Associate Dean for Research

Welcome

Biomedical research is a critical function of academic medical schools. Research efforts at SIU Medicine directly support our mission to improve the health of the region’s population through innovations and scholarly improvements in education, medical care delivery and advances in the diagnosis, treatment and prevention of diseases. These advances directly benefit the patients we serve and transcend borders to benefit health care everywhere. 

SIU employs 175 full- and part-time biomedical researchers, pursuing innovative advances in a wide range of discovery, translational and clinical sciences, including hearing loss, Alzheimer’s disease, cancer, women’s health, public health and restorative medicine. 

Trainees involved in biomedical research at the SOM include masters and doctoral students from three individual graduate programs, postdoctoral fellows, medical students, residents and clinical fellows. Faculty provide direct opportunities to integrate research within educational experiences, assuring that medical advances will continue to materialize for generations to come.  
 

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Micro Lab Torry

Associate Dean of Research Offices

Learn more about our teams and all the ways that we are organized to advance treatments, technology and educational experiences.

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Research is fundamental to better treatments, improved medical care and a healthier world. And it’s a key component of academic medicine at SIU.

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Davie in lab
RESEARCH

SIU earns elite Research 1 status in national rankings

SPRINGFIELD, Ill. – Southern Illinois University has joined the nation’s top research institutions. The university has been designated a Research 1, or R1, institution in the latest Carnegie Classification of Institutions of Higher Education, placing it among the top 5% of research universities in the country.

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Latest articles

Summer internship

Applications open for Simmons Cancer Institute summer lab internships

Applications will be accepted through February 16th. Applications are now open for the 2026 summer lab internships offered through Simmons Cancer Institute at Southern Illinois University (SIU). Paid
Andrew Wilber in his lab

Studying a biological switch

Andrew Wilber, PhD, an SIU School of Medicine researcher and educator, studies how red blood cells produce hemoglobin and how gene-based therapies could improve treatment for inherited blood disorders such as sickle cell disease and β(beta)-thalassemia. His work aims to reduce or eliminate the need for lifelong blood transfusions while advancing more accessible therapies, reflecting SIU Medicine’s commitment to discovery, education and patient-focused innovation.
Moy Clinic Building in winter

AFSCME, SIU School of Medicine ink 3-year agreement

SIU School of Medicine and AFSCME Local 370 have finalized and ratified a new collective bargaining agreement, effective July 1, 2025, through June 30, 2028. The union represents more than 800 school employees across its campuses.