors to concentrate on writing and editing a variety of her projects, she said. “For students, I have focused on entirely computational projects on genome annotation,” added Seipelt-Thiemann, who mentored three completed Honors thesis projects in spring 2021. “Two new master’s students just got started, and their projects will be at least 75% computational.”
