Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Medicine

Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Medicine We are a basic science department in the School of Medicine at West Virginia University, located in Morgantown, WV.

Studying Biochemistry and Molecular Medicine means that you are learning about how molecular events in cells and how the structure and function of molecules regulate the whole organism. It is a field where we ask "how does that happen?" and now just "what happens if?". This is a field for individuals with natural curiosity about how life works. Flexibility for your future career is a key feature o

f graduate training in Biochemistry and Molecular Biology. The fundamental knowledge and lab skills learned in this program allow easy transitions into the study of multiple scientific disciplines. Biochemical experimentation is integral for the development of new drugs and for obtaining the knowledge that enhances our understanding of disease processes. As a graduate of this program you will be prepared for a career in academics, the pharmaceutical industry, or the government sector. Opportunities for professional development:
-Attendance of national and international conferences.
-Developing speaking skills through research talks and seminar presentations.
-Developing teaching skills by mentoring undergraduates and giving lectures.
-Obtaining top-notch laboratory skills.
-Applying for and receiving fellowships. Biochemistry is the Bridge from Molecules to Life. Graduate research opportunities address important health issues such as cancer, blindness, deafness, diabetes, obesity, neurodegenerative disease and Inflammatory Bowel Disease. Curriculum Highlights:
-Flexible curriculum to allow time for electives
-Advanced courses are literature-based
-Opportunities for students to invite seminar speakers
-Journal club with heavy student involvement in its organization
-Opportunities to develop seminar skills
-Qualifying exams:
1. written - year 2, take-home on topic of student's choice
2. oral - year 3, defense of dissertation proposal

05/14/2026

Another postdoc spotlight! This time, we're recognizing Souradip Chatterjee, in the Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Medicine! Thank you for the work that you do! WVU Health Sciences

Congratulations to Taylor, Baylee, George, Kristen, and Marzieh on their travel awards for the 2026 ARVO Conference (pic...
05/01/2026

Congratulations to Taylor, Baylee, George, Kristen, and Marzieh on their travel awards for the 2026 ARVO Conference (pictured)!!

Presentations from WVU include the following students, faculty, and staff:

George Holmes - Preclinical Efficacy of Gene therapy for Prominin1 Associated Retinal Dystrophy

Brooke Brothers- Gene therapy in an Opn1mwR325Q-SNAP mouse model for blue cone monochromacy and generation of a novel M-opsin trafficking model Opn1mwSNAP

Taylor Saurborn -Loss of Na+/K+ ATPase β2 Subunit Compromises Retinal Structure and Function Through ECM Disorganization and RS1 Dysfunction

Baylee Weaver-A SEA2 Domain Mutation in IMPG1 Impairs Autoproteolysis and Drives Retinal Degeneration

Marissa Teng-Characterizing Kinesin-2 Heterodimer KIF3A/C in Ciliopathies and Neurodevelopmental Disorders

Sila Yanardag- Loss of a PROM1 C-Terminal Di-Acidic Motif Triggers Protein Instability and Photoreceptor Dysfunction

Wen-Tao Deng- A Genetic Rescue Model to Investigate the Therapeutic Window for Degenerating Cones

Diana Alabdallat -Glutamine Synthetase is Essential for Retinal Nitrogen Metabolism and Visual Function

Kristen Haggerty- Super-Resolution Mapping Defines a Specialized M-Opsin Trafficking Pathway in Cone Photoreceptors

Omar Anwar Sadat -Clinical and Genetic Correlations in Knobloch Syndrome: A report on 2 new variants

Annahita Amireskandari -Retinal thickness and volume differences in amyloid-related imaging abnormalities in patients receiving amyloid-targeted monoclonal antibodies for Alzheimer’s disease

Brent Zutaut -Comparative Time-Varying Risk of Open-Angle Glaucoma in New Users of Antihypertensive Monotherapy Classes

Paige Anderson- Kinesin-2 KIF3B Mutations Cause Retinal Ciliopathies Through Distinct Molecular Mechanisms

Haseeb Mahmud- Clinical Findings and Progresskon of HGNSAT-associated Retinitis Pigmentosa

Tuan Ngo- A Rapid and Controllable Mouse Model of AMD by Targeted RPE Stress

Souradip Chatterjee -TTLL4-Dependent Tubulin Glutamylation Is Dispensable for Photoreceptor Structure and Function

Marzieh Moghadas- Mutations in IMPG2 Escape Nonsense-Mediated mRNA decay Leading to Truncated Proteins linked to Retinitis Pigmentosa

Congrats!!
04/23/2026

Congrats!!

We would like to congratulate Tanner Smida and Sarah Starcovic, who are the recipients of the 2026 Outstanding Service Award! Tanner and Sarah were nominated by the HSC community for embodying service in their everyday lives, leaving a long-lasting impact on the institution and our community. WVU Health Sciences Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Medicine West Virginia Clinical and Translational Science Institute

👏👏
04/20/2026

👏👏

We would like to congratulate Brooke Brothers, who is the recipient of the 2026 Outstanding Leadership Award! Brooke was nominated by the HSC community for embodying leadership in their everyday life, leaving a long-lasting impact on the institution and our community. Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Medicine WVU Health Sciences

04/15/2026

We have another postdoc to highlight-Marzieh Moghadas, in the WVU Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Medicine! Thank you for all that you do! WVU Health Sciences

04/15/2026

Scientists at West Virginia University are researching ways to fine-tune how cells use the simple sugar glucose and determine how the process is sometimes disrupted, leading to diseases such as cancer, diabetes and inflammation. By defining the mechanisms that control this pathway, the researchers a...

03/19/2026
02/19/2026

Today we celebrate yet another one of our amazing postdocs, Sila Yanardag, in the Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Medicine! Thank you for all that you do! WVU Health Sciences WVU School of Medicine

02/06/2026

A grant awarded to the West Virginia University School of Medicine is helping faculty researchers partner with scientists from around the world to explore the mechanisms behind a newly-discovered form of the genetic disorders known as ciliopathies.

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Morgantown, WV
26506

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