DMU Celebrates its First Biomedical Science Ph.D. Graduates

WEST DES MOINES, IA (05/28/2025) Des Moines University Medicine and Health Sciences will celebrate a milestone when the first two students from the Interdisciplinary Ph.D. in Biomedical Sciences program graduate at the university's 125th Commencement on May 30. Elizabeth McConnaha, Ph.D.'25, and Tanner Wetzel, D.O.'27, Ph.D.'25, will walk the stage after completing the rigorous program.

"DMU is one of only seven institutions in the nation to offer a dual Doctor of Osteopathic Medicine and Ph.D. track," says Kim Tran, M.D., Ph.D., director of the program. "We created the program with explicit goals for the curriculum to maintain a high quality of training."

McConnaha and Wetzel joined the Ph.D. program for different reasons. Wetzel, from Maple Grove, Minn., was already enrolled in the Doctor of Osteopathic Medicine program and is interested in how biomedical sciences translates to patient care. McConnaha, a native of Muscatine, Iowa, earned her master's in biomedical sciences and taught at Des Moines Area Community College for four years before deciding she wanted to take her teaching to the next level.

Unlike traditional Ph.D. paths that may span six to eight years, DMU's program integrates research and coursework into a condensed four-year timeline. Beginning in 2021, DMU faculty and staff paired comprehensive training with mentorship to provide the best experience for candidates. Prior to being interviewed for matriculation, the candidates chose a research project tailored to their personal interests and were matched with the faculty member who leads the project among a multi-member interview team. Wetzel focused on T-cell metabolism and its role in improving cancer immunotherapy, while McConnaha investigated estrogen receptor interactions in cardiovascular health.

"I remember doing experiments and obtaining data on my very first day, which is unheard of," McConnaha says. "We hit the ground running in every aspect of the program, and I could not have done it without the mentorship I received. We were supported, pushed and motivated through the whole experience."

"Our mentors are driven, and they instilled that upon us from the very beginning," Wetzel adds. "Within the first six months of being in the program, I already had two publications. It's a rare opportunity to have the chance to work one-on-one with a mentor throughout the entirety of your program." McConnaha is co-mentored by Tran and Eric Wauson, Ph.D., associate professor of physiology and pharmacology. Wetzel is mentored by Elitsa Ananieva-Stoyanova, Ph.D., associate professor of biochemistry and nutrition.

Tran says Wetzel and McConnaha's graduation is a celebration of the students' hard work and DMU's leadership in training top health care professionals.

"We are focused on quality. These first graduates are proof of what our program can produce, and we are proud of the work they have put in to get to this point," Tran says. With only two new students admitted each year, the program remains intentionally intimate to foster personal and academic growth. Wetzel will begin rotations with the Central Iowa cohort to complete his Doctor of Osteopathic Medicine degree with an anticipated graduation date of 2027. McConnaha plans to return to teaching biology at DMACC.

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