PhD Biomedical Research

Students in the Biomedical Research Ph.D. program will take an interdisciplinary approach to, and develop a broad basis in, biomedical research. As part of the interdisciplinary approach, Ph.D. students in the Marshall University Joan C. Edwards School of Medicine (MU JCESOM) graduate program will cross departmental boundaries and conduct research with a faculty mentor in one of the following research clusters - Cell Biology Research Cluster, Obesity and Related Diseases Cluster, Neurobiology and Addiction Research Cluster, Toxicology and Environment Health Research Cluster, Cardiovascular Disease Research Cluster - see areas below.

Centers of research interest include 

Submit form below with any questions you have about the program.

When entering the Biomedical Research Ph.D. program, students are required to complete rotations through a minimum of three different laboratories, each rotation consisting of at least 120 hours. These rotations help students build rapport with faculty and students, decide on their preferred area of research, and learn new research techniques. Students have the opportunity to rotate among labs within the following clusters:

Students are expected to complete the requirements of the Biomedical Research Ph.D. degree within five years. Students who possess a Master of Science (M.S) in Biomedical Research or the equivalent when admitted typically require three to four years to complete the Ph.D. degree.

Students in the Biomedical Research Ph.D. program will complete the following core courses below, where upon after the first year, students will then begin taking courses in their desired research cluster.

Students will select an advisory committee no later than the end of the first year of graduate education. The committee usually consists of at least five faculty members with appropriate expertise. Additionally, students MUST successfully complete additional courses as determined by their advisory committee. Please consult the advisory committee to learn more about their respective requirements. 

Other requirements include attending one or more national scientific meetings to present the results of their research, two first-author research papers, and one other paper. 

Students are required to select a minimum of 5 credit hours of courses from the list below (including one course from List A and three credit hours from List B).

Mentor: TBD
Project Name: TBD
Undergraduate Institution: Marshall University
adkins1332@marshall.edu

Mentor: TBD
Project Name: TBD
Undergraduate Institution: Marshall University
mingh@marshall.edu

Mentor: TBD
Project Name: TBD
Undergraduate Institution: University of Arkansas
coulter31@marshall.edu

Mentor: Monica Valentovic, Ph.D.
Project Name: Examining the effects of the e-cigaratte flavoring cinnamaldehyde in kidney proximal tube (HK2) cells.
Undergraduate Institution: Marshall University 
saunders29@live.marshall.edu

Mentor: TBD
Project Name: TBD
Undergraduate Institution: Marshall University
deschepper@marshall.edu

Mentor: TBD
Project Name: TBD
Undergraduate Institution: Marshall University
evans327@live.marshall.edu

Mentor: Sandrine V. Pierre, Ph.D.
Project Name:  TBD
Undergraduate Institution: Primeasia University, Bangladesh
islam8@live.marshall.edu

Mentor: TBD 
Project Name: TBD
Undergraduate Institution: University of Maine
leonardo@marshall.edu

Mentor: TBD 
Project Name: TBD
Undergraduate Institution: University of Pittsburgh
olszewski2@marshall.edu

Mentor: TBD
Project Name: TBD
Undergraduate Institution: Savitribai Phule Pune University
sawantha@marshall.edu

Mentor: Lydia Bogomolnaya, Ph.D. 
Project Name: Pathogenesis of Gram-Negative Bacterial Infection in a Diabetic Host
Undergraduate Institution: North Carolina A&T State University  
sierra3@live.marshall.edu

Mentor: TBD 
Project Name: TBD
Undergraduate Institution: Manchester University tettehquarsh@marshall.edu

Mentor: Uma Sundaram, M.D.
Project Name: Glutamine transporter and its regulation in inflammation and obesity
Undergraduate Institution: Caldwell College
tsopmegha@live.marshall.edu

Mentor: TBD
Project Name: TBD
Undergraduate Institution: Kerala University
vijayamohana@marshall.edu

Mentor: Louise Risher, Ph.D.
Project Name: Investigating the role of astrocytes in the development of addiction and how acute and chronic binge ethanol exposure influences astrocyte function.
Undergraduate Institution: University of Pikeville
walker583@live.marshall.edu

Mentor: TBD
Project Name: TBD
Undergraduate Institution: West Liberty University
weekley49marshall.edu

Mentor: Uma Sundaram, M.D.
Project Name: Unique regulation of glucose absorption in the normal and chronically inflamed mammalian small intestine
Undergraduate Institution: University of Ghana
wellington3@live.marshall.edu

Mentor: Maria Serrat, Ph.D.
Project Name: The role of the IGF-1 signaling axis in obesity-induced linear growth acceleration.
Undergraduate Institution: Chaminade University of Honolulu
song27@live.marshall.edu

Assistant Dean, Office of Research and Graduate Education 
Phone: (304) 696-3523
egleton@marshall.edu

Vice Dean, Office of Research & Graduate Education 
Phone: (304) 691-1841
sundaramu@marshall.edu