The Department of Basic Medical Sciences (BMS) offers graduate programs leading to the Master of Science and Doctor of Philosophy degrees.
Discovery activities range from studies of molecular and cellular processes to studies of the whole animal, in areas of cell and tissue growth, differentiation, regeneration, and numerous aspects of cancer biology. BMS faculty currently have active research programs in the areas of cancer biology; musculoskeletal biomechanics and skeletal adaptation; neural development, mechanisms of injury and regeneration; tissue dynamic spectroscopy; cellular and molecular screening; and high throughput analysis of cell function. Our directory of faculty research interests describes in more detail the exciting research that is conducted in BMS.
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Associate Professor, Anatomy and Genetics
Dr. Kari Ekenstedt is an Associate Professor at the Purdue University College of Veterinary Medicine, specializing in comparative and molecular biosciences with a focus on canine and feline genetics.. She earned both her DVM and PhD from the University of Minnesota, where her doctoral research advanced understanding of inherited diseases in dogs. Dr. Ekenstedt’s career spans veterinary clinical practice and academia, including faculty roles at the University of Wisconsin–River Falls and the University of Minnesota before joining Purdue in 2017. Her work integrates veterinary medicine, molecular biology, and genetics to investigate the genetic basis of disease, improve diagnostic tools, and inform breeding practices. In addition to her research, she is committed to educating the next generation of veterinarians and scientists, leveraging her clinical background to connect molecular discoveries with real-world animal health applications.
