Meet our department’s dedicated faculty and staff.
Learn more about our department’s research.
Learn more about educational training in the biomedical sciences.
A community of educators who teach the anatomical sciences.
The Department of Anatomy & Cell Biology is committed to fulfilling our threefold mission of education, research, and service through innovation, collaboration and teaching excellence. ACB is the home department for the Joint Health NIH T32 training grant.
We have a strong devotion to educating the physicians, researchers and health professionals of tomorrow. Our faculty are responsible for overseeing and delivering curricula in the anatomical sciences, which includes gross anatomy, histology, embryology and neuroscience. The human anatomy laboratory is a hallmark of the department that offers hands-on experiential learning ― a timeless mode of instruction fundamental to the training of the health professions.
Our award-winning faculty conduct basic biomedical research primarily in the areas of bone and cartilage biology, regenerative medicine, orthopedics, bone cancer, biomechanics and osteoarthritis. Our laboratories support a variety of projects ranging in scope from cell and tissue culture work to experimental surgery and studies on biomechanics and gait. Interdisciplinary research is an integral component of the institutional culture as evidenced by close ties between our department and faculty in orthopedics, biochemistry and rheumatology.
We also participate in a variety of institutional and community service projects, including promoting science education throughout the Chicago metropolitan area.
Department of Anatomy & Cell Biology in the News
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Faculty Accomplishments
Congratulations to Chris Ferrigno for being Promoted to Associate Professor
Dr. Ferrigno obtained his B.S. in education at University of Georgia and a Clinical Masters in Physical Therapy at the Medical College of Georgia. After 12 years treating patients in outpatient orthopedics, he came to Rush and obtained his PhD in Anatomy & Cell Biology in 2015, with his doctoral dissertation focused on non-surgical biomechanical treatments for knee osteoarthritis. He then performed a three-year post-doctoral fellowship in research at RUSH in the Department of Orthopedic Surgery. During this time, he also fulfilled his passion for teaching, serving as an instructor in each college at Rush through the Department of Anatomy & Cell Biology. In 2018, Dr. Ferrigno was appointed Assistant Professor in Anatomy & Cell Biology. In 2023, Dr. Ferrigno became the Director of the Human Anatomy Lab. Dr. Ferrigno has played and continues to play a major role in the teaching of medical students and other professional students at Rush. Dr. Ferrigno’s course reviews are exemplary, with quantitative ratings in the top 20% in RMC. This past year, students voted him as the keynote speaker at the Physician Assistant Graduation Ceremony because of the impact he had on his students during their first semester at RUSH. He was awarded the prestigious IDEA award after placing in the top 15% of all course reviews nationally. Qualitatively, the student remarks are notably outstanding such as this one from a first year medical student: “I know we aren’t supposed to just say nice things but I cannot say enough nice things about Dr. Ferrigno. He was the best instructor I have ever had and I loved this course.” Dr. Ferrigno is active in the American Association for Anatomy: the Body Donation Task Force (which is now a regular committee) and the Task Force for Virtual Dissection Database, both of which aim to ensure the ethical treatment of whole-body donations for education and research. We look forward to many more years of dedicated service to RUSH and our students!Faculty Accomplishments
Three Department of Anatomy & Cell Biology Faculty Awarded Swim Across America Grants
Jeffrey A. Borgia, PhD, Lei Duan, MD and Jitesh Pratap, PhD have been awarded Swim Across America grants for cancer research. Congratulations! Read More.
Trainees Accomplishments
RUSH University Graduate College’s PhD Candidate Jessica Ramirez Named Winner of The AWIS Distinguished Doctoral Research Scholarship
Jessica Ramirez, MS, was awarded a highly selective scholarship from the Association for Women in Science. The Distinguished Doctoral Research Scholarship is awarded to women in science that have a research project thought to provide important and original contributions to their field of study. Jessica was one of the four recipients of the Distinguished Doctoral Research Scholarship for 2023. She is a third year PhD student in Dr. Animesh Barua’s laboratory. Congratulations, Jessica! Read More.
Department News
ASE Special Issue Will Peel Back the Layers of Psychometrics, Says Guest Editor Adam Wilson
Adam Wilson, PhD, associate professor and director of the Section of Anatomy Education, was recently featured in the weekly e-newsletter of the American Association for Anatomy. Dr. Wilson will be the guest editor for an issue on psychometrics for Anatomical Sciences Education, which is ranked 3 of 44 journals in the Education, Scientific Disciplines category. Dr. Wilson is an associate editor for this journal and an expert in understanding how tests, instruments, and pedagogies are validated using psychometrics and meta-analyses. Read More.
Faculty Accomplishments
Michael Bradaric, PhD Promoted to Associate Professor
Dr. Michael Bradaric was recently promoted to the rank of Associate Professor of Anatomy & Cell Biology at RUSH University. Dr. Bradaric received his BS in Biology at Lewis University with a minor in chemistry in 2004. He earned his PhD in Pharmacology from Rush University in 2011. He was a post-doctoral fellow in the Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology (Section of Oncology) at the University of Chicago from 2011-2012. He served as an assistant professor in Pharmaceutical Sciences from 2012-2015 at Chicago State University, College of Pharmacy. Since August 2015, he has been an assistant professor at Rush, first in the Department of Pharmacology and then in Anatomy & Cell Biology when RUSH transitioned to three basic science departments in 2017. Dr. Bradaric’s areas of strength include education and service. Michael has served as the course director for four different courses during the past five years. He has a large responsibility for nearly one-third of the 75+ cases that form a key component of the preclinical curriculum. Dr. Bradaric was a key player in developing the new, single pass curriculum at RUSH Medical College. During his time at RUSH, the student satisfaction with pharmacology content has increased from less than 50% to nearly 90%, compared to a national average of about 80%.Image
Trainees Accomplishments
Congratulations to Kelsey Carpenter, PhD
Kelsey Carpenter, PhD, a recent graduate in Dr. Ross' lab now a postdoc at the Van Andel Institute in Grand Rapids MI, awarded the American Cancer Society career development grants. ACS announced the recipients of career development grants on Twitter: https://twitter.com/AmericanCancer/status/1646545182181998592Image
Department News
Dr. Colleen Cheverko joins the Department as an Assistant Professor
We would like to welcome Dr. Colleen Cheverko to the RUSH faculty. Dr. Cheverko is joining the Department of Anatomy & Cell Biology as an assistant professor with primary responsibilities as an educator. She is a great fit for this position because of her extensive teaching experience and her research which is focused on bone biology, a strength of the department. Dr. Cheverko earned her PhD at Ohio State University (2018) and did postdoctoral work at the University of California at Merced as a Chancellor’s Postdoctoral Fellow (2018-2020). She was recruited to Rush from the Edward Via College of Osteopathic Medicine in Louisiana, where she served as an assistant professor from 2021 to 2023. She has considerable experience in teaching anatomy and has received training and participated in numerous workshops on pedagogy and faculty development. She has already co-edited a book and has 7 peer reviewed articles and 4 book chapters, which is very productive for someone who has been at the rank of assistant professor since only 2021. Nationally, she has served on the Program Committee of the American Association of Biological Anthropologists, has served as a reviewer for the National Science Foundation, a manuscript reviewer for several journals and is a member of the American Association for Anatomy. At the institutions where she has trained or served as a faculty member, Dr. Cheverko has actively participated in multiple committees and roles. Please join with me in welcoming Dr. Cheverko to RUSH!Image
Trainees Accomplishments
Congratulations to Brittany Wilson, PhD
Dr. Wilson in Dr. Sumner’s lab won the first place for the Postdoctoral Platform Presentation Award (sponsored by Developmental Dynamics) at the recent annual meeting of the American Association for Anatomy.
The title of her presentation was “Mineral Metabolism Markers in a Pig Model of Preterm Birth Mimic Clinical Findings”
The co-authors on the paper included Martin Rasmussen, Thomas Thymann and Per Sangild (all of the University of Copenhagen) and D. Rick Sumner (Rush).
The 2023 annual meeting of the American Association for Anatomy (Anatomy Connected 2023) had over 1,000 attendees and was held in Washington, D.C. on March 25-27. This meeting is the world’s largest gathering of anatomical science researchers and educators.
Photo Legend:
Dr. Brittany Wilson with her postdoctoral mentor, Dr. Rick Sumner at the Anatomy Connected 2023 awards ceremony.Image
Trainees Accomplishments
Trainee Research Day 2023
Congratulations to Shreya Patel in Dr. Pratap’s lab and Delia Alkhatib in Dr. Ross’ lab for winning first and third prize for the People’s Choice Awards (poster presentations) at the 2023 University Trainee Research Day.Image
Faculty News
Frank Ko FASEB Capitol Hill Day
As an ASBMR representative to FASEB Science Policy Committee, Dr. Frank Ko participated in Capitol Hill day on March 15 to advocate for adequately funding the National Institutes of Health, National Science Foundation, Department of Energy Office of Science, Agriculture Food and Research Initiative, and the Veterans Affairs Medical and Prosthetic Research program for fiscal year 2024. There were 45 Senate meetings and 30 House meetings with nearly equal representation between Republican and Democrat offices. FASEB provides data on the impact of federal research funding on each state: Federal Funding Data.Photo Legend:
Illinois Advocacy Team: Frank Ko, PhD (Right) and Joe Cheatwood, PhD, Chair of Anatomy at Southern Illinois University (Left). Not pictured Frank Krause, MBA, FASEB Executive Director.Image
Faculty Accomplishments
2022 Metastatic Breast Cancer Research Award from Metavivor Research and Support Inc.
Jitesh Pratap, PhD, has been awarded a Metastatic Breast Cancer Research Award from Metavivor Research and Support Inc. The project title is “Targeting microtubule dynamics and endosomal trafficking for bone metastasis of breast cancer.” The award was made possible by METAvivor's community of followers on social media in honor of all of those touched by metastatic breast cancer. Metavivor Research and Support Inc., a non-profit organization dedicated to funding research for stage IV metastatic breast cancer (MBC), awarded 27 grants, totaling $5,750,000 in the 2022 cycle. The research grants will enhance the understanding of metastatic breast cancer, help improve current treatments and develop greatly needed therapeutic options to combat the complicated disease. Since its founding in 2009, METAvivor has put 100% of donations into its peer-reviewed research grant program. This award is Dr. Pratap’s second award from this foundation.Faculty Accomplishments
Amarjit Virdi, PhD Promoted to Professor
Congratulations to Amarjit Virdi, PhD, who was promoted to the rank of Professor, effective September 6, 2022. Dr. Virdi’s primary appointment is in Anatomy & Cell Biology and he has a conjoint appointment in Orthopedic Surgery. Dr. Virdi received his BSc with honors in medical sciences at the University of Surrey, England and his DPhil from the University of Oxford in orthopedics and traumatology, where he also served as a research fellow. He was recruited to Rush in 1999 as an assistant professor. He was promoted to associate professor in 2009. He has held an adjunct faculty position in Bioengineering at the University of Illinois at Chicago since 1999. Dr. Virdi is currently the Director of the Office of Mentoring Programs at Rush and has served as the Chair of the Institutional Biosafety Committee since 2006. Before the reorganization of the Graduate College he served as our department’s Graduate Program Director (2007-2018). He has had important roles in the Orthopaedic Research Society and has served as a grant reviewer for the National Institutes of Health and the Department of Defense. Dr. Virdi is currently the course director for several offerings related to faculty development. He was the associate discipline director for histology and fulfilled numerous teaching roles within Rush Medical College and the Graduate College, all with excellent student reviews. With respect to research, he has been the principal investigator on numerous funded projects and has been a key co-investigator on even more projects, all related to bone biology.Image
Faculty Accomplishments
Congratulations to Frank C. Ko, PhD
Frank C. Ko, PhD Assistant Professor, has been selected as one of two faculty for the 2022 John G. Searle Innovator Award. The Searle Foundation has committed philanthropic funds to support investigator-initiated research. Applications are solicited that propose significant and innovative translational, clinical, basic science, behavioral, or population-based research. The intent of these pilot grants is to support well-designed projects that will allow development of preliminary data to enable the investigators to be competitive for future federal or private funding. Interdisciplinary proposals are of particular interest. Dr. Ko’s project is “Examining periostin-integrin receptor signaling in intramembranous bone regeneration.”Image
Postdoc Accomplishments
Arnold Olali, PhD, postdoctoral fellow in the Ross Lab, recently received one of the 2022 ASBMR Underrepresented Minority Mentorship Awards.
Image
Faculty Accomplishments
Ryan Ross, PhD Promoted to Associate Professor
Congratulations to Ryan Ross, PhD, who was promoted to the rank of Associate Professor, effect July 1, 2022 in the Department of Anatomy & Cell Biology. Dr. Ross has conjoint appointments in the Department of Orthopaedic Surgery and the Department of Microbial Pathogens & Immunity. Dr. Ross received his BS in Chemical Engineering from the University of California at Riverside in 2006, with an emphasis in biochemistry and his PhD in Bioengineering from the University of Notre Dame in 2011. He joined the Sumner Lab as a post-doctoral fellow shortly after graduating and became an assistant professor in Anatomy & Cell Biology in 2016. Since becoming an assistant professor, Dr. Ross was appointed a RUSH University Cohn Fellow (2016-2017), was awarded an Orthoregeneration Network/Orthopaedic Research Society Education Grant Award (2018), was recognized by the RUSH Research Mentoring Program as the 2021 Mentee of the Year Award, was awarded a RUSH Catalyst Research grant in 2021, and was recognized in 2022 as the RUSH Graduate College Mentor of the Year. He is the principal investigator on four grants from the National Institutes of Health, including a K01 award, a R03 award, a R21 award and a R01 subaward. As if that were not enough, he has two R01 grants that will start in the next few months. Dr. Ross focuses on skeletal mineralization, biomarkers and why treatments for HIV negatively affect the skeleton. To date he is an author on 46 peer-reviewed, published manuscripts (23 as first or last author). He has been active in the two preeminent international research societies in his field, including the Orthopaedic Research Society and the American Society for Bone and Mineral Research. Three PhD students graduated from his lab this spring. Two have very impressive post-doctoral fellowships and the third has returned to medical school. We look forward to Ryan’s continued contributions to RUSH and the field of bone biology.Image
Department News
Dr. Jennifer Eastwood joins the Department as an Associate Professor
Welcome to Dr. Jennifer Eastwood who is joining the Department of Anatomy & Cell Biology as an associate professor with primary responsibilities as an educator. Read More.Image
Faculty News
Interim Director of the Human Anatomy Laboratory
Christopher Ferrigno, PhD, MPT, will assume the position of the interim director of the Human Anatomy Laboratory starting July 1. The current director, James Williams, PhD, is retiring on June 30.Image
Faculty Accomplishments
Fellow of the American Society for Bone and Mineral Research
Rick Sumner, PhD, was recently selected as a Fellow of the American Society for Bone and Mineral Research in recognition of his long-term membership and “outstanding contributions to the field of bone and mineral science.” He will be recognized at the ASBMR Annual Meeting in September. Dr. Sumner is also a fellow of the American Association for the Advancement of Science, the American Association for Anatomy and the Orthopaedic Research Society.Image
Faculty News
Retirement of James M. Williams, PhD
James M. Williams, PhD, director of the Human Anatomy Laboratory will be retiring from RUSH University on June 30 after 38 years here. Dr. Williams has served as the anatomy lab’s director since 2004, and he was the inaugural director of the Section of Clinical Anatomy (now called the Section of Anatomy Education). Read More.Image
Faculty and Trainees Accomplishments
Awards from the 2022 Graduate College Hooding Ceremony
2022 Graduate College Awards
- The John E. Trufant, EdD Award for Excellence in Graduate College Research – Kelsey A. Carpenter
- The Graduate College Dean’s Award for Leadership and Service – Sarah Jean Calhoun
- Rush University Diversity and Inclusion Award – Arnold Z. Olali
- Mentor of the Year Award – Ryan Ross, PhD
- Teacher of the Year – Carl Maki, PhD
Congratulations! Read More and See Some Photos.
Image
Trainees Accomplishments
Kelsey Carpenter accepted a postdoctoral fellowship at the Van Andel Institute in Grand Rapids MI
She also published a first author paper this year:
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S8756328221003677ImageTrainees Accomplishments
Arnold Olali accepted a postdoctoral fellowship at the Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia
He also published a first author paper this year:
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S8756328221003744Image
Faculty Accomplishments
RUSH Researchers Studying ‘Breakthrough’ COVID-19
Jeffrey Borgia PhD, associate professor in the Department of Anatomy and Cell Biology and Jeffrey Schneider PhD, assistant professor of Microbial Pathogens and Immunity have received a $1.4 million grant to study “breakthrough” infections of COVID-19 in vaccinated people who have received booster shots. Read More.ImageFaculty Accomplishments
Ryan Ross, PhD: 2021 Mentee of the Year
Dr. Ryan Ross has been named as 2021 Mentee of the Year Rush Mentoring Programs. Read More.
ImageFaculty Accomplishments
Rick Sumner, PhD: 2021 Mentor of the Year
Dr. Rick Sumner has been named as 2021 Mentor of the Year Rush Mentoring Programs. Read More.
Image
Trainees Accomplishments
Congratulations to the 2021 Recipients of the ASBMR Young Investigator Awards for Virtual Ph.D. Training!
Arnold Olali, PhD student in the Ross Lab, recently received one of the 2021 ASBMR Young Investigator Awards for the ECTS Digital Ph.D. Trainee Course. -
Faculty Accomplishments
Congratulations to Chris Ferrigno for being Promoted to Associate Professor
Dr. Ferrigno obtained his B.S. in education at University of Georgia and a Clinical Masters in Physical Therapy at the Medical College of Georgia. After 12 years treating patients in outpatient orthopedics, he came to Rush and obtained his PhD in Anatomy & Cell Biology in 2015, with his doctoral dissertation focused on non-surgical biomechanical treatments for knee osteoarthritis. He then performed a three-year post-doctoral fellowship in research at Rush in the Department of Orthopedic Surgery. During this time, he also fulfilled his passion for teaching, serving as an instructor in each college at Rush through the Department of Anatomy & Cell Biology. In 2018, Dr. Ferrigno was appointed Assistant Professor in Anatomy & Cell Biology. In 2023, Dr. Ferrigno became the Director of the Human Anatomy Lab. Dr. Ferrigno has played and continues to play a major role in the teaching of medical students and other professional students at Rush. Dr. Ferrigno’s course reviews are exemplary, with quantitative ratings in the top 20% in RMC. This past year, students voted him as the keynote speaker at the Physician Assistant Graduation Ceremony because of the impact he had on his students during their first semester at RUSH. He was awarded the prestigious IDEA award after placing in the top 15% of all course reviews nationally. Qualitatively, the student remarks are notably outstanding such as this one from a first year medical student: “I know we aren’t supposed to just say nice things but I cannot say enough nice things about Dr. Ferrigno. He was the best instructor I have ever had and I loved this course.” Dr. Ferrigno is active in the American Association for Anatomy: the Body Donation Task Force (which is now a regular committee) and the Task Force for Virtual Dissection Database, both of which aim to ensure the ethical treatment of whole-body donations for education and research. We look forward to many more years of dedicated service to RUSH and our students!Faculty Accomplishments
Three Department of Anatomy & Cell Biology Faculty Awarded Swim Across America Grants
Jeffrey A. Borgia, PhD, Lei Duan, MD and Jitesh Pratap, PhD have been awarded Swim Across America grants for cancer research. Congratulations! Read More.Trainees Accomplishments
RUSH University Graduate College’s PhD Candidate Jessica Ramirez Named Winner of The AWIS Distinguished Doctoral Research Scholarship
Jessica Ramirez, MS, was awarded a highly selective scholarship from the Association for Women in Science. The Distinguished Doctoral Research Scholarship is awarded to women in science that have a research project thought to provide important and original contributions to their field of study. Jessica was one of the four recipients of the Distinguished Doctoral Research Scholarship for 2023. She is a third year PhD student in Dr. Animesh Barua’s laboratory. Congratulations, Jessica! Read More.Department News
ASE Special Issue Will Peel Back the Layers of Psychometrics, Says Guest Editor Adam Wilson
Adam Wilson, PhD, associate professor and director of the Section of Anatomy Education, was recently featured in the weekly e-newsletter of the American Association for Anatomy. Dr. Wilson will be the guest editor for an issue on psychometrics for Anatomical Sciences Education, which is ranked 3 of 44 journals in the Education, Scientific Disciplines category. Dr. Wilson is an associate editor for this journal and an expert in understanding how tests, instruments, and pedagogies are validated using psychometrics and meta-analyses. Read More.Faculty Accomplishments
Michael Bradaric, PhD Promoted to Associate Professor
Dr. Michael Bradaric was recently promoted to the rank of Associate Professor of Anatomy & Cell Biology at Rush University. Dr. Bradaric received his BS in Biology at Lewis University with a minor in chemistry in 2004. He earned his PhD in Pharmacology from Rush University in 2011. He was a post-doctoral fellow in the Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology (Section of Oncology) at the University of Chicago from 2011-2012. He served as an assistant professor in Pharmaceutical Sciences from 2012-2015 at Chicago State University, College of Pharmacy. Since August 2015, he has been an assistant professor at RUSH, first in the Department of Pharmacology and then in Anatomy & Cell Biology when Rush transitioned to three basic science departments in 2017. Dr. Bradaric’s areas of strength include education and service. Michael has served as the course director for four different courses during the past five years. He has a large responsibility for nearly one-third of the 75+ cases that form a key component of the preclinical curriculum. Dr. Bradaric was a key player in developing the new, single pass curriculum at Rush Medical College. During his time at Rush, the student satisfaction with pharmacology content has increased from less than 50% to nearly 90%, compared to a national average of about 80%.ImageTrainees Accomplishments
Congratulations to Kelsey Carpenter, PhD
Kelsey Carpenter, PhD, a recent graduate in Dr. Ross' lab now a postdoc at the Van Andel Institute in Grand Rapids MI, awarded the American Cancer Society career development grants. ACS announced the recipients of career development grants on Twitter: https://twitter.com/AmericanCancer/status/1646545182181998592ImageDepartment News
Dr. Colleen Cheverko joins the Department as an Assistant Professor
We would like to welcome Dr. Colleen Cheverko to the Rush faculty. Dr. Cheverko is joining the Department of Anatomy & Cell Biology as an assistant professor with primary responsibilities as an educator. She is a great fit for this position because of her extensive teaching experience and her research which is focused on bone biology, a strength of the department. Dr. Cheverko earned her PhD at Ohio State University (2018) and did postdoctoral work at the University of California at Merced as a Chancellor’s Postdoctoral Fellow (2018-2020). She was recruited to Rush from the Edward Via College of Osteopathic Medicine in Louisiana, where she served as an assistant professor from 2021 to 2023. She has considerable experience in teaching anatomy and has received training and participated in numerous workshops on pedagogy and faculty development. She has already co-edited a book and has 7 peer reviewed articles and 4 book chapters, which is very productive for someone who has been at the rank of assistant professor since only 2021. Nationally, she has served on the Program Committee of the American Association of Biological Anthropologists, has served as a reviewer for the National Science Foundation, a manuscript reviewer for several journals and is a member of the American Association for Anatomy. At the institutions where she has trained or served as a faculty member, Dr. Cheverko has actively participated in multiple committees and roles. Please join with me in welcoming Dr. Cheverko to Rush!ImageTrainees Accomplishments
Congratulations to Brittany Wilson, PhD
Dr. Wilson in Dr. Sumner’s lab won the first place for the Postdoctoral Platform Presentation Award (sponsored by Developmental Dynamics) at the recent annual meeting of the American Association for Anatomy.
The title of her presentation was “Mineral Metabolism Markers in a Pig Model of Preterm Birth Mimic Clinical Findings”
The co-authors on the paper included Martin Rasmussen, Thomas Thymann and Per Sangild (all of the University of Copenhagen) and D. Rick Sumner (Rush).
The 2023 annual meeting of the American Association for Anatomy (Anatomy Connected 2023) had over 1,000 attendees and was held in Washington, D.C. on March 25-27. This meeting is the world’s largest gathering of anatomical science researchers and educators.
Photo Legend: Dr. Brittany Wilson with her postdoctoral mentor, Dr. Rick Sumner at the Anatomy Connected 2023 awards ceremony.
ImageTrainees Accomplishments
Trainee Research Day 2023
Congratulations to Shreya Patel in Dr. Pratap’s lab and Delia Alkhatib in Dr. Ross’ lab for winning first and third prize for the People’s Choice Awards (poster presentations) at the 2023 University Trainee Research Day.ImageFaculty News
Frank Ko FASEB Capitol Hill Day
As an ASBMR representative to FASEB Science Policy Committee, Dr. Frank Ko participated in Capitol Hill day on March 15 to advocate for adequately funding the National Institutes of Health, National Science Foundation, Department of Energy Office of Science, Agriculture Food and Research Initiative, and the Veterans Affairs Medical and Prosthetic Research program for fiscal year 2024. There were 45 Senate meetings and 30 House meetings with nearly equal representation between Republican and Democrat offices. FASEB provides data on the impact of federal research funding on each state: Federal Funding Data.Photo Legend:
Illinois Advocacy Team: Frank Ko, PhD (Right) and Joe Cheatwood, PhD, Chair of Anatomy at Southern Illinois University (Left). Not pictured Frank Krause, MBA, FASEB Executive Director.ImageFaculty Accomplishments
2022 Metastatic Breast Cancer Research Award from Metavivor Research and Support Inc.
Jitesh Pratap, PhD, has been awarded a Metastatic Breast Cancer Research Award from Metavivor Research and Support Inc. The project title is “Targeting microtubule dynamics and endosomal trafficking for bone metastasis of breast cancer.” The award was made possible by METAvivor's community of followers on social media in honor of all of those touched by metastatic breast cancer. Metavivor Research and Support Inc., a non-profit organization dedicated to funding research for stage IV metastatic breast cancer (MBC), awarded 27 grants, totaling $5,750,000 in the 2022 cycle. The research grants will enhance the understanding of metastatic breast cancer, help improve current treatments and develop greatly needed therapeutic options to combat the complicated disease. Since its founding in 2009, METAvivor has put 100% of donations into its peer-reviewed research grant program. This award is Dr. Pratap’s second award from this foundation.Faculty Accomplishments
Amarjit Virdi, PhD Promoted to Professor
Congratulations to Amarjit Virdi, PhD, who was promoted to the rank of Professor, effective September 6, 2022. Dr. Virdi’s primary appointment is in Anatomy & Cell Biology and he has a conjoint appointment in Orthopedic Surgery. Dr. Virdi received his BSc with honors in medical sciences at the University of Surrey, England and his DPhil from the University of Oxford in orthopedics and traumatology, where he also served as a research fellow. He was recruited to Rush in 1999 as an assistant professor. He was promoted to associate professor in 2009. He has held an adjunct faculty position in Bioengineering at the University of Illinois at Chicago since 1999. Dr. Virdi is currently the Director of the Office of Mentoring Programs at Rush and has served as the Chair of the Institutional Biosafety Committee since 2006. Before the reorganization of the Graduate College he served as our department’s Graduate Program Director (2007-2018). He has had important roles in the Orthopaedic Research Society and has served as a grant reviewer for the National Institutes of Health and the Department of Defense. Dr. Virdi is currently the course director for several offerings related to faculty development. He was the associate discipline director for histology and fulfilled numerous teaching roles within Rush Medical College and the Graduate College, all with excellent student reviews. With respect to research, he has been the principal investigator on numerous funded projects and has been a key co-investigator on even more projects, all related to bone biology.ImageFaculty Accomplishments
Congratulations to Frank C. Ko, PhD
Frank C. Ko, PhD Assistant Professor, has been selected as one of two faculty for the 2022 John G. Searle Innovator Award. The Searle Foundation has committed philanthropic funds to support investigator-initiated research. Applications are solicited that propose significant and innovative translational, clinical, basic science, behavioral, or population-based research. The intent of these pilot grants is to support well-designed projects that will allow development of preliminary data to enable the investigators to be competitive for future federal or private funding. Interdisciplinary proposals are of particular interest. Dr. Ko’s project is “Examining periostin-integrin receptor signaling in intramembranous bone regeneration.”ImagePostdoc Accomplishments
Arnold Olali, PhD, postdoctoral fellow in the Ross Lab, recently received one of the 2022 ASBMR Underrepresented Minority Mentorship Awards.
ImageFaculty Accomplishments
Ryan Ross, PhD Promoted to Associate Professor
Congratulations to Ryan Ross, PhD, who was promoted to the rank of Associate Professor, effect July 1, 2022 in the Department of Anatomy & Cell Biology. Dr. Ross has conjoint appointments in the Department of Orthopaedic Surgery and the Department of Microbial Pathogens & Immunity. Dr. Ross received his BS in Chemical Engineering from the University of California at Riverside in 2006, with an emphasis in biochemistry and his PhD in Bioengineering from the University of Notre Dame in 2011. He joined the Sumner Lab as a post-doctoral fellow shortly after graduating and became an assistant professor in Anatomy & Cell Biology in 2016. Since becoming an assistant professor, Dr. Ross was appointed a Rush University Cohn Fellow (2016-2017), was awarded an Orthoregeneration Network/Orthopaedic Research Society Education Grant Award (2018), was recognized by the Rush Research Mentoring Program as the 2021 Mentee of the Year Award, was awarded a Rush Catalyst Research grant in 2021, and was recognized in 2022 as the Rush Graduate College Mentor of the Year. He is the principal investigator on four grants from the National Institutes of Health, including a K01 award, a R03 award, a R21 award and a R01 subaward. As if that were not enough, he has two R01 grants that will start in the next few months. Dr. Ross focuses on skeletal mineralization, biomarkers and why treatments for HIV negatively affect the skeleton. To date he is an author on 46 peer-reviewed, published manuscripts (23 as first or last author). He has been active in the two preeminent international research societies in his field, including the Orthopaedic Research Society and the American Society for Bone and Mineral Research. Three PhD students graduated from his lab this spring. Two have very impressive post-doctoral fellowships and the third has returned to medical school. We look forward to Ryan’s continued contributions to Rush and the field of bone biology.ImageDepartment News
Dr. Jennifer Eastwood joins the Department as an Associate Professor
Welcome to Dr. Jennifer Eastwood who is joining the Department of Anatomy & Cell Biology as an associate professor with primary responsibilities as an educator. Read More.ImageFaculty News
Interim Director of the Human Anatomy Laboratory
Christopher Ferrigno, PhD, MPT, will assume the position of the interim director of the Human Anatomy Laboratory starting July 1. The current director, James Williams, PhD, is retiring on June 30.ImageFaculty Accomplishments
Fellow of the American Society for Bone and Mineral Research
Rick Sumner, PhD, was recently selected as a Fellow of the American Society for Bone and Mineral Research in recognition of his long-term membership and “outstanding contributions to the field of bone and mineral science.” He will be recognized at the ASBMR Annual Meeting in September. Dr. Sumner is also a fellow of the American Association for the Advancement of Science, the American Association for Anatomy and the Orthopaedic Research Society.ImageFaculty News
Retirement of James M. Williams, PhD
James M. Williams, PhD, director of the Human Anatomy Laboratory will be retiring from Rush University on June 30 after 38 years here. Dr. Williams has served as the anatomy lab’s director since 2004, and he was the inaugural director of the Section of Clinical Anatomy (now called the Section of Anatomy Education). Read More.ImageFaculty and Trainees Accomplishments
Awards from the 2022 Graduate College Hooding Ceremony
2022 Graduate College Awards
- The John E. Trufant, EdD Award for Excellence in Graduate College Research – Kelsey A. Carpenter
- The Graduate College Dean’s Award for Leadership and Service – Sarah Jean Calhoun
- Rush University Diversity and Inclusion Award – Arnold Z. Olali
- Mentor of the Year Award – Ryan Ross, PhD
- Teacher of the Year – Carl Maki, PhD
Congratulations! Read More and See Some Photos.
ImageTrainees Accomplishments
Kelsey Carpenter accepted a postdoctoral fellowship at the Van Andel Institute in Grand Rapids MI
She also published a first author paper this year:
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S8756328221003677ImageTrainees Accomplishments
Arnold Olali accepted a postdoctoral fellowship at the Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia
He also published a first author paper this year:
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S8756328221003744ImageFaculty Accomplishments
RUSH Researchers Studying ‘Breakthrough’ COVID-19
Jeffrey Borgia PhD, associate professor in the Department of Anatomy and Cell Biology and Jeffrey Schneider PhD, assistant professor of Microbial Pathogens and Immunity have received a $1.4 million grant to study “breakthrough” infections of COVID-19 in vaccinated people who have received booster shots. Read More.ImageFaculty Accomplishments
Ryan Ross, PhD: 2021 Mentee of the Year
Dr. Ryan Ross has been named as 2021 Mentee of the Year Rush Mentoring Programs. Read More.
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Rick Sumner, PhD: 2021 Mentor of the Year
Dr. Rick Sumner has been named as 2021 Mentor of the Year Rush Mentoring Programs. Read More.
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Congratulations to the 2021 Recipients of the ASBMR Young Investigator Awards for Virtual Ph.D. Training!
Arnold Olali, PhD student in the Ross Lab, recently received one of the 2021 ASBMR Young Investigator Awards for the ECTS Digital Ph.D. Trainee Course.ImageFaculty News
Student Tribute to the RMC Experience and Faculty Member Jim Williams, PhD
This Instagram link describes a student’s journey to Rush and why he views it as a special place: https://www.instagram.com/p/COOh35OBfzT/?igshid=1jwdyingxhkc3. Thanks to the RMC second look innovation during the covid year and Dr. James M. Williams for his attention to individual students!Image
Trainees Accomplishments
2021 Graduate College Research Image Scholarship Competition Winners
Shreya Patel, PhD student in Dr. Jitesh Pratap’s lab, is the first place winner of the 2021 Graduate College Research Image Scholarship Competition. Congratulations to all our winners!ImageFaculty News
Cancer Cells Could Travel Through the Interstitium
James Williams, PhD, the director of Rush University's Human Anatomy Laboratory, comments “This paper is going to be cited for a long time.”Former Trainees News
Former Trainee in the News
Kirsten Moisio, PT, PhD, who is now an associate professor at Northwestern University’s Feinberg School of Medicine in the Department of Physical Therapy and Human Movement Sciences, received the 2021 Illinois Physical Therapy Association Outstanding Academic Educator Award. The IPTA strives to improve the health, wellness, and quality of life for the people in Illinois through physical therapy. Dr. Moisio also recently received a National Science Foundation Small Business Innovation research grant to develop an innovative gross anatomy teaching tool. Kirsten earned her PhD with Dr. Rick Sumner in our department in 2002, before moving to Northwestern where she has been the primary anatomy teacher in their highly ranked Physical Therapy program ever since. She also continues to publish in the field of osteoarthritis. Congratulations to Kirsten!
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ORS 2021 Fellow Press Release
Dr. Rick Sumner has been named as a 2021 Fellow of the Orthopaedic Research Society (ORS). He will be honored on Monday, February 15, 2021 by the Orthopaedic Research Society as part of their ORS 2021 virtual Annual Meeting.
ORS Fellows are selected by the ORS Board of Directors and represent longstanding members of the ORS who have demonstrated exemplary service and leadership, substantial achievement, expert knowledge, and significant contributions to the ORS, its governance, and the field of musculoskeletal research. Fellows are thought leaders and experts in their respective disciplines and serve as role models in the ORS community and in the field of musculoskeletal research exemplifying the core values of the Society.
Dr. Sumner has been a member of the ORS since 1984 and served in various roles, including President in 2017-2018.
RUSH Stories: Rick Sumner, PhD, Named a 2021 Fellow of Orthopaedic Research Society. Read More.
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Trainees Accomplishments
ASBMR Member Spotlight Seminar Series
The spotlight seminar series was introduced to allow ASBMR members to share their research with other members and encourage discussion and collaboration between members at all career levels.
Ahmad Othman, PhD student in Dr. Pratap’s lab, will be presenting his recent work on the role of Runx2 in promoting microtubule stability and autophagy in bone metastatic breast cancer cells on November 5th at 3pm EST. He did want to make one comment though, the bone field has several diverse specialties (development, disease, cancer) within it and these types of events help gain valuable insight from people with very different research backgrounds than your own. The feedback he has received from the ASBMR conferences has been very helpful in moving their project forward. Here is the link for those who would like to register for this upcoming session along with future sessions.
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2020 ORS Collaborative Exchange Grant Recipients
Congratulations to Frank Ko, PhD of this year's ORS Collaborative Exchange Grant recipient!Faculty News
Faculty in the News
Welcome to Dr. Amy Beresheim who joined the department in August. Dr. Beresheim will be teaching anatomy to students in Rush Medical College, the Graduate College and the College of Health Sciences. She has research interests in bone biology.
Faculty News
Faculty Promotions
Congratulations on their promotions!
Frank Ko, PhD to Assistant Professor
Carl Maki, PhD to Professor
Jitesh Pratap, PhD to Associate ProfessorImage
Trainees Accomplishments
Congratulations to the 2020 Recipients of the ASBMR Young Investigator Awards for Virtual Ph.D. Training!
Kelsey Carpenter, PhD student in the Ross Lab, recently received one of the 2020 ASBMR Young Investigator Awards for the ECTS Digital Ph.D. Trainee Course. The course promoted general knowledge of bone research to young investigators featuring workshops, mentoring sessions, and presentation opportunities with feedback. There were 26 recipients from around the world, including the U.S., Canada, Australia, Argentina, United Kingdom, and Russia.Image
Department News
Our Department PPE Donation
A couple of the labs in the department have gotten together to make a donation of our stocks of PPE for the fight against COVID-19. Big Kudos to Jim Williams, Rylan Martin, and Meghan Moran for getting this organized. The donation included exam gloves, surgical gloves, masks, shoe covers, procedural gowns, surgical caps, surgery drapes, isolation gowns, and some other miscellaneous supplies.Trainees News
Antibody Against Sclerostin Protein Improves Bone Health in Mice with XLH, Study Finds
Congrats, Kelsey Carpenter!
Her JBMR article was highlighted in XLH News Today.Image
Faculty Accomplishments
Adam Wilson, PhD named RUSH Medical College class of 2020 Daniel Brainard Award winner
Each year, the Daniel Brainard Award is presented to a member of the faculty who has demonstrated outstanding ability, dedicated service, and teaching in the basic and behavioral sciences. This is one of four awards made by the graduating class to residents and faculty that have made a positive impact on their education experience at RUSH. The Brainard Award is one of the most prestigious honors that a RUSH Medical College faculty member can earn. Congratulations to our colleague, Dr. Wilson!Trainees NewsTrainees in the News- Kyle Anderson, a PhD student in the laboratory of Dr. Ryan Ross, was a co-author on a paper that was recently published in JMBRPlus entitled “Osteoporosis Treatments Affect Bone Matrix Maturation in a Rat Model of Induced Cortical Remodeling”. https://doi.org/10.1002/jbm4.10344
- Kelsey Carpenter, a PhD student in the laboratory of Dr. Ryan Ross, authored a poster entitled ““Flip or Flop: Do Students Thrive in a Flipped Classroom?” Kelsey A. Carpenter, James M. Williams, Christopher Ferrigno to be presented at the American Association for Anatomy at the Experimental Biology Meeting April 4-7 in San Diego, CA. Kelsey’s abstract was also selected as a poster award finalist for the student/postdoc education research poster award.
- Nicolette Purcell, a PhD student in the laboratory of Dr. Joanne O’Keefe, was first author on a paper that was recently published in PLOS One entitled “The effects of dual-task cognitive interference on gait and turning in Huntington’s disease” PLoS ONE 15(1): e0226827. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0226827
- Elizabeth Paris, a PhD student in the laboratory of Dr. Animesh Barua received travel award to attend scientific conference.
Trainees News
Trainees in the News
- Kelsey Carpenter, graduate student in the lab of Dr. Ryan Ross - poster award finalist for a Student/Postdoc Education Research Poster at the annual meeting of the American Association for Anatomy, which will be held as part of Experimental Biology 2020 in April. Kelsey was also honored with a travel award and the right to compete for an additional prize.
- Brittany Wilson, postdoctoral fellow in the lab of Dr. Rick Sumner - platform award finalist for a Postdoc Platform Presentation Award at the annual meeting of the American Association for Anatomy, which will be held as part of Experimental Biology 2020. Dr. Wilson was also honored with a travel award and the right to compete for an additional prize.
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Faculty News
36th Annual Rushapalooza Talent Show
James Williams, PhD once again emceed a successful Rushapalooza talent show held on January 22, 2020.ImageFaculty Accomplishments
Shifting the Diagnostic Timetable
Orthopaedic Research Society (ORS)/OREF grant recipient Ryan D. Ross, PhD searches for osteolysis biomarkers.Image
Faculty Accomplishments
Drug Discovery and Development, Third Edition
James O’Donnell’s book, Drug Discovery and Development, was recently released. The book is co-edited by James J. O’Donnell with John Somberg, Vincent Idemyor and James T. O’Donnell. This is a CRC Press Book.Image
Faculty Accomplishments
Rick Sumner Named Fellow of the American Association for the Advancement of Science
Department chair and endowed professor honored for research on joint replacements and their failure. Read More.Image
Faculty Accomplishments
2019 Rush Awards
Congratulations to Christopher Ferrigno, PhD, MPT for ranking amongst the Top 15% nationally on his Spring and Summer 2019 IDEA Survey Scores and comments! He is receiving this honor for his “outstanding work” based upon the aspect and assessments of teaching.Congratulations to James Williams, PhD as the newest recipient of Physician Assistant Advocate Award from The Rush University Physician Assistant Program Class of 2019! Dr. Williams is one of the few, if not the only, nonclinical faculty member to receive this award.Image
Faculty Accomplishments
Meghan Moran, PhD Makes Halo Cures 40 Under 40 List for Microbiome Research
Halo Cures named Meghan Moran, PhD, assistant professor, cell and molecular medicine, Rush Medical College, to its 40 Under 40 Chicago Scientists list. Moran is researching molecular interactions between the gut, gut microbiome and bone as a mechanistic pathway to delaying or mitigating arthroplasty failure due to peri-implant particle-induced osteolysis. Moran hopes her research could decrease the need for revision surgeries by offering a non-invasive treatment for failed implants.
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Former Trainees News
Naperville native's passion for all things DeLorean leads to documentary on the iconic car designer starring Alec Baldwin
Tamir Ardon, who graduated with a MS from our department in 2004, is now a Hollywood film producer. His latest project is a movie called “Framing John DeLorean”, starring Alec Baldwin. He is pictured here at a recent showing of the film in the Chicagoland area with Professors Rick Sumner, Jim Williams (his MS thesis advisor) and Larry Thomas (in whose lab he volunteered as an undergraduate).ImageFaculty Accomplishments
Is There a Shortage of Anatomists?
Adam Wilson, PhD received the “Clinical Anatomy Education Research Award” at the 2019 annual meeting of the American Association of Clinical Anatomists for his work on the anatomy educator shortage. This work was also recently highlighted by the American Association of Anatomists.Image
Faculty News
Parkinson's Patients Enlist in Karate Classes to Fight Disease
Dr. Joanne O’Keefe’s lab is assessing the balance and gait outcomes for this trial on using karate to help patients with Parkinson’s Disease.Image
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Faculty Accomplishments
2018-2019 Rush Faculty Excellence Awards
Kristin Al-Ghoul, PhD, associate professor of the Department of Cell & Molecular Medicine, recently received a Rush Faculty Excellence in Education Award.
Markus A Wimmer, PhD, professor of the Department of Orthopedic Surgery and conjoint faculty of the Department of Cell & Molecular Medicine, recently received a Rush Faculty Excellence in Mentoring Award.
Faculty Recognition Reception celebrating winners to be held on June 25, 2019.
2019 Faculty Excellence Award Winners and Recognition Reception Video.Image
Faculty News
Shruti Shakthivel of IMSA won the individual award for "Best Young Research Scientist"
Shruti Shakthivel is an IMSA (Illinois Math and Science Academy) high school student volunteering in the laboratory of Ryan Ross, PhD, an assistant professor in the Department of Cell & Molecular Medicine. Shruti recently attended the "Singapore International Science Challenge - International Student Science Fair".- The theme was Science for Society.
- It took place at National Junior College in Singapore which is a boarding school.
- Shruti won the individual award for "Best Young Research Scientist".
- The students attending were also divided into groups from different schools and countries. Her group won the "Ideator Award" for their solution to the problem of water wastage.
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Faculty Accomplishments
D. Rick Sumner, PhD, professor and chair, is currently the President of the American Association of Anatomists (2019-2021).
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Rush Researchers Named Finalists for Research Award from ITM
Meghan Moran, PhD of the Department of Cell & Molecular Medicine is one of the 3 Rush faculty members, and among the 10 finalists for the Institute of Translational Medicine’s 2018 Pilot Awards, which provide $60,000 in funding for research projects, plus support services. Read More.ImageFaculty News
Biomarkers Associated with Osteolysis Could Aid in Total Hip Replacement Efficacy
The study of Ryan Ross. PhD and his colleagues "Biomarkers associated with osteolysis could aid in total hip replacement efficacy" is the lead story in AAOS Headline News Now. Read more... Read the abstract...ImageFaculty News
Early Indicators of Bone Loss After Hip Replacement Discovered
D. Rick Sumner, PhD, chairperson of the Department of Cell & Molecular Medicine in Rush Medical College and the Mary Lou Bell McGrew Presidential Professor for Medical Research.ImageFaculty News
Researcher at Rush Comments on Discovery of Possible "New" Human Organ
James M. Williams, PhD, the director of Rush University's Human Anatomy Laboratory, comments about the possible discovery of a "new" organ in a recent New York Times article.ImageFaculty Accomplishments
James Williams, PhD, professor, recently received a PA Program Academic Teaching Excellence Award in 2017.
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Researchers Seek Blood Test for Early Lung Cancer Detection
With help from a new NIH grant, Jeffrey A. Borgia, PhD is trying to develop a blood test that can detect lung cancer in its early, more treatable stage.
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Faculty News
Rushapalooza Highlights
James Williams, PhD serves as master of ceremonies (again) for Rushapalooza, a celebration of performance art in the Rush community (held on Nov 1, 2017).ImageFaculty News
Take a Walk on the Mild Side
Study tests intervention to help people with knee arthritisThis research team (Christopher Ferrigno, PhD, MPT, Markus Wimmer, PhD and Najia Shakoor, MD) at Rush University Medical Center is studying whether a pressure-detecting shoe insole linked to a smartphone can help people with knee arthritis learn to walk in a way that preserves their joints.ImageFaculty Accomplishments
D. Rick Sumner, PhD, professor and chair, recently received appointments as President of Orthopaedic Research Society and as President-Elect of American Association of Anatomists.
Staff Accomplishments
Anthony Serici, manager of the Human Anatomy Laboratory, was being selected by the Rush Chapters of the Student National Medical Association (SNMA) and Latino Medical Student Association (LMSA) to receive the Leonidas H. Berry Faculty Award – one of the Rush University Faculty Diversity and Multicultural Leadership Awards, as someone who actively promotes inclusive excellence at Rush. Serici has been recognized for his contributions to enhancing the environment of Rush University through his sustained commitment to advancing diversity, equity and inclusion for our community and beyond.ImageFaculty News
Treatment efficacy of hydoxypropyl-ß-cyclodextrin (HP-ß-CD) in Niemann Pick Type C (NPC), a rare neurodegenerative disorderJoanne O’Keefe, PhD, PT, is collaborating with Elizabeth Berry-Kravis, MD, PhD, in HP-ß-CD clinical trials in NPC by tracking motor function in children and young adults utilizing sensitive measures of gait, balance, functional mobility and fine motor coordination. She is featured in this People Entertainment Weekly Network (PEN) video on “The Andrews Family” performing some of the gait testing measures in two girls with NPC.
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Email: Anatomy_&_Cell_Biology_inquiries@rush.edu