Katharine M. Harris
Assistant Professor of Health Science, Assistant Professor of Biochemistry, Chair of the Health Science Department
Biography
Assistant Professor of Health Science & Biochemistry Katharine M. Harris joined the Stonehill faculty in 2016. During her time at the College, she has held multiple leadership roles, including serving as director of the Health Science program, before becoming department chair in 2022.
At Stonehill, she teaches across chemistry, biochemistry, and health science, including general chemistry lecture and labs, organic chemistry and biochemistry labs, and senior capstone courses. Her teaching emphasizes interdisciplinary learning, scientific literacy, and the application of foundational science to human health and wellness. She is also the creator and instructor of Yoga: Structure & Function in Health, an innovative upper-level course that integrates anatomy, physiology, breath work, classical yogic principles and experiential learning. Her academic training and research background are rooted in biochemistry and structural biology, with peer-reviewed publications in molecular biology, peptide science and enzymology.
Her current scholarly work focuses on the intersection of yoga, physiology and health science education. She has published and presented research on undergraduate yoga education and student outcomes at national venues, including the International Journal of Yoga Therapy and the Symposium on Yoga Research. Additionally, she is an active mentor to undergraduate researchers, supervising student projects in chemistry, biochemistry, neuroscience and health science.
As department chair, she has led curricular development efforts including the creation of new majors, minors, and interdisciplinary courses, and she is committed to supporting inclusive, student-centered pathways into health professions and scientific careers.
Education
- Ph.D., Boston College
- B.S., University of Massachusetts, Amherst
Courses Taught
- General Chemistry I Lecture
- General Chemistry I Lab
- General Chemistry II Lecture
- General Chemistry II Lab
- Organic Chemistry I Lab
- Organic Chemistry II Lab
- Organic Chemistry of the Cell
- Biochemistry Lab
- Yoga: Structure & Function in Health
- Health Science Capstone Seminar
- Harris, KM
A Pilot Undergraduate Course in Yoga Asana and Philosophy: Qualitative Results From Students Studying Health Science, Int. J. Yoga Therapy, 2024, 34 (s1): 6. - Harris KM, Cockrell GM, Puleo DE, and Kantrowitz ER
Crystallographic snapshots of the complete catalytic cycle of the unregulated aspartate trans-carbamoylase from Bacillus subtilis, J. Mol. Biol., 2011, 411(1): 190-200. - Heng S, Harris KM, and Kantrowitz ER
Designing inhibitors against fructose 1,6-bisphosphatase: Exploring natural products for novel inhibitor scaffolds, Eur. J. Med. Chem., 2010, 45(4): 1478-84. - Eckenroth BE, Lacey BM, Lothrop AP, Harris KM, and Hondal RJ
Investigation of the C-terminal redox center of high-Mr thioredoxin reductase by protein engineering and semi-synthesis
Biochem. 2007, 46(33): 9472-8. - Harris KM, Flemer S Jr, and Hondal RJ
Studies in deprotection of cysteine and selenocysteine side-chain protecting groups
J. Pept. Sci. 2007, 13(2): 81-93. - Eckenroth B, Harris K, Turanov AA, Gladyshev VN, Raines RT, and Hondal RJ
Semisynthesis and characterization of mammalian thioredoxin reductase
Biochem. 2006, 45(16): 5158-70.