About the Office of the Senior Vice Dean for Research
The Office of the Senior Vice Dean for Research serves to support clinical and basic research activities, works with departments and interdisciplinary programs to develop and implement research, facilitates translational research and promotes mentoring to advance the training of physicians/scientists.
The senior vice dean for research steers and supports faculty research efforts, influencing opportunities for discovery by our medical and biomedical graduate students, postdoctoral fellows, medical residents and medical fellows. Noreen Robertson, DMD, associate vice dean for research, and Richard Huneke, DVM, MPH, executive director of University Laboratory Animal Resources, serve complementary missions within the Office of the Vice Dean to foster pre-clinical and clinical research within the institution. We are committed to bridging the superb clinical expertise and world-class research and educational capabilities of the medical school to enhance our progressive, high-quality medical education, scientific research and patient care.
The purpose of these web pages is to serve as a focal point for research at Drexel University College of Medicine. We are dedicated to providing research support to investigators. The links to the left will provide you with information and resources. Note that Drexel University's Office of Research provides certain administrative services for the Drexel University College of Medicine research program.
Q&A: Kenny Simansky, PhD, Senior Vice Dean for Research, Professor, Department of Pharmacology & Physiology
Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19): Information for NIH Applicants and Recipients of NIH Funding
Learn more
COVID-19 Research Funding Opportunities
COVID-19 Research Funding Opportunities and Funding-Related Information. The Office of Research & Innovation has compiled a list of COVID-19 research funding opportunities, guidance and funding-related information. We encourage you to review and stay abreast of federal funding updates and funding opportunities through sponsor websites and listservs.
Learn more
Research News & Announcements
Two Drexel researchers received prestigious Individual Biomedical Research Awards from The Hartwell Foundation to support their work aimed at benefitting the health of children of the United States. Each award includes $100,000 in research funding per year for three years. Read more.
For the second consecutive year, the Medical Student Summer Research Fellowship (MSSRF) Program will support 50 first-year medical students in full-time summer research. Prior to the COVID-19 pandemic, MSSRF had capacity to provide opportunities to 20 students each year. Read more.
After receiving approval by the Pennsylvania Department of Health to conduct research on medical cannabis grown by a clinical registrant, and then signing an eight-year, $15.5 million contract with the clinical registrant, the Chester-based Agronomed Biologics LLC, Drexel University has now opened a new Medical Cannabis Research Center (MCRC) to begin conducting evidenced-based research on effects medical cannabis has on patients with specific medical and behavioral maladies. Read more. (DrexelNow)
Fighting a global pandemic requires innovation and urgency, and Drexel’s researchers have heeded the call. Vaccine adjuvants, infection blockers and protein targeting to inactivate the virus are among the 17 COVID-19 projects currently supported by the $100,000 Rapid Response Research and Development Fund, created by University trustees. More than half the awarded projects involve College of Medicine faculty. (Pulse Fall 2020) Read more.
The pursuit for more information about the COVID-19 coronavirus has led a group of College of Medicine researchers to West Reading, Pa. and back again, with some of their vital work taking place before the sun is up. Read more.
Drexel's Rapid Response Research & Development Fund was designated for urgent action, short-term projects focused on COVID-19 related health and health-related research and development. The enthusiasm and the level of response to the Rapid Response Research & Development Fund was incredible. We received 40 submissions. With only a limited amount of funding available, selecting projects amongst this strong group of submissions was very challenging. Read more.
Featured Student Research
Andrew Matamoros
Molecular & Cell Biology & Genetics Program Alum
"My thesis work attempted to add labile microtubule mass to the regenerating axon by protecting the labile regions of the microtubules. This approach would mimic a state of axonal growth when labile microtubule mass is abundant. To accomplish this, I knocked-down a microtubule severing protein called fidgetin. You can think of fidgetin as gardening sheers that are used to prune plant growth; knocking-down fidgetin results in a notable boost in the microtubule mass of the axon via preservation of the labile mass from fidgetin’s severing activity. As a result, axons grow faster, even on unfavorable substrates associated with spinal cord injury (SCI) as well as in vivo following a nerve-crush injury." Read more about Andrew's research in The Hillock newsletter.
"I looked at the role of hypoxia and hypoxia-inducible factor (HIF) in mammary oncogenesis and morphogenesis. Mauricio had noticed that in the mammary gland, when you have tumors, they express markers of hypoxia, or low oxygen levels. That makes sense because, as a tumor grows and grows, it outstrips the existing resources, so then you might not have enough blood there, which creates a hypoxic area. The question became: 'Is that hypoxia a byproduct of that uncontrolled growth, or is it actually promoting tumor formation?'" Read more about Kelly.
Meet Our Faculty
Dr. Kimberly Dougherty is an associate professor in the Department of Neurobiology and Anatomy and has been here for five years studying rhythm generating circuitry in the spinal cord. Dr. Dougherty is an engaging young scientist who recently reached the exciting milestone of graduating her first doctoral student.
Read more.
Dr. Eileen Collyer has had a colorful research journey prior to joining the department here at Drexel. After completing her PhD studies in Chile, she did her first postdoctoral fellowship at the University of California San Diego (UCSD). She is currently a postdoctoral fellow in the laboratory of Dr. Veronica Tom.
Read more.