Basic Science Departments | College of Medicine

Alumni

We are very proud of our graduates - they have gone on to a wide variety of careers. Throughout the history of the Department of Biochemistry & Molecular Biology, our graduates have used their training and talents in many diverse occupations. Many are in academic research, but then there are teachers, writers, patent lawyers, industry leaders and even an astronaut (Shannon Lucid, PhD 1973).

We would love to hear from our alumni, so if you are a former student reading this page, please get in touch and let us know what you are doing. You may be interested to know that we established an annual lecture series in honor of two former Chairs of Biochemistry & Molecular Biology - Connor Johnson and Jack Sokatch - see the details on the Johnson-Sokatch Lectureship page.

Here are some of our alumni with their current occupations:

Russell Debose-Boyd
Graduated: PhD, 1998
Mentor: Richard D. Cummings
Current position: Beatrice and Miguel Elias Distinguished Chair in Biomedical Science,
Department of Molecular Genetics, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center
http://profiles.utsouthwestern.edu/profile/34046/russell-debose-boyd.html

Ali Shilatifard
Graduated: PhD, 1994
Mentor: Richard D. Cummings
Current position: Chair, Robert Francis Furchgott Professor
Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Genetics
Feinberg School of Medicine, Northwestern University
http://www.feinberg.northwestern.edu/faculty-profiles/az/profile.html?xid=31200

Kathryn L. Hester
Graduated: PhD, 1999
Mentor: John R. Sokatch
Current position: Patent Agent, Practice Group Leader
Dunlap Codding Intellectual Property Law, Oklahoma City
http://dunlapcodding.com/meet-team/kathryn-l-hester-phd

Jun Xu
Graduated: PhD, 1999
Mentor: Charles Esmon
Current position: Deputy General Manager,
RAAS Blood Products, Shanghai, China
http://www.raas-corp.com/page.aspx?node=143&f=en

Julie Saugstad
Graduated: PhD, 1991
Mentor: Sara Tobin
Current position: Associate Professor, Director of Core Molecular Laboratories
Department of Anesthesiology & Perioperative Medicine, Oregon Health & Science University
http://www.ohsu.edu/people/julie-saugstad/EC8529FEA6124AE69265014534575DB3

Martha Ogilvie
Graduated: PhD, 1995
Mentor: Jay Hanas
Current position: Associate Vice President for Research
University of Oklahoma Health Sciences Center
http://research.ouhsc.edu/VicePresident/ManagementTeam.aspx

Breca Tracy
Graduated: PhD, 2007
Mentor: Paul DeAngelis
Current position: Vice President and Managing Director
Caisson Biotech, LLC
Austin, TX.

Rebecka Bourn
Graduated: PhD, 2006
Mentor: Sanjay Bidichandani
Current position: Scientific Technical Writer
Oklahoma Medical Research Foundation

Matthew Caleb Marlin
Graduated: PhD, 2016
Mentor: Guangpu Li
Current Position: Assistant Director, GPiBS
University of Oklahoma Health Sciences Center, Oklahoma City
http://graduate.ouhsc.edu/About/Staff.aspx

Madhu Pandey
Graduated:  PhD 2012
Mentor:  Paul Weigel
Current Position:  Scientist
MedImmune LLC, Gaithersburg, MD

Andria Parker-Medina
Graduated:  PhD 2009  MD:  2011
Mentor:  Paul Weigel
Current Position:  Assistant Professor
OUHSC - Internal Medicine
https://news.ouhsc.edu/templates/?a=1975

Jasper Yik
Graduated:  PhD 2002
Mentor:  Paul Weigel
Current Position:  Research Scientist - Department of Orthopedics
UC Davis - Sacramento
https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Jasper_Yik

Coy Heldermon
Graduated:  PhD 1999 MD:  2001
Mentor:  Paul Weigel
Current Position:  Assistant Professor of Medicine
University of Florida Health
https://ufhealth.org/coy-d-heldermon

Kandice Tessneer
Graduated:  PhD 2012
Mentor:  Ann Louise Olson
Current Position:  Postdoctoral Fellow
Oklahoma Medical Research Foundation 

Jami Gurley
Graduated:  PhD 2016
Mentor:  Ann Louise Olson
Current Position:  Postdoctoral Fellow – Department of Ophthalmology
OUHSC 

Robert Jackson
Graduated:  PhD 2017
Mentor:  Ann Louise Olson
Current Position:  Postdoctoral training 

Janeen Arbuckle
Graduated:  PhD 2007 MD 2009
Mentor:  Karla Rodgers
Current Position:  Assistant Professor – Department of Obstetrics & Gynecology
University of Alabama at Birmingham School of Medicine
http://www.uab.edu/medicine/obgyn/faculty-fellow-directory/177-faculty-profile/211-janeen-arbuckle

Christopher Brower
Graduated: PhD 2001, MS 1998
Mentor:  Joan Conaway
Current Position: Associate Professor - Texas Woman's University
https://apps.twu.edu/my1cv/profile.aspx?type=twa&id=WJw7rRyvw1dxztKYb65FKA%3d%3d&dept-biology

 

 

 


 

 

 

Liang Wang
Graduated: PhD, 2011
Mentor: Guangpu Li
Current Position: Associate Professor of Pathology
China Medical University, Shenyang, China

Jian Liu
Graduated: PhD, 2007
Mentor: Guangpu Li
Current Position: Data and Genetic Scientist
Rancho Biosciences, San Diego, CA

Rodney J. Moreland
Graduated : PhD, 1998
Mentor : Jay Hanas
Current position : Senior Principal Scientist
Rare Diseases Science, Sanofi-Genzyme, Framingham, MA

Jason Larabee
Graduated: PhD, 2005
Mentor: Jay Hanas
Current position: Assistant Professor of Research
Dept. Microbiology & Immunology
OUHSC

Jonathan J. Miner
Graduated: PhD, 2008; MD, 2010
Mentor: Rodger P. McEver
Current position: Assistant Professor
Washington University School of Medicine
http://dbbs.wustl.edu/faculty/Pages/faculty_bio.aspx?SID=6661

Frederick C. Miller
Degree: PhD, 1997
Mentor: Martin Levine
Current Position: Associate Professor
Department of Family and Preventive Medicine and Department of Cell Biology
University of Oklahoma Health Science Center
https://www.oumedicine.com/familymedicine/academic-information/pa-program-okc/faculty-staff

Kellie Williams
Graduated: MS 2005-OUHSC PhD-Louisiana State University
Mentor: Paul DeAngelis
Current Position: Senior Embryologist - Board certified technical supervisor, embryology
laboratory director, and high-complexity clinical laboratory director
Tulsa Oklahoma Fertility Center

Rebba Boswell-Casteel
Graduated:  PhD 2016
Mentor: Franklin Hays
Current position:  Postdoctoral Fellow, St. Jude Children's Research Hospital

Lee Bockus
Graduated:  PhD 2016
Mentor:  Kenneth Humphries
Current Position: Medical Student
University of Oklahoma Health Sciences Center

Alison Sismey Ragatz
Graduated:  MS 2007
Mentor:  Paul DeAngelis
Current Position:  Physician Associate in Family Medicine
University of Dubuque, WI

Nigel Otto
Graduated: PhD 2011
Mentor:  Paul DeAngelis
Current Position:  Founder & Chief Scientist
Weka Biosciences, LLC in Santa Fe, NM
https://wekabiosciences.com/

Phillip Pummill
Graduated:  PhD 2002
Current Position:  Downstream Process Development Tech Transfer Scientist
Catalent Inc - Madison, WI

Craig Eyster
Graduated:  PhD 2017
Mentor:  Ann Louise Olson
Current Position:  Staff Scientist
Oklahoma Medical Research Foundation

David Sparling
Graduated:  PhD 2007 MD:  2009
Mentor:  Ann Louise Olson
Current Position:  Assistant Professor of Pediatrics
OUHSC
https://news.ouhsc.edu/templates/?a=1943

Robert Russell
Graduated:  PhD 2008
Mentor:  Ann Louise Olson
Current Position:  US Navy Pathology Laboratory

Justin Weems
Graduated:  PhD 2011
Mentor:  Ann Louise Olson
Current Position:  Staff Scientist
Stowers Institute
http://www.stowers.org/stowers-report/spring-2016/from-soccer-to-science

Mandy Peak Bryan
Graduated:  PhD 2005
Mentor:  Karla Rodgers
Current Position:  Assistant Professor – Department of Biology
Pittsburg State University – Kansas
http://www.pittstate.edu/faculty-staff/mandy-m-peak-bryan

Kathleen Cooley Coughlan
Graduated:  PhD 2010
Mentor: Jordan Tang
Current Position: Professor of Anatomy and Physiology
Redlands Community College
https://www.redlandscc.edu/content/dr-kathleen-coughlan

Megan Brophy
Graduated: PhD 2018
Mentor: Hong Chen
Current Position: Postdoctoral Fellow-Gene Therapy, Rare Disease, Pfizer Inc.

 

 

 

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