A Legacy of Discovery

The History of Research at the Heritage College of Osteopathic Medicine

Since its founding in 1975, the Ohio University Heritage College of Osteopathic Medicine—originally known as the Ohio University College of Osteopathic Medicine (OU-COM)—has embedded research into its mission alongside education and service. What began as a small, purpose-driven medical school in rural southeastern Ohio has evolved into not only a respected educational institution, but also a hub of nationally recognized research addressing regional, national and global health challenges across five research institutes. The story of research at the Heritage College is one of steady growth, commitment to improving health through discovery and a dedication to research opportunities for students and faculty.

Research Foundations

A commitment to research was affirmed with the creation of the Somatic Dysfunction Research Institute (now known as the Ohio Musculoskeletal and Neurological Institute) in 1979. The institute focused on research related to osteopathic manipulative medicine (OMM), examining musculoskeletal function, tissue injury and the outcomes of manipulative therapies. The research conducted was some of the earliest laboratory-based evidence on the effects of OMM, contributing to its broader scientific legitimacy within medical research communities. The institute would go on to be renamed the Interdisciplinary Institute for Neuromusculoskeletal Research (IINR).

At the Edison Biotechnology Institute in 1987, an early notable research discovery occurred when John Kopchick, Ph.D., discovered a growth hormone receptor antagonist that later became Pegvisomant (sold as Somavert). The drug treats acromegaly, a growth disorder that, if left untreated, can cause premature death. The discovery had a significant financial impact on Ohio University, which has received more than $110 million in royalty income.

Global Engagement

A major milestone in the college’s research history came in 1989 with the founding of what was then known as the Tropical and Geographical Disease Institute, later renamed the Infectious and Tropical Disease Institute (ITDI) in 2016. The institute reflected a new global vision: to address infectious diseases through interdisciplinary research, international fieldwork and student training.

By the late 1980s and early 1990s, the institute had developed sustained international partnerships that led to globally significant outcomes, including establishing Chagas disease blood screening systems in Ecuador, which helped drive major improvements in the safety of the nation’s blood supply.

Student education was a core element of this work, with courses in tropical disease biology developed in 1991, and education-abroad programs that would eventually train generations of students from Ohio University and students from more than 20 university partners, including the Pontifical Catholic University of Ecuador (PUCE). In 2000, ITDI partnered with PUCE to establish a collaborative research facility in Quito, Ecuador. This led to the 2016 opening of the Center for Research on Health in Latin America, a 100,000 sq. ft. research facility that allows for long-term on-the-ground research in the region.

Strategic Research Growth

As the college matured, so did its research infrastructure. The Somatic Dysfunction Research Institute broadened its focus through the 1990s and 2000s to include muscle injury, exercise-related damage and innovative educational technologies. One notable program used robotic haptics to teach medical students how to palpate subtle differences in tissue texture—research that became integrated into the curriculum and received significant external funding.

Cross university collaboration has been an integral part of the college’s research. In 1999, the Center for Appalachian and Rural Health Research was established by Ohio University’s College of Health Sciences and Professions to address health disparities in the surrounding region. Many projects were jointly worked on at the center, which today is known as the Institute to Advance Population Health (ADVANCE). Its goal is to improve health care statewide, with a focus on population health research.

A pivotal transition occurred in 2008, when the IINR was renamed the Ohio Musculoskeletal and Neurological Institute (OMNI). This change followed a strategic planning process that aligned the institute more directly with National Institutes of Health (NIH) funding priorities while maintaining its roots in osteopathic and musculoskeletal research.

Hear from students about the translational research happening at the Heritage College of Osteopathic Medicine.

Meeting Modern Research Needs

The most dramatic expansion of the Heritage College’s research enterprise began in 2011, when the Osteopathic Heritage Foundation made a historic $105 million gift to the college. This transformational investment accelerated research growth, supported new institutes and enhanced facilities, fundamentally reshaping the college’s trajectory.

The Diabetes Institute (DI), founded in 2012, represents an evolution in the Heritage College’s research mission, reflecting both modern public health priorities and the college’s longstanding commitment to underserved populations. The institute was designed as a collaborative, multidisciplinary research enterprise, bringing together scientists, clinicians and educators across the university.

Similarly to how ITDI looks at disease, the Diabetes Institute focuses on addressing diabetes not only as a biological disease, but as a condition shaped by social, economic and geographic factors. This approach aligned closely with the Heritage College’s mission to improve health outcomes in rural and Appalachian communities, where diabetes prevalence and complications are disproportionately high. In addition to research into diabetes, the DI runs diabetes care-related programs for the community, including its CAT Camp, a summer program for diabetic youth.

Similar to the Diabetes Institute, ITDI is also responding to growing regional health-related needs. In 2024, it launched the Infectious Diseases in Appalachian Ohio Initiative, a program designed to highlight the strengths of regional health departments and community organizations while also identifying critical gaps that limit long-term infectious disease prevention and control in Appalachian communities.

The newest research enterprise for the Heritage College, the Institute for Molecular Medicine and Aging (IMMA), links the college’s research history with the future. Officially announced in June 2025, IMMA emerged from the rebranding and reorganization of the Edison Biotechnology Institute, which was founded in 1984. This transformation was built upon more than four decades of molecular and translational research at Ohio University. As IMMA, the institute now concentrates on the molecular mechanisms that underlie aging and age‑related disease, areas of increasing urgency as populations age and the burdens of chronic disease rise.

IMMA is closely aligned with the college’s expanding clinical and translational infrastructure, including the Clinical and Translational Research Unit (CTRU), which supports human-subject research and bridges basic science discoveries with patient-centered applications.

Then and now: the story behind the image

Many of our researchers have had long careers at the Heritage College of Osteopathic Medicine. Professor of Anatomy and the Chang Ying-Chien Professor of Paleontology Lawrence Witmer, Ph.D., is one of them. In 2025, Witmer celebrated his 30th anniversary with the college. The top image from 1995, photographed by John Sattler, a younger Witmer, donning classic ‘90s attire and as he described, “rocking a period-correct mustache” poses with a T. rex skull on the lawn of his home. At the time, his lab wasn’t yet ready.

“My two-year-old son assumed everyone had a T. rex skull in their garage,” said Witmer.

Fast forward to now in a photo captured this year, we see a seasoned researcher in a high-tech lab, surrounded by dinosaur skulls, including the same T. rex – now painted and a centerpiece of his research space.

Looking Forward

Continued philanthropic support ensures that life-changing research at the Heritage College will continue. In January 2025, the Osteopathic Heritage Foundation announced a $70 million gift, including $45 million dedicated to research, reinforcing the college’s role as a driver of discovery and innovation in Ohio.

Today, the Heritage College of Osteopathic Medicine stands as a research institution deeply connected to its educational mission and community commitments. From early laboratory studies in osteopathic manipulation to internationally recognized infectious disease research and cutting-edge work in aging, diabetes and health equity, the college’s research history reflects adaptability, collaboration and purpose.

"From its earliest days, research at the Heritage College has been grounded in purpose, advancing discovery to improve health in our communities,” Darlene Berryman, Ph.D., associate vice president of research, said. “Today, that foundation continues to evolve as we integrate molecular science, clinical research and population health to address increasingly complex challenges."

Across five decades, one principle has remained constant: research at the Heritage College is not an end in itself, but a means to improve lives—locally, statewide and around the world. As the college looks to the future, its legacy of discovery continues to shape the next generation of physician-scientists and the communities they serve.