Associate Dean for Research

Welcome

Biomedical research is a critical function of academic medical schools. Research efforts at SIU Medicine directly support our mission to improve the health of the region’s population through innovations and scholarly improvements in education, medical care delivery and advances in the diagnosis, treatment and prevention of diseases. These advances directly benefit the patients we serve and transcend borders to benefit health care everywhere. 

SIU employs 175 full- and part-time biomedical researchers, pursuing innovative advances in a wide range of discovery, translational and clinical sciences, including hearing loss, Alzheimer’s disease, cancer, women’s health, public health and restorative medicine. 

Trainees involved in biomedical research at the SOM include masters and doctoral students from three individual graduate programs, postdoctoral fellows, medical students, residents and clinical fellows. Faculty provide direct opportunities to integrate research within educational experiences, assuring that medical advances will continue to materialize for generations to come.  
 

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Micro Lab Torry

Associate Dean of Research Offices

Learn more about our teams and all the ways that we are organized to advance treatments, technology and educational experiences.

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Research is fundamental to better treatments, improved medical care and a healthier world. And it’s a key component of academic medicine at SIU.

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Research
FEATURE

Busy biochemistry lab is mapping virus

A biochemistry laboratory at SIU School of Medicine is sequencing the genomes of SARS-CoV-2 viruses that cause COVID-19 to determine if distinct variants exist in different Illinois communities and specifically in rural versus metropolitan areas.

“We’re looking for the ‘personality’ of the genome, to see how it’s changing over time,” says Keith Gagnon, PhD, assistant professor in the Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology. “There are a couple of variants and we need to determine which is the most dangerous. Based on what we learn, we can tell the virus’ point of origin, whether it’s similar to an outbreak in Chicago, or New York or Italy. We can also see if it is mutating, to see if a new version is emerging.”

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Latest articles

Jensik inventor award

Jensik honored as SIU Inventor of the Year

Phil Jensik, PhD, associate professor in SIU School of Medicine’s Department of Physiology, has been named SIU’s Inventor of the Year for 2024. His research explores mutations in genes that result in neurodevelopmental disorders such as intellectual disabilities, speech disorders and autism, affecting about 1 in 10 U.S. children.
2024 SCI summer interns

Summer research interns share findings at Simmons Cancer showcase

Four budding scientists presented their research to an audience of faculty, family and community supporters at Simmons Cancer Institute at SIU Medicine on August 1.
Dr. Jacob Nordman

SIU scientist studying brain mechanisms to find roots of aggression

SIU research scientist Jacob Nordman, PhD, has been awarded a $445K grant to uncover how the effects of stress on the brain in childhood can lead to long-lasting aggressive behavior in adults.