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Graduate students in front of Weiskotten

Students

The MD/PhD Program at SUNY Upstate Medical University has approximately 36 students who are in various stages of their training. You can learn about these individual students and their research interest by selecting the link to current students on this page.

Our students receive individual attention from the director of the MD/PhD Program, our Program Coordinator and other faculty members. SUNY Upstate works diligently to be sure each student receives assistance whether it be academic advising, help with scheduling, selecting a laboratory, or figuring out finances. Visiting applicants cited the friendliness of students and staff as one of our most appealing features.

Joshua Harris

Joshua Harris

PhD
harrisjo@upstate.edu

Department: Microbiology & Immunology
Advisor: Joel Wilmore, PhD

Student Profile:

My path to the MD/PhD program here at Upstate started during my undergraduate education at SUNY-ESF when I was working as undergraduate researcher in a biochemistry lab that focused on engineering bacteria to make biodegradable plastics. I was absolutely fascinated by the immense capacity and potential of bacteria to shape our world. I continued my research in this same lab as a master's student and started spending much of my spare time reading about new discoveries in the realm of microbiome studies and the symbiotic relationships between humans and bacteria.

Although I was never traditionally a pre-med student, my passion for human microbiome motivated me to direct my career towards research that would benefit human health. I started in the MD/PhD program at SUNY Upstate in 2018 and was very fortunate to find a lab that supports my passion and scientific interests. Working with Dr. Joel Wilmore, I have developed a number of projects that primarily focus on the colonization dynamics of the human symbiont Bacteroides fragilis and the effect of gut microbes on the development of systemic IgA antibodies.

When I am not busy in the lab, I spend a lot of time taking care of plants. I like to garden, grow aquatic plants, and have over 50 house plants. I also like to travel, go to concerts, rock climb, play board games, and do anything that makes me laugh and have a good time. I really enjoy living in Syracuse and I am extremely grateful for the supportive and positive environment here at SUNY Upstate. The MD/PhD program is like a big family, and I am proud to be a part of it.

Publications

  1. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/27542998/
  2. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/26311173/
  3. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/24794562/


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