Science Department Spotlights

Spotlight: Joshua Slee

Josh Slee, B.S. Biotechnology (2007) & M.S. Biotechnology (2008), has earned his Ph.D. from Lehigh University. He has accepted a postdoctoral position at the Children's Hospital in Philadelphia.

When Joshua Slee ’07 began his college career at Marywood University, he envisioned himself graduating and moving on to medical school to earn his M.D. Josh signed up for the requisite coursework and began working his way through the curriculum when he made his own discovery – maybe a career in research was the path he needed to take.

It was the teachings of Dr. Peter Eden, a former faculty member and Science Department Chairperson (now President of Landmark College, Putney, VT), that really impressed Josh, who said, “He challenged all of his students to go beyond what was in the textbook and pursue a deeper understanding of scientific principles.” Soon, Josh was pursuing a different goal, and within no time he was initiating his own research projects and presenting his work at regional and national conferences with the help of Dr. Deborah Hokien, Professor of Science, and Dr. Kenneth W. Rundell, former Director of the Human Physiology Lab.

While working toward his biotechnology degree, Josh was also a four-year starter on the Men’s Basketball team. He credits Coach Eric Grundman with introducing him to Marywood and convincing him that it was the right university for him. “He didn’t know it at the time, but he set in motion everything that I have become today,” Josh said. During his time at Marywood, the Men’s team advanced to the league playoffs, and they were met with cheering fans when their bus arrived on Adams Avenue. “That’s something I’ll never forget,” he said.

Josh has received his doctorate at Lehigh University studying molecular and cell biology. He studied in depth the effects of inflammation on the human body, an interest fostered under the instruction of Dr. Rundell in relation to asthma and other respiratory diseases. 

Josh has accepted a postdoctoral position at the Children's Hospital in Philadelphia.