Sarah McCarthy, Ph. D.
Tuesday, 14 April 2026
About Sarah McCarthy, Ph. D. Dr. Sarah McCarthy is an Associate Professor of Anatomy and the Director of the Directed Study Pathway at LECOM-Erie. She earned her Bachelor’s of Science degree from Mercyhurst University and her Ph.D. in Anatomy from Penn State University. Dr. McCarthy is interested in educational research, focusing on learning th... Read More »
Nancy Carty , Ph. D.
Monday, 13 April 2026
About Nancy Carty, Ph. D. Dr. Nancy Carty is the Assistant Dean of Preclinical Education as well as the Director of the Master of Medical Science program. She earned her Ph.D. in Medical Microbiology from the Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center. Her research interests include basic science microbiological research as well as educational rese... Read More »
Bhumika Sharma, Ph. D.
Thursday, 9 April 2026
Ph.D. Veterinary Bacteriology St. George’s University, Grenada, West Indies M. Sc. Microbiology University of Rajasthan, Rajasthan, India B. Sc. Microbiology University of Rajasthan, Rajasthan, India About Bhumika Sharma, Ph. D. Dr. Bhumika Sharma received her Ph.D. in Veterinary Bacteriology from St. George’s University (SGU), Grenad... Read More »
Colleen Cole-Jeffrey
About Colleen Cole-Jeffrey Dr. Colleen Cole-Jeffrey earned her Master of Science in Cellular & Molecular Biology from the University of Notre Dame and her PhD in Physiology from the University of Florida. She previously researched the roles of gut microbiota and the renin-angiotensin system in cardiovascular disease and the subsequent identificat... Read More »
Deepak Sharma, MD, MSMed
Wednesday, 8 April 2026
About Deepak Sharma, MD, MSMed Deepak Sharma, MD, MSMed, is an academic physician and medical educator with a strong focus on anatomical sciences, medical education, and curriculum innovation. He completed his Doctor of Medicine at St. George’s University School of Medicine, has B.A in computer science from Portland State University and further pur... Read More »
Jan Hendryx, DO, FAAO
About Jan Hendryx, DO, FAAO Dr. Hendryx is OPP Institutional Director and Clinical Professor of Osteopathic Principles and Practice (OPP)/Family Medicine at LECOM-Erie and is board-certified in Family Medicine, Special Proficiency in Osteopathic Manipulative Medicine, and in Medical Acupuncture. He has a primary interest in the Bioenergetics Model as... Read More »
Brian L. Risavi, DO, MSMEd, FACEP, FAAEM, FACOEP-D, CEMSO, PHP
About Brian L. Risavi, DO, MSMEd, FACEP, FAAEM, FACOEP-D, CEMSO, PHP Dr. Brian Risavi earned his Doctor of Osteopathic Medicine degree from Des Moines University College of Osteopathic Medicine and Doctor of Dental Medicine degree from the University of Pittsburgh and completed an Emergency Medicine residency at St. Lukes Hospital in Bethlehem, PA. H... Read More »
Melodie F. Chludzinski, DO
Areas of Expertise: Family Medicine, Occupational Medicine, OMT, Wound Care and Hyperbaric Medicine Research Interests: Bioenergetic Medicine, OMT Current Projects: OMT and Major Depressive Disorder Published work: Learning abnormal physical examination signs: An introductory course. J Osteopath Med. 2023 Mar 31;123(... Read More »
Mark Terrell, Ed.D
Monday, 6 April 2026
About Mark Terrell, Ed.D Assistant Dean of Medical Education, Institutional Director of Professional Development, Program Director of the Masters and PhD Programs in Medical Education. Doctor of Education in Biology, Master of Science in Educational Psychology, and Master of Science in Geology, Ball State University, Muncie, IN. Bachelor of Science... Read More »
Christopher C. Keller, Ph.D., FNAOME
About Dr. Keller Dr. Keller is the Director of Curriculum and Student Achievement and serves as the Director of Microbiology, Immunology, Pharmacology, Public Health, and Biostatistics. He is a Professor of Microbiology and is the Director of the Laboratory of Human Pathogens, which investigates tick-borne infections in Erie County, PA, and the effec... Read More »
Leah Labranche, Ph.D.
Monday, 30 March 2026
Ph.D. Anatomy Education Lake Erie College of Osteopathic Medicine, Erie, PA M.Sc. Clinical Anatomy Western University, London, ON (Canada) B.Sc. Biomedical Sciences University of Guelph, Guelph, ON (Canada) Research Interests My research focuses on innovation in anatomy and medical education. I have a special interest in learning resource dev... Read More »
Rubina Qadeer, D.C., M.S.
Friday, 27 March 2026
Dr. Rubina Qadeer, D.C., M.S. is an Assistant Professor of Anatomy at LECOM, where her scholarly work centers on advancing anatomy education and improving student learning outcomes. With a background in clinical practice and applied nutrition, her academic interests bridge foundational science education with evidence-based teaching strategies. At LECOM,... Read More »
Stephany Esper, DO
Wednesday, 25 March 2026
Research Interests I was born and raised in Erie, PA. I studied at Gannon University and graduated from the University of Osteopathic Medicine and Health Sciences (now Des Moines University College of Osteopathic Medicine). My father was a surgeon and past president of the AOA so osteopathic medicine is an inherent part of me. I have been teaching the ... Read More »
David Duriancik, Ph.D.
Tuesday, 7 May 2024
Post-Doctoral Research Associate in Nutritional Immunology Michigan State University Mary Frances Picciano Dietary Supplement Research Practicum National Institutes of Health – Office of Dietary Supplements Ph.D. Biochemical Human Nutrition Michigan State University B.S. Molecular Biology/Biotechnology Clarion University of Pennsylvania ... Read More »
Randy Kulesza, Ph.D.
I was born and raised in Erie, PA. I earned a BS in Biology from Gannon University. During my junior and senior years at Gannon, I worked as a Teaching Assistant in a Physiology lab and a Research Assistant studying the endocrine function of cardiac muscle. These experiences sparked my interest in Teaching and Research and motivated me to pursue a Ph.D.... Read More »
Noelle Thielman, Ph.D.
Dr. Thielman completed her Bachelor of Science in Biochemistry at Edinboro University and her doctorate at Johns Hopkins University, School of Medicine in the Cellular and Molecular Medicine program. She also completed post-doctoral training at Johns Hopkins University, School of Medicine. During her doctorate and post-doctoral research, Dr. Thielman ex... Read More »
Andrej Podlutsky, Ph.D.
Monday, 6 May 2024
Dr. Andrej Podlutsky is an Associate Professor of Biochemistry and Medical Genetics at LECOM-Erie. He received an MSc degree from the Kharkiv State University, Ukraine, with a specialization in Cytology and Genetics. He earned his Ph.D. degree from the Institute of Theoretical and Experimental Biophysics, Puschino, Moscow Region, Russia, with a spec... Read More »
Diana Speelman, Ph.D.
Dr. Diana Speelman is the Director for Research for the College of Medicine at LECOM. She is an Associate Professor of Biochemistry and Medical Genetics at LECOM-Erie, where she teaches and conducts research with Osteopathic Medical Students and Master of Science Students. She earned her Ph.D. in Medical Biochemistry from the University of Maryland,... Read More »
