Kevin D. Raney, Ph.D.
Department Chairperson, Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology
Graduate School

Raney Lab Research Summary 2011

Dr. Raney graduated from Hendrix College with a degree in chemistry.  He earned a Ph.D. in chemistry under the guidance of Dr. Thomas M. Harris at Vanderbilt University where he studied the mechanism by which carcinogens interacted with DNA.  He joined the lab of Dr. Stephen J. Benkovic at the Pennsylvania State University as an NIH Postdoctoral fellow where he studied the mechanism of DNA replication.  Dr. Raney accepted a position in the Dept. of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology at UAMS in 1995, where he is now Professor and Chair of the department. 

Dr. Raney’s research interests are in the area of enzymology and chemistry of nucleic acids.  He is studying a DNA helicase called Dda (for DNA-Dependent-ATPase) which is a model system for eukaryotic helicases.  The goal in this project is to develop a detailed chemical and kinetic mechanism for DNA unwinding by this DNA helicase. 

While a very successful investigator, with two current RO1 NIH grants and dozens of publications to his credit, Dr. Raney is also a stalwart educator.  He has taught multiple graduate courses continuously from 1996 to the present, including an astounding 18 lecture hours for the current academic year. He is course director for the Proteins and Enzymes course offered biannually, a course he developed along with a second: “Proteomics.”

In addition to his work in the classroom, Dr. Raney has an active record of advising and mentoring students and fellows. He has been primary advisor to 15 graduate students; served on the doctoral committees of 19 students; supervised four postdoctoral fellows and four instructors/Research Assistants; supervised 17 Summer Undergraduate Research Fellows; and five medical students through the Arkansas Cancer Center’s Partners in Research Program.