Research Spotlight

This spotlight will highlight the educational and professional journeys of the faculty and students.  

Fascinated by science as young child, Assistant Professor Lydia Bogomolnaya, Ph.D., began her research career as a freshman at Kazan State University, now known as Kazan Federal University, in Russia. While studying at Kazan State University, Dr. Bogomolnaya completed her undergraduate research and Ph.D. training in Microbiology.

Shortly after earning her Ph.D., Bogomolnaya went on to complete a postdoctoral program at Texas A&M University, College Station and Health Science Center where she took an interest in the cell cycle regulation of yeast. Her study of yeast genetics cultivated her appreciation for the remarkable power of genetics. Dr. Bogomolnaya’s awe of genetics led her to study salmonella typhimurium, which is currently responsible for 1.2 million cases of food poisoning each year.

In her second year as a professor in the Department of Biomedical Sciences, Dr. Bogomolnaya has started educating one Ph.D. candidate who also has an interest in Dr. Bogomolnaya’s research. When it comes to working with Dr. Bogomolnaya, Cecilia Sierra-Bakshi, a third-year Ph.D. candidate and Chancellor Scholar recipient, says “Dr. Bogomolnaya’s mentorship and involvement in the lab on a day-to-day basis has provided me with the guidance that I need to grow as a scientist in training,” and “working with her has added so much value to my experience in the Ph.D. program.”

As a mentor, Dr. Bogomolnaya believes that her duties are not only restricted to research and medical education but also include the ability to attract a new generation of scientists to pursue a career in STEM at Marshall University. She hopes to continue exposing students to the best possible research while encouraging them to attend regional and national meetings to present their data and receive feedback from others.