Doctor of Philosophy in Biomedical Research (PhD)

Biomedical Research – PhD

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 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.

Areas of Research
Obesity Related Disorders Pulmonary Disease
Epithelial Transport Addiction Neurobiology
Regulation of Intestinal Sodium, Glucose, Amino Acid Absorption Diabetes
Intestinal Inflammation Hypertension
Intestinal Microbiome Bone Growth Abnormalities
Toxicology Lipid Homeostasis
Breast Cancer Neurosciences
Cardiovascular Disorders Cell Biology
Endometriosis

Centers of research interest include

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Minimum Admission Requirements

  • Baccalaureate degree from an accredited college or university.
  • A minimum 3.0 GPA overall with a 3.0 for combined science and math courses is recommended.
    • Under certain circumstances, the minimum GPA requirement may be waived on a case-by-case basis. 
  • Completion of all prerequisite coursework with a grade “C” or better.
  • Completion of extensive undergraduate research or summer research.
  • No entrance exam is required, however.
    • GRE scores may be submitted to strengthen your application.

Prerequisite Coursework

  • Two semesters of general biology and associated laboratories.
  • Two semesters of general chemistry and associated laboratories.
  • Two semesters of organic chemistry and associated laboratories.
  • Two semesters of physics and associated laboratories.
  • One semester of biochemistry or molecular biology

Please replace the text in the application tab for with the following:

  • Contact Dr. Valentovic for questions regarding the application process.
  • Supporting Documents required:
    • Official Transcripts
    • Written Statement
    • Your statement should address your educational and career goals, and why you should be admitted to the Biomedical Research Ph.D. program.
    • Three Letters of Recommendation
      • Letters of recommendation from STEM-related Professors are preferred.  
    • Resume or CV
    • International Students will need to submit proof of English Proficiency. Visit https://www.marshall.edu/admissions/graduate-proof-of-english-proficiency/ to learn more.

Financial Assistance and Grant Opportunities

  • Accepted Biomedical Research Ph.D. students receive tuition remission, an annual stipend of $28,500, and health insurance.
    • MU JCESOM Biomedical Research Ph.D. program does not require its students to teach within the classroom to qualify for stipend funding; this allows students to focus on the requirements of their research.
      • Opportunities for classroom instruction are available, however, and instruction in public speaking is a core element of the program. 
    • Students also have access to Marshall University’s Student Health Clinic. 
      • Students are required to pay a small amount in fees per term. For more information about these fees, please email [email protected].
  • As a part of the educational process, students are expected to apply for grants.
    • Examples of some of the fellowships and local grants that Biomedical Research Ph.D. students have received are on our Student Funding Opportunities page.

Research Rotations

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:

Duration of Program

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.

Course Number Course Name Credit Hours
BMR 785 Introduction to Research 3
BMR 882 Research 30-90
BSC 640 Cell Biology and Biotechnology 3
BMR 617 Techniques in Biomedical Statistics 3
BMR 644 Research Conduct 1
PHS 667 Experimental Approach to Physiology 4
BMR 660 Communication Skills I 1
BMR 661 Communication Skills II 1
BMR 680 Seminar Minimum of 6
Other Cluster and Committee Requirements 6-15
Total Credit Hours: 66-126

Qualifying Exam

  • Written – Syllabus suggested by the Ph.D. Committee Members.
  • Oral Steps
    • Students must first complete written exam.
    • A written grant in the style of an NIH Pre-doctoral grant proposal format must be submitted on either the student’s research project or another topic.
    • The grant must be submitted within two months of completion of the written exam.
    • The Oral examination is a defense of the grant application.

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. 

Required Research Cluster Courses 
Course Number Course Name Credit Hours
PHS 666 Physiology of the Cell 3
BMR 664 Obesity and Related Diseases Colloquium (x3) 3

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).

Required Research Cluster Courses 
Course Number Course Name Credit Hours
List A 
BMR 651 Cancer Biology 4
PHS 666 Physiology of the Cell 3
List B 
BMR 676 Cell Biology Research Cluster Journal Club 1
BMS 652 Cancer Biology Colloquium 1
BMR 631 Neuroscience and Developmental Biology Literature Review 1
ACB 640 Current Topics in Cellular Biology 1
MCB 622 Current Topics in Molecular Biology 1

Required Research Cluster Courses 
Course Number Course Name Credit Hours
PHS 666 Physiology of the Cell 3
BMS 665 CDRC Colloquium (x3) 3

Required Research Cluster Courses 
Course Number Course Name Credit Hours
BMS 650 Neurobiology of Drug Addiction 3
BMR 631 Neuroscience and Developmental Biology Literature Review (x3) 3

Required Research Cluster Courses 
Course Number Course Name Credit Hours
PMC 650 Toxicology 3
PMC 655 Toxicology Reviews (x3) 3

Jakob Adkins

Mentor: Yevgeniy Shakirov, Ph.D
Project Name: TBD
Undergraduate Institution: Marshall University
[email protected]

 

Julia Cardot

Mentor: TBD
Project Name: TBD
Undergraduate Institution: Marshall University
[email protected]

 

Olivia Coulter

Mentor: TBD
Project Name: TBD
Undergraduate Institution: University of Arkansas
[email protected]

Ashley Cox

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 
[email protected]

Kayla DeSchepper

Mentor: TBD
Project Name: TBD
Undergraduate Institution: Marshall University
[email protected]

Sarah Evans

Mentor: TBD
Project Name: TBD
Undergraduate Institution: Marshall University
[email protected]

Maafi Islam

Mentor: Sandrine V. Pierre, Ph.D.
Project Name: Regulation of Renal Proximal Tubule (RPT) Transporters through Na/K-ATPase Receptor Function
Undergraduate Institution: Primeasia University, Bangladesh
[email protected]

Michael Leonardo

Mentor: Price E. Dickson, Ph.D
Project Name: TBD
Undergraduate Institution: University of Maine
[email protected]

 

Nathan Olszewski

Mentor: Brandon Henderson, Ph.D
Project Name: TBD
Undergraduate Institution: University of Pittsburgh
[email protected]

Harshal Sawant

Mentor: Dr. Ji Bihl, Ph.D
Project Name: The role of adipocyte-derived exosomes in cerebrovascular complications of diabetes

Undergraduate Institution: Savitribai Phule Pune University
[email protected]

Cecilia Sierra-Bakhshi

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  
[email protected]

Samuel Tetteh-Quarshie

Mentor: Brandon Henderson, Ph.D
Project Name: TBD
Undergraduate Institution: Manchester University [email protected]

 

Eliane Tsopmegha

Mentor: Uma Sundaram, M.D.
Project Name: Glutamine transporter and its regulation in inflammation and obesity
Undergraduate Institution: Caldwell College
[email protected]

Parvathy Vijayamohana Das

Mentor: TBD
Project Name: TBD
Undergraduate Institution: Kerala University
[email protected]

Vivian Wellington

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
[email protected]

 

Christopher Grahe

Mentor: TBD
Project Name: TBD
Undergraduate Institution: Marshall University
[email protected]

Christopher Bender

Mentor: TBD
Project Name: TBD
Undergraduate Institution: West Virginia Wesleyan
[email protected]

Esther Mensah

Mentor: TBD
Project Name: TBD
Undergraduate Institution: Marshall University
[email protected]

Jadyn Simon

Mentor: TBD
Project Name: TBD
Undergraduate Institution: Marshall University
[email protected]

Sidney Strause

Mentor: TBD
Project Name: TBD
Undergraduate Institution: Marshall University
[email protected]

Ph.D. Alumni from 2005 to 2010
Name Hometown Current Job
Ryan Morrison, ’06 Huntington, WV Internal Medicine, Charleston, WV
Marcus Terneus, ’06 Huntington, WV Project Leader R&D, Boehringer Ingelheim Biberach an der Riß, Baden-Württemberg, Germany
Sean Thatcher, ’07 Huntington, WV Assistant Professor, Temple University, Harrisburg, PA
Jason Black, ’07 Crown City, Ohio Professor of Anatomy and Physiology, Mountwest Community and Technical College, Huntington, WV
Aaron Holley, ’08 Milton, WV N/a
Zina-Ann Cardozo, ’08 Huntington, WV N/a
Eun Kim, ’09 Huntington, WV N/a
Kari Wilson, ’09 Ashland, KY N/a
Fredrick Damron, ’09 Huntington, WV Assistant Professor of Microbiology and Director of Vaccine Development Center, West Virginia University
Kan Huang, ’09 Glen Oaks, NY N/a
Dawn Turner, ’09 Barboursville, WV Assistant Professor of Biology, University of Charleston, Charleston, WV
Nicholas Adkins, ’09 Huntington, WV N/a
Rabaa Al-Rousan, ’09 Charleston, WV N/a
Amy Nash, ’09 Indianapolis, IN N/a
Sandeep Joshi, ’10 Rockville, MD National Cancer Institute, University of Maryland
Lauren Waugh, ’10 Huntington, WV Associate Professor of Forensic Science, Marshall University, Huntington, WV
Jennifer Napper, ’10 Portsmouth, OH Assistant Professor, Shawnee State University
Melinda Varney, ’10 Huntington, WV Assistant Professor, Marshall University School of Pharmacy

Ph.D. Alumni from 2011 to 2015
Name Hometown Current Job
Jasjeet Bhullar, ’11 Elkridge, MD N/a
Yue Huang, ’11 Huntington, WV Mount Sinair School of Medicine – New York
Sunil Kakarla, ’11 N/a Veterinarian in North Carolina
Anjaiah Katta, ’11 N/a Veterinarian in Tennessee
Juliana Akinsete, ’11 Proctorville, OH N/a
Linda Eastham, ’12 Crown City, OH Progenesis Technologies, LLC in Huntington, West Virginia
Siva Nalabotu, ’12 N/a Senior Regulatory Advisor – Product Safety Assessment, Elanco, Indianapolis, IN
James Brown, ’12 Huntington, WV Hospital Pharmacist, VA Medical Center, Huntington, WV
Madhukar Kolli, ’12 Huntington, WV Associate Veterinarian
Aileen Marcelo, ’12 Huntington, WV Assistant Professor of Biological Sciences, Mountwest Community and Technical College, Huntington, WV
Anne Silvis, ’12 Hurricane, WV Research Assistant Professor for Marshall’s Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology
Johannes Fahrmann, ’13 Davis, CA McCombs Institute for Early Detection and Treatment of Cancer, MD Anderson Cancer Center
Thomas Withers, ’13 Huntington, WV Principal Research Scientist at Progenesis Technologies, LLC.
Jacqueline Fannin, ’14 Paintsville, KY N/a
Benjamin Owen, ’14 West Paducah, KY Morehouse School of Medicine
Meagan Valentine, ’14 Huntington, WV Assistant Professor of Biological Sciences, Mountwest Community and Technical College, Huntington, WV
Mary Wolf, ’14 Sumter, NC Vaccine Development Post-Doctoral Fellow, West Virginia University, Morgantown, WV
Nandini Manne, ’14 Huntington, WV Assistant Professor of Public Health, Marshall University, Huntington, WV
Miranda Carper, ’14 Marietta, OH Post Doc at UNC-Chapel Hill
Sarah Daron-Mathis, ’15 Huntington, WV Post Doc at Vanderbilt University
Rounak Nande, ’15 Annadale, VA Scientist II, Genocea Biosciences Inc., Cambridge, MA

 

Ph.D. Alumni from 2016-Present
Name Hometown Current Job
Justin Tomblin, ’16 Huntington, WV Technical Support Specialist, Novogene Corporation
Christopher Racine, ’16 Huntington, WV Producer Symmetry Financial Group
Kristeena Ray-Wright, ’17 Huntington, WV Senior Process Engineer, Pfizer, Raleigh, NC
Adam Fischer, ’17 Linn, WV N/a
Rachel Murphy, ’17 Okenos, MI Clinical Trial Specialist, PRA Health Science, Kansas City, KS
Sean Piwarski, ’18 Huntington, WV Post Doc at Duke
Mani Maheshwari, ’18 Farmington Hills, MI Post Doc – Henry Ford Health System
Holly Racine, ’18 Huntington, WV Assistant Professor, West Liberty University, West Liberty, WV
Taha Ahmad, ’19 Huntington, WV U.S. government Secret Service Agency
Deborah Amos, ’19 Parkersburg, WV Professor, Ohio Valley University
Molly Butts, ’19 Huntington, WV Post Doc, Marshall University
Jamie Friedman, ’19 Durham, NC Scientist II, Bioagilytix, Raleigh, NC
Niraj Nepal, ’19 Huntington, WV Post Doc, Marshall University, Huntington, WV
Jacaline Parkman, ’19 Huntington, WV Scientist II, Bioagilytix, Raleigh, NC
Dakota Ward, ’19 N/a Scientist I, Bioagilytix, Raleigh, NC
Roy Al Ahmar ’20 Huntington, WV Post Doc at Marshall University
Laura Kutz ’20 Huntington, WV Post Doc at Marshall University
Caroline Hunter, ’20 N/a TBD
Lexie Blalock, ’20 N/a National Children’s Hospital, Columbus, OH

Ph.D. Alumni from 2021-Present
Name Hometown Current Job
Nick Bacon ’21 Internal Medicine at Barnes-Jewish Hospital, St. Louis, MO
Sarah Brunty ’21 Laboratory Manager for Dr. Price Dickson at Marshall University, Huntington, WV
Sarah Stevens ’21 Instructor at Liberty University, Lynchburg, VA
Shreya Mukherji ’21 Scientist Group Leader at Eurofins PSS Insourcing Solution, Cambridge, MA
Adam Belcher ’21 Post Doctoral Research Fellow at Marshall University School of Pharmacy, Huntington, WV
Christian Harris ’22 Post Doctoral Research Fellow at North Carolina Central University, Durham, NC
Skylar Cooper ’22 Medical School at Marshall’s Joan C. Edwards School of Medicine
Errin Brooks ’22 Residency at West Virginia University School of Medicine Division of General Surgery, Morgantown, WV
Jeremiah Matson ’22 Residency at University of Utah Health Internal Medicine/Research, Salt Lake City, UT
Christopher Walker ’23
Cassaundra A. White ’24 Postdoc at Medical University of South Carolina

Leadership

Monica Valentovic, PhD

Associate Dean, Health Sciences Graduate Programs
304.696.7332
[email protected]

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