Ramkumar Menon, PhD
February 2021
Dr. Ramkumar Menon received his doctorate in perinatal genetic epidemiology from the University of Aarhus in Aarhus, Denmark. He also completed training in microbiology and reproductive immunology at Wright State University in Dayton, Ohio. Prior to joining UTMB, Dr. Menon worked as Research Director for the Perinatal Research Center, at the Centennial Medical Center in Nashville, TN. Dr. Menon was recruited to UTMB in 2011 as an assistant professor in the Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Division of Maternal – Fetal Medicine. He is currently a tenured professor and Director of the Basic and Clinical Translational Research Division.
Dr. Menon’s research program explores the mechanisms and pathways leading to adverse pregnancy outcomes, specifically spontaneous preterm birth (PTB). He has developed multiple in vitro and in vivo models to study PTB and his research investigates the fetus response, immunologic, mechanistic, endocrine, paracrine, and autocrine mechanisms to various risk exposures during pregnancy that can lead to adverse pregnancy outcomes. Dr. Menon’s research has been published in over 250 peer-reviewed journal articles and is funded by several federal and industry grants from organizations such as the Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development, the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, among others. He has been an invited speaker at more than 150 local, national, and international conferences and events and has served as a reviewer for over 50 scientific journals. Dr. Menon also serves as the executive director of Preterm Birth International Collaborative (PREBIC), a not-for-profit research and educational organization, that promotes research interactions and collaborations around the world.
Since joining UTMB, Dr. Menon has been actively involved in the GSBS and the School of Medicine, serving as a course director, lecturer, and facilitator for graduate students, medical students, and medical residents and fellows. During his career, he has mentored more than thirty graduate students, medical students, and postdoctoral fellows and his trainees have been recognized with numerous presentation and travel awards. Dr. Menon provides dedicated mentorship to his trainees to promote their development as successful scientists, and his mentorship record includes a recent graduate student achieving over 25 peer-reviewed publications over a five-year period. Dr. Menon is actively involved in many academic and administrative committees within the GSBS and the Cell Biology Graduate Program, such as the GSBS Credentials Committee, Cell Biology Admissions Committee, Presidential Scholars Committee, GSBS Curriculum Committee, and GSBS Program Review Committee, among others. He was also elected to the UTMB Faculty Senate in 2019.
Dr. Menon has been recognized for his many contributions with multiple awards including the J. Christian Herr Award and March of Dimes Award, among others. For his service and dedication to graduate student education, please join the Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences in celebrating Dr. Menon as the February 2021 GSBS Focus on Mentoring designee.