Texas Tech El Paso announces new Biomedical Ph.D. program
EL PASO, Texas (KVIA) -- Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center have announced a new Ph.D. program for Biomedical Sciences.
This new doctoral path will train researchers to tackle the diseases and disparities that hit the region hardest: diabetes, cancer, infectious diseases and neurological conditions.
This will be the first Biomedical Sciences doctorate program in the Far West Texas and Southwestern Border Region.
The program will be lead by the Dean of Biomedical Sciences, Dr. Rajkumar Lakshmanaswamy. He plans to have the program start in 2026 with around 5 students, and hopes to have more than 30 within five years.
“This Ph.D. program represents a transformative moment for innovating biomedical research and creating industry growth in Far West Texas and along the U.S.-Mexico border,” said Dr. Lakshmanaswamy. “We can finally train new generations of doctoral researchers to tackle the health disparities that most deeply affect our communities.”
Dr. Lakshmanaswamy, known as Dr. Raj by his students, says this program will help keep talented students in El Paso, rather than having them go to places like Lubbock, Albuquerque, or even San Antonio for biomedical sciences doctorate programs.
"If we are able to train local people and anyone from outside as well, we are going to be addressing issues that are pertinent to the border region."
Dr. Raj added that with this program, the school will be more likely to get state and federal funding. That money can be used towards hiring more faculty, and also help the school be recognized as research intensive. The school has lots of clinical data, and with more money and faculty, research will help the border region and beyond.
"That's going to make a huge difference in terms of STEM education, in terms of economic growth for El Paso, in terms of health care as well. It has a multitude of impact that it's going to have on the community."
ABC-7 will have a full story on the program tonight on ABC-7 at 6.
