Adjunct Assistant Professor, University of Missouri

Assistant Professor, Iowa State University

Education:

B.S. 2014 Animal Science  – Iowa State University, Ames, IA

Ph.D.  2019 Reproductive Physiology – University of Missouri, Columbia, MO

Postdoc 2019-2020, Reproductive Physiology – University of Missouri, Columbia, MO

Positions and Employment

October 2020-present Adjunct Assistant Professor, University of Missouri

August 2020-present Assistant Professor, Iowa State University

August 2020-Present May 2019 – July  2020     USDA NIFA Postdoctoral Fellow, Sutovsky Lab

Summer 2013    USDA ARS, Dr. David Guthrie Lab, Intern, Beltsville, MD

Summer 2013    University of Adelaide, Dr. William van Wettere Lab, Intern, Australia

Summer 2011    Trans Ova Genetics, Sexed Semen and In-vitro Fertilization Lab Intern, IA

Summer 2012    Smithfield Premium Genetics, Management & Operations Intern, NC & TX

2011 – 2014       Iowa State University – Dr. Jason Ross Lab, Undergraduate Research

2008 – 2013       University of Nebraska & Bellwether Farms

2004 – 2014       International Boar Semen, IA

Other Experience and Professional Memberships

2015 –              Society for the Study of Reproduction (SSR)

2015 –              American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS)

2013                Beta Beta Beta Biological Honors Society

2013                Cardinal Key Honor Society (Top 1% Campus Leadership, Service, & Scholastic)

2011         Alpha Zeta Honor Fraternity

Honors

2020 First place in postdoctoral poster competition at SSR Virtual 2020.

2020: USDA-NIFA-AFRI Merit Award (SSR meeting 2020)

2020: University of Missouri Distinguished Dissertation Award

2019          USDA National Institute of Food and Agriculture Postdoctoral Fellowship

2019          Society for the Study of Reproduction (SSR) Trainee Travel Award (1 of 20)

2019          Missouri Life Sciences Week; Animal Biology, Health & Disease – 1st Place

2019          Iowa State University STATEment Maker, Academia Division

2018          Missouri Life Sciences Week Plant and Animal Physiology and Health, 2nd Place

2018           Animal Science Graduate Forum, University of Missouri, 1st Place PhD Oral

2015 – ’18        Larry Ewing Memorial Trainee Travel Award, SSR

2017         National Swine Improvement Federation (NSIF) Graduate Student Award

2015 & ’17 Douglas D. Randall Young Scientists Development Award, University of MO

2017           USDA NIFA AFRI SSR Scientific Merit and Impact Award

2017           SSR Trainee Platform Finalist (Top 1% of 600+ abstracts)

2017           USDA National Institute of Food and Agriculture Predoctoral Fellow ($95,000)

2015           Animal Science Graduate Forum, University of Missouri, 2nd Place PhD Poster

2014 -’16  Miller Fellow, University of Missouri

2014 -’16  Graduate College Fellow, University of Missouri

2013                Murray Wise Agricultural Entrepreneurship Award ($10,000)

2013        Iowa Governor Branstad Agricultural Leadership Award

Grant Funding:

2019-67012-29714         Kerns (PI)                             06/01/2019-05/31/2021 USDA NIFA AFRI Education and Workforce Development. Title: Characterizing Boar and Bull Semen Ejaculate-to-Ejaculate Fertility Differences

2017-67011-26023      USDA NIFA AFRI Education and Workforce Development             Kerns (PD)                                          02/01/2017-01/31/2019 Title:      Optimizing boar sperm nanopurification and creating a boar fertility prediction model.

Publications:

  1. Sharif M, Kerns K, Sutovsky P, Bovin N, Miller DJ (2021) Progesterone induces porcine sperm release from oviduct glycans in a proteasome-dependent manner. Reproduction, 161(4):449-457.
  2. Kerns K, Jankovitz J, Minton A, Kuster C, Robinson J, Sutovsky P (2020) Relationship between the length of sperm tail mitochondrial sheath and fertility traits in boars used for artificial insemination. Antioxidants, 9(11):1033. doi: 10.3390/antiox9111033
  3. Kerns K, Sharif M, Zigo M, Xu W, Hamilton L, Sutovsky M, Ellersieck M, Drobnis EZ, Oko R, Miller D, Sutovsky P (2020) Sperm cohort-specific zinc signature acquisition and capacitation-induced zinc flux regulate sperm-oviduct and sperm-zona pellucida interactions. Int. J. Mol. Sci., 21(6):2121; Special Issue on Advances in Molecular Regulation of Spermatozoa Function.
  4. Zigo M, Maňásková-Postlerová P, Zuidema D, Kerns K, Jonáková V, Tůmová L, Bubeníčková F, Sutovsky P (2020) Porcine model for the study of sperm capacitation, fertilization and male fertility. Cell Tissue Res., 380(2):237-262.
  5. Kelsey KM, Zigo M, Thompson WE, Kerns K, Gaurishankar Manandhar G, Sutovsky M, Sutovsky P (2020) Reciprocal surface expression of arylsulfatase A and ubiquitin in normal and defective mammalian spermatozoa. Cell Tissue Res. 379:561-576.
  6. Zigo M, Manaskova-Postlerova P, Jonakova V, Kerns K, Sutovsky P (2019) Compartmentalization of the proteasome-interacting proteins during sperm capacitation. Sci. Rep. 9:12583
  7. Mordhorst B, Kerns K, Schauflinger M, Zigo M, Murphy S, Ross R, Wells K, Green J, Sutovsky P, Prather R (2019) Pharmacologic treatment with CPI-613 and PS48 decreases mitochondrial membrane potential and increases quantity of autolysosomes in porcine fibroblasts. Sci. Rep. 9:9417.
  8. Sutovsky P, Kerns K, Zigo M, Zuidema D (2019) Boar semen improvement through sperm capacitation management, with emphasis on zinc ion homeostasis. Theriogenology, 137:50-55
  9. Zigo M, Jonakova V, Manaskova-Postlerova P, Kerns K, Sutovsky P (2019) Ubiquitin-proteasome system participates in the de-aggregation of spermadhesin and DQH protein during boar sperm capacitation. Reproduction, doi: 10.1530/REP-18-0413.
  10. Kerns K, Zigo M, Sutovsky P (2018) Zinc: A necessary ion for mammalian sperm fertilization competency. Int. J. Mol Sci., 19(12)
  11. Kerns K, Zigo M, Sutovsky M, Drobnis E, Sutovsky P. 2018. Zinc Ion Flux of Mammalian Spermatozoa Capacitation. Nature Communications. DOI:10.1038/s41467-018-04523-y
  12. Kerns K, Zigo M, Sutovsky P. 2018. Zinc: A Necessary Ion for Mammalian Sperm Fertilization Competency. J. Mol. Sci. 19 (12), 4097. DOI:10.3390/ijms19124097
  13. Kerns K, Morales P, Sutovsky P. 2016. Regulation of Sperm Capacitation by the 26S proteasome: An emerging New Paradigm in Spermatology. Biol Reprod 94(5):117. DOI: 10.1095/biolreprod.115.136622
  14. Mordhorst BR, Kerns KC, Schauflinger M, Murphy SL, Ross RM, Samuel MS, Wells KD, Green JA, Sutovsky P, Prather RS. 2019. Pharmacologic reprogramming designed to induce a Warburg Effect in porcine fetal fibroblasts decreases mitochondrial membrane potential and increases the quantity of autolysosomes, without impacting the overall quantity or size mitochondria. Scientific Reports. DOI:10.1038/s41598-019-45850-4
  15. Zigo M, Manaskova-Postlerova P, Jonakova V, Kerns K, Sutovsky P. 2019. Proteasomal activity mediates structural and proteome remodeling during sperm capacitation. Scientific Reports. DOI:10.1038/s41598-019-49024-0
  16. Kelsey KM, Zigo M, Thompson WE, Kerns K, Manandhar G, Sutovsky M, Sutovsky P. 2019. Reciprocal Surface Expression of Arylsulfatase A and Ubiquitin in Normal and Defective Mammalian Spermatozoa. Cell Tissue Res. In press.
  17. Sutovsky P, Kerns K, Zigo M, Zuidema D. 2019. Boar Semen Improvement through Sperm Capacitation Management, With Emphasis on Zinc Ion Homeostasis. Theriogenology. DOI: 1016/j.theriogenology.2019.05.037
  18. Chinchilla-Vargas J, Kerns K, Rothschild MF. 2017. Climatic and lunar effects on boar semen traits. Anim Reprod Sci. DOI:10.1016/j.anireprosci.2018.04.006
  19. Zigo M, Manaskova-Postlerova P, Jonakova V, Kerns K, Sutovsky P. 2019. Ubiquitin-proteasome system participates in the de-aggregation of spermadhesion and DQH protein during boar sperm capacitation. Reprod. DOI: 10.1530/REP-18-0413
  20. Zigo M, Kerns K, Sutovsky M, Sutovsky P. 2018. Modifications of the 26S proteasome during boar sperm capacitation. Cell Tissue Res. DOI:10.1007/s00441-017-2786-6
  21. Costello K, Kerns K, Sutovsky P, Timms K. 2018. Paternal Development Exposure to Endometriosis Causes Negative Transgenerational Impacts on Male Fertility. Submitted.
  22. Jankovitz J, Kerns K*, Minton A, Kuster C, Sutovsky P. Relationship between the length of sperm tail mitochondrial sheath and fertility traits in boars used for artificial insemination. In preparation.
  23. Kerns K, Sutovsky M, Sutovsky P. Characterization of spermatozoa plasma membrane changes and zinc super resolution 3D modeling during capacitation. In preparation.
  24. Kerns K, Zigo M, Sutovsky M, Sutovsky P. Spermatozoa zinc signature and capacitation rate is dependent on ejaculatory sequence. In preparation.
  25. Nogueira E, Kerns K, Wiley G, Zigo M, Sutovsky P. Bull fertility predictive model using a biomarker approach. In preparation.
  26. Grusenmeyer E, Kerns K, Zulovich J, Sutovsky P, Lamberson W, Lucy M, Safranski T. Heat stress mitigation strategies for boars and the impact on sperm quality parameters. In preparation.
  27. Walters EM, Kerns K, Burlak C. 2017. Xenotransplantation literature update, May/June 2017. Xenotransplantation 24(4): e12323. DOI: 10.1111/xen.12323
  28. Kerns K, Hua A, Burlak C. 2017. Xenotransplantation literature update, January/February 2017. Xenotransplantation 24(2): e12304. DOI: 10.1111/xen.12304
  29. Burlak C and Kerns KC. 2015. Xenotransplantation literature update, January-February 2015. Xenotransplantation 22(2): 155-157. DOI: 10.111/xen.12168
  30. Burlak C, Kerns KC, Taylor RT. 2015. Xenotransplantation literature update, March-April 2015. Xenotransplantation 22(3): 236-238. DOI: 10.111/xen.12171

*Designates co-first author.