Steven N. Hart

Steven is a 2007-2011 Self Fellow pursuing a Ph.D. in pharmacology, toxicology, and therapeutics at the KU Medical Center. He received a B.S. (2006) in biotechnology from Missouri Western State University. He was the Donald Robbins Scholar of the Year at Missouri Western and a student leader. His undergraduate research experiences include studying population genetics of an endangered species of rattlesnake and a study to determine sequence specificity for DNA minor groove binding drugs. Steven’s research focuses on pharmacogenomics, which uses DNA as a predictive biomarker for determining how well a patient will respond to prescription drugs. Recently, he and members of his lab have identified a mutation in P450 reductase that is associated with decreased metabolism in drug metabolizing enzymes (patent pending). He has presented his research more than 12 times at venues across the country, winning several awards and travel grants. He is a member of Sigma Xi Scientific Research Society, American Society for Pharmacology and Experimental Therapeutics, and the Society of Toxicology. Steven’s long-term goal is to own a company that will enable him to bring personalized medicine to the public, utilizing his training in pharmacogenomics. Mentor: Xiao-bo Zhong, Assistant Professor, Pharmacology, Toxicology and Therapeutics