Thomas Jensen, PhD
Monday, 6 April 2026
Assistant Professor of Physiology Lake Erie College of Osteopathic Medicine (LECOM), Elmira Background and Experience Dr. Thomas Jensen earned his PhD in Reproductive Physiology from the University of Notre Dame. Following his graduate training, he started a postdoctoral fellowship at the San Diego Zoo Institute for Conservation Research, where r... Read More »
Raj Gulati, MD, FACS
Assistant Professor of Anatomy and General Surgery Background and Experience Dr. Raj Gulati completed his undergraduate degree in Biomedical Sciences at Brown University, and his medical degree at the University of Vermont College of Medicine (now called the Robert Larner, M.D. College of Medicine). He went on to the University of Buffalo Medical ... Read More »
Joseph C. Galley, Ph.D.
Background and Experience Dr. Joseph Galley is a scientist with over 10 years of experience in cardiology, endocrinology, nephrology, immunology and vascular biology academic research experience. He has a B.A. in Biochemistry from Washington & Jefferson College and earned his Ph.D. from University of Pittsburgh in 2021. He completed a post-doctor... Read More »
Ronald Fecek, Ph.D.
Background and Experience Recent advances in immunotherapy have enabled rapid evolution of novel interventional approaches designed to reinvigorate and expand patient immune responses against cancer. An emerging approach in cancer immunology involves the conditional induction of tertiary lymphoid structures (TLS), which are non-encapsulated ectopic l... Read More »
Francis DeFabo, MD
Wednesday, 1 April 2026
Assistant Professor of Obstetrics and Gynecology LECOM at Seton Hill (2024–Present) Background and Experience Dr. DeFabo is a board-certified obstetrician-gynecologist with nearly three decades of clinical experience as the founder and managing partner of Athena Women’s Care in Latrobe, Pennsylvania. In addition to his clinical career, he has... Read More »
Zachary R. Dunbar, PhD
Assistant Professor of Basic Sciences Dr. Zachary Dunbar earned his Ph.D. in Cancer Sciences from the University at Buffalo in 2020 and has extensive experience in infectious disease and environmental health surveillance. He previously held a joint position with University of Wisconsin-Madison and the Wisconsin State Department of Health Services as ... Read More »
Lindsay Burwell, PhD
Associate Professor of Biochemistry, Research Director Dr. Lindsay Burwell earned her PhD in Biochemistry from the University of Rochester Medical Center and has postdoctoral training in genetics and nutrition from Cornell University. Dr. Burwell’s research has always focused on mitochondrial physiology and metabolic dysfunction, with prior work sp... Read More »
Kayla Penta, PhD
Associate Professor of Basic Science, PBL Director - Elmira Dr. Kayla Penta earned her PhD in Biomedical Sciences from the University of South Carolina School of Medicine and completed postdoctoral training in nutrition with Dole and North Carolina State University. Her research has consistently focused on the impact of nutrition on human health and ... Read More »
Octavia Flanagan, PhD, WHNP-BC
Assistant Professor of Primary Care, Chief Administrator LECOM School of Nursing Lake Erie College of Osteopathic Medicine – Seton Hill Dr. Flanagan earned her MSN-WHNP and PhD in Nursing at the University of North Carolina School of Nursing. She has extensive research experience in the field with incarcerated females at the Raleigh Maximum Securi... Read More »
Jennifer M. Burgoon, PhD
Tuesday, 31 March 2026
Associate Professor of Anatomy Lake Erie College of Osteopathic Medicine – Seton Hill Dr. Jennifer M. Burgoon earned her B.S. in Biology, with a minor in Chemistry, summa cum laude, from Baldwin Wallace University (formerly Baldwin-Wallace College) in 1992. She subsequently worked as a research technician at the Cleveland Clinic Foundation, where ... Read More »
Stephanie Palmer, PhD
PhD, Johns Hopkins University Areas of Expertise • Functional Anatomy • Evolutionary Biology • Embryology • Histology Research Interests • Structure–function relationships in vertebrate morphology Research Focus Summary Dr. Palmer’s work centers on understanding how mammalian functional anatomy supports adaptations for feeding and... 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 »
Aeryn F. Lee MD, PhD
Assistant Professor of Microbiology & Immunology Dr. Lee acquired an MD and a PhD in Microbiology & Immunology from West Virginia University in Morgantown, WV. She then undertook Internal Medicine training at WVU and subsequently transitioned to research in Juvenile Rheumatoid Arthritis at The University of Pittsburgh Dept. of Pharmacology. C... 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 »
Tao Wei, Ph.D., M.D.
Friday, 19 September 2025
Dr. Wei is Associate Professor of Microbiology and Immunology. Dr. Wei has extensive international experience in medicine, microbiology, and biomedical research spanning over two decades. He received his Medical Doctor (MD) degree from Henan Medical University, China, and his Ph.D. from Uppsala University, Sweden. Dr. Wei performed post-doctoral researc... Read More »
Carina Meyers, DDS, MS, PhD, MPH
Thursday, 18 September 2025
With a lifetime devoted to education, Dr. Meyers is a resourceful Health Sciences professional with experience in teaching, research, mentoring, and clinical practice. Passionate about Biological Sciences, she developed research in Human Anatomy and Physiology Departments, initially in the School of Dentistry and later in the Nursing and Medicine School... Read More »
Kelli L. Barr, PhD
Monday, 15 September 2025
Dr. Kelli Barr is an Associate Professor of Microbiology with over 15 years' experience in virology and infectious disease research. She has a B.S. in English Literature and Classical Studies from Iowa State University and received her Ph.D in Insect, Plant, and Microbial Sciences from University of Missouri-Columbia in 2008. She completed postdoctoral ... Read More »
Matthew Tucker, MS, MSPH, Ph.D.
Wednesday, 10 September 2025
Dr. Matthew Tucker is a molecular parasitologist with interests in vectorborne diseases, pathogen surveillance and detection, and microbiology. He holds a B.S. in Microbiology and Cell Science and a M.S. in Medical Sciences from the University of Florida. He also earned an M.S. in Public Health and his Ph.D. from the University of South Florida. His m... Read More »
Dr. Rocco J. Rotello, PhD
Monday, 8 September 2025
Dr. Rotello is Associate Professor of Pharmacology. He is a cell and molecular biologist trained in experimental pathology, University of Colorado,16 years of drug discovery research (Procter & Gamble Pharmaceuticals) focused on human antibody development. Served as consultant with companies while teaching and performing research at Cedarville Unive... Read More »
