About the Office of Research and Innovation, College of Medicine
The Office of Research and Innovation, College of Medicine 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 vice dean for research and innovation 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.
Research News & Announcements
Faculty and colleagues recently gathered to honor Kenny J. Simansky, PhD, professor emeritus of pharmacology and physiology, and psychiatry, who stepped down as senior vice dean of the Office of Research in July. For more than 40 years, Dr. Simansky’s visionary leadership, pioneering research and unwavering dedication to education made him a driving force behind the College’s evolution. Read More
Scientists from the College of Medicine and Columbia University have uncovered a crucial structural feature of a key malaria drug target and discovered a previously unknown binding partner that could reshape antimalarial drug design. Read More
Researchers from Drexel University’s College of Arts and Sciences and College of Medicine have found a potential new therapeutic target for Alzheimer’s disease. Expanding on their previous research on Tip60 histone acetyltransferase (HAT), known as the Tip60 enzyme, which controls genes that promote learning and memory in the brain, the Drexel research team generated small molecular compounds that activate Tip60 and restore deficits in the brain found in Alzheimer’s disease patients, such as gene expression programs linked to learning, memory and neurodegeneration. Read more.
Sandhya Kortagere, PhD, will lead efforts to enhance research productivity, secure external funding, and support faculty development across basic, clinical, translational and population health sciences. She will also oversee the research infrastructure, including grants administration, compliance and research facilities, while promoting commercialization and technology transfer. Dr. Kortagere will connect the College of Medicine’s clinical expertise, world-class research, educational strengths, and extensive hospital and health system collaborations to foster innovation, support scientific discovery and enhance patient care. Read more.
Orthopaedic Surgery Interest Group Travel Scholarship
Simran Shamith, MD class of 2026, recently received the Orthopaedic Surgery Interest Group's travel scholarship funded by the Norman Johanson, MD Orthopedic Fund to attend the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons Conference in March 2025. Their work, "Enhanced Recovery After Surgery for Arthroplasty versus Arthroscopy - a Cross Procedure Comparison of Postoperative Opioid Prescriptions In Iowa’s Billion Pill Pledge Program" and "Reducing Post-Operative Opioids Across Different Surgical Specialties – Enhanced Recovery Pathways" was presented during podium presentations. The conference was an opportunity for students and residents, who will be future colleagues, to meet and network.
On March 4, Drexel University College of Medicine hosted the PA TriNetX Symposium at the Study Hotel in University City. The event brought together 65 attendees from Pennsylvania organizations that use the TriNetX research platform, to network, share ideas and foster future collaboration. Read more.
Recent Journal Articles
The Drexel Research Discovery Database maintained by the Drexel Libraries showcases a wide range of research and scholarly outputs created by faculty, staff and students in the College of Arts and Sciences. The database archives articles, books, conference presentations, dissertations, theses and much more. View recent journal articles.