
Basic Biomedical Sciences
Academic DepartmentHoused in the state's only medical school, the Division of Basic Biomedical Sciences creates an environment of innovative and interdisciplinary research aimed at examining human disease.
Contact Us
414 E. Clark St.
Vermillion, SD 57069
8:00 a.m. - 5:00 p.m.
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Welcome to the Division of Basic Biomedical Sciences
Biomedical scientists ask questions and find solutions to examine human disease and advance medicine. Through biomedical research, experts can expand our understanding of health and improve the human condition.
In the Division of Basic Biomedical Sciences, we transform students into biomedical scientists who can bring a wealth of experiences and knowledge to their work. Here learning takes place in both the classroom and the research laboratory, with a variety of robust facilities and resources available to our students and faculty; this hands-on learning experience helps our students understand the human organism and translate that knowledge into diagnostic and therapeutic development. Students benefit from mentorship from expert faculty who have a wide breadth of research and teaching interests. Through discovery, education and service, our faculty develop novel approaches for diagnosing, managing and treating disease.
Join our community of biomedical scientists and problem-solvers in the Division of Basic Biomedical Sciences.
Programs
Faculty & Staff

William Mayhan

Daniel Bird

Michelle Baack

Keith Hansen

Timothy Soundy

Denise Arrick

Edward Bagu

Stephen Bambas

Lee Baugh

Maria Bell

Pam Bernard

Sara Bird

Brian Burrell

Indra Chandrasekar

Michael Chaussee

William Chen

Bruce Cuevas

Luci Drapeau

Donis Drappeau

Scott Druecker

Erik Ehli

Randy Faustino

Xuesheng Feng

Kevin Francis

Jessica Freeling

Taylor Friemel

Barb Goodman

Kurt Griffin

Victor Huber

Michael Kareta

Joyce Keifer

Curtis Kost Jr.

Damon LeaderCharge

Lance Lee

Yi-Fan Li

Kaijie Ma

Lisa McFadden

Pasquale Manzerra PhD

Douglas Martin

Gerald McGraw

Keith Miskimins

Robert Morecraft PhD

Mike Olson

Scott Pattison

David Pearce

Wendy Pederson

Diane Penfield

Jose Pietri

LouisJan Pilaz

Steven Powell

Khosrow Rezvani

Patrick Ronan

Kyle Roux

Jackie Rubida

Samuel Sathyanesan

Alexei Savinov

Arun Singh

William Spanos

Kameswaran Surendran

Jianning Tao

Paola Vermeer

Xuejun Wang

Hongmin Wang

Jill Weimer

Hong Zheng
Recent News

Wastewater Research Helps USD Professors Understand COVID-19 and Community Health
Lisa McFadden, Ph.D., and Victor Huber, Ph.D., monitor wastewater epidemiology to better understand and find trends in COVID-19 infection within the Vermillion community.

USD Partners with the U.S. Department of Defense to Develop Pest Solution for Military Use
Jose Pietri, Ph.D., assistant professor in the University of South Dakota Division of Basic Biomedical Sciences, has been awarded a three-year grant from the United States Department of Defense to explore a new and promising solution to controlling bedbugs.

On the Road, Again
Its national tour of duty over, the Health Affairs Mobile Unit now enables us to expand our service and outreach mission to South Dakota and the surrounding region, providing health care experiences for our students.
Known for Excellence
$45 million
In external funding awards over the past 5 years.
Only in the State
USD is home to South Dakota's only medical school.
Lab Partnerships
Beyond our campus, we conduct cutting-edge research at Sanford Research and Avera Institute for Human Genetics.
50%
Of the Sanford School of Medicine's grant and contract income comes from external funding for our division.
DEPARTMENT OPPORTUNITIES
Our faculty and students participate in a wide range of broad research areas, including:
- Anatomy/structural biology
- Biochemistry
- Cancer biology
- Cardiovascular biology
- Cellular biology
- Immunology
- Microbiology
- Molecular biology
- Neuroscience
- Pharmacology
- Physiology
Research is an integral part of our program, and we provide a range of resources, funding and programs to ensure our faculty and students have access to enriching research opportunities.
In addition to offering degree programs, we also offer unique research and training programs that enhance students' education and expand access to research.
Summer Program for Undergraduate Research in Addiction (SPURA)
This multi-disciplinary summer research program gives USD undergraduate students an opportunity to conduct high-quality, mentored, hypothesis-driven research in fields related to substance use, abuse and related or underlying mental health issues.
Medical Student Summer Research Program (MSRP)
Medical students who have been newly accepted to our medical school have the opportunity to spend their summer as part of research projects. A group of faculty research mentors provide a range of research in which students can participate through the Medical Student Summer Research Program.
Scholarship Pathways Program (SPP)
The Scholarship Pathways Program offers three elective tracks:
- Education: For students with a special interest in academic medicine, teaching and the medical curriculum
- Research: For students with a special interest in clinical or basic science research
- Service: For students with a special interest in community service and leadership development
Gain valuable, real-world professional experience while enjoying paid employment and discounted tuition rates as a graduate student at USD. The affordability you gain through graduate assistantships and fellowships will equip you with valuable, professional-level skills that will set you apart after graduation.
Stipend
In the basic biomedical sciences program, admitted students in research track programs are eligible to receive a fellowship stipend and reduced tuition. Recipients must work full time towards degree completion. Stipend is also contingent upon successful completion of a background check.
- The Ph.D. Research Graduate Assistantship stipend is currently $28,084 for the first full year ($2,340 per month)
- The M.S. Plan A Research Graduate Assistantship stipend is currently $14,042 annually ($1,170 monthly)
Tuition Reduction
- Fellows with resident student status receive an additional reduction in tuition and fees on top of the resident student tuition reduction (student portion = $4,893 annually for 21 credit hours).
- Fellows with non-resident student status receive a 62% reduction in tuition and fees (student portion = $5,601 annually for 21 credit hours).
- Credit hour tuition and fee details are listed on the USD tuition and fees page.
- You may be asked to assist faculty in some teaching, but this typically is limited to fewer than 20 hours per year.
Teaching and research assistantships are awarded by individual departments. If you do not receive an assistantship within your department, you are eligible for an assistantship outside of your academic program or within support offices at USD. Further inquiries should be directed to the graduate chair of the department.
For more information and to apply for a graduate assistantship, visit the Graduate Assistantship webpage.
Departments & Facilities

Center for Brain and Behavior Research
The Center for Brain and Behavior Research (CBBRe) provides outstanding training of research students and fellows, feeding the pipeline of creative independent scientists in the fields of neuroscience and behavioral science.

Mentorship Unlocks Opportunity
Enhance your learning experience through research opportunities and improve your chance at getting a residency match. More than half of the faculty members in our division are actively engaged in scholarly and research activities, and they are committed to bringing students into that experience.