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Featured Alumni

Our students choose all sorts of different paths and our program's alumni run their own companies, become researchers in academia or government labs, and work for biotechnology companies.  Here, we feature from time to time some of our students and alumni to showcase the opportunities a PhD in Biophysics provides.

 

Weihong Qiu

My Story:

I obtained my B.S. in Physics and M.S. in Applied Physics both from Nankai University in China before joining the Interdisciplinary Biophysics Graduate Program at Ohio State University to pursue a Ph.D. degree. What I liked most about our biophysics program was the depth and breadth of the research activity by the program's faculty, which allowed students to quickly identify their thesis research advisers. For my doctoral thesis, I worked with Dr. Dongping Zhong in the Department of Physics on the study of protein hydration dynamics using femtosecond laser spectroscopy. I had a very successful graduate career under Dongping's supervision, and published in total 10 research articles with 5 first-authored ones. As a result, I was able to obtain a postdoc position to work with Dr. Samara Reck-Peterson in the Department of Cell Biology at Harvard Medical School to study the mechanism and regulation of molecular motor proteins using single molecule fluorescence microscopy. The rigorous training I received on optics and laser techniques during my time in Dongping's lab at Ohio State was instrumental to the successful completion of my postdoc fellowship in Sam's lab at Harvard Medical School. The Biophysics 702 course (Methodological Approaches to Biophysical Studies) was my favorite graduate course, because it jump-started my graduate training at Ohio State by introducing me to many important biophysical techniques early on. I am now an Assistant Professor in the Department of Physics at Oregon State University, and I am developing a similar course for our graduate students who are interested in biophysics research.

 

Tennille Deloris Presley

My Story:

Upon graduating from the Biophysics program in 2007, I completed a three-year post-doctoral fellowship at Wake Forest University. Looking back, my time at OSU was invaluable. The knowledge and skillset that I obtained during the program equipped me with the necessary tools to succeed in any environment, and especially towards my career trajectory. My PI, Dr. Govindasamy Ilangovan, was the best mentor and advisor that I could have ever had. Dr. Ilangovan and members of the Electron Paramagnetic Resonance (EPR) Center became my family, and provided amazing support as I matriculated through the program. In addition, some of my classmates became my life-long friends.

In my career as an Associate Professor of Physics, my experiences at OSU laid the foundation and helped me create an undergraduate course at my institution entitled Introduction to Biophysics. It also aided in building my confidence to become a professor because I know that I am knowledgeable and an expert in my field. In 2016, I published my first book entitled Biophysics of the Senses. Ultimately, my OSU experiences helped me to see that the sky is the limit!

 

Chaitanya Saxena

My Story:

For my doctoral studies I wanted to carry out quality research and develop myself as researcher. But, I was not sure in which research area or research group I will be able to utilize my strengths and improve upon my weaknesses to further my scientific career. The diverse research areas of faculty members associated with the Biophysics Program at The Ohio State gave me a chance to find a best fit between my personality, career goals and doctoral research. I carried out my doctoral work under the guidance of Dr. Dongping Zhong in the Department of Physics. It was one of the most exciting times in my academic career. The Biophysics Program doctoral thesis committee on the one hand trained me to deeply and systematically engage in scientific inquiry and carry-out cutting-edge research and at the same time gave me an opportunity to work as Teaching Associate that significantly improved my presentation and communication skills. Towards the end of the doctoral program equipped with analytic and problem solving skills, 6+ published research articles and improved soft-skills I got an opportunity to work with Eli-Lilly & Company at Indianapolis. The attitude of 'pushing for maximum', gained at The Ohio State University and Dr. Zhong's Lab continued and at Eli-Lilly & Company I developed several new chemical-biology tools for drug target identification. Later, I founded a biotechnology company Shantani and currently I serve as its Chief Executive Officer. Shantani is developing, commercializing and utilizing a range of proprietary chemical-proteomics technologies that help in discovering new medicines.