Faculty and Staff
Anna V. Blenda, Ph.D.
| Title: | Clinical Professor |
| Biomedical Sciences | |
| Prisma Health Cancer Institute | |
| School of Medicine Greenville | |
| E-mail: | ablenda@greenvillemed.sc.edu |
| Phone: | 864-766-2087 |
| Office: | HSAB 250 Greenville SC 29605 |
Bio
| Background: | Dr. Anna V. Blenda is a Clinical Professor in the Department of Biomedical Sciences at the University of South Carolina School of Medicine Greenville (SOMG) and holds a joint appointment with the Prisma Health Cancer Institute. She most recently served as SOMG’s Director of Research Strategy and Operations, leading initiatives that strengthened collaboration between basic science and clinical research, expanded student research opportunities, and aligned research activities with accreditation and institutional priorities. In addition, she played a key role in SOMG’s Curriculum Refresh, designing and delivering Foundations of Medicine 1, the inaugural biomedical science course in the new curriculum launched in Fall 2023. Dr. Blenda maintains an active translational research program with projects stemming from her sabbatical at Emory University, where she investigated the antimicrobial properties of human galectin proteins. While at Emory, she conducted research at Dr. Sean Stowell's lab as a visiting associate professor in the Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine. Through her current partnership with the Prisma Health Cancer Institute, she utilizes clinical biospecimens from the biorepository of over 10,000 cancer patients and collaborates across disciplines while engaging medical students and trainees as core members of her research team. Dr. Blenda also served as a faculty co‑sponsor for the Physician‑Scientist Student Interest Group, supporting learners exploring careers at the intersection of research and clinical practice. Her mentees have earned national recognition, including competitive research awards, HHMI and AOA Kuckein Fellowships, and selection for the NIH Medical Research Scholars Program. As an educator and academic leader, Dr. Blenda has contributed significantly to curriculum development, faculty advancement, and institutional effectiveness at SOMG. She has chaired or co-chaired major committees related to program evaluation, LCME self-study, and educational quality, and is a founding member of the Academy of Educators. Nationally, she has held leadership roles in the International Association of Medical Science Educators, contributed to the Association of Biochemistry Educators initiatives, and serves on the Genetics Curriculum Directors Executive Committee of the Association of Professors of Human and Medical Genetics. She is also an active reviewer for the National Science Foundation and several international funding agencies. Before joining SOMG, Dr. Blenda held faculty positions at Erskine College and research appointments at Clemson University. She earned a Diploma of Specialist with Distinction (a degree equivalent to a Master’s) from Bohdan Khmelnytsky Melitopol State Pedagogical University in Ukraine, a Ph.D. in Biotechnology from the Institute of Agroecology and Biotechnology in Kyiv, and a Ph.D. in Genetics from Clemson University. This extensive training shaped her interdisciplinary approach to medical education and translational research. Throughout her career, Dr. Blenda has received numerous honors recognizing her contributions to research, mentorship, and educational excellence. Complete List of Dr. Blenda's Published Work in My Bibliography: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/myncbi/anna.blenda.2/bibliography/public/ |
| Teaching Interest(s): | Genetics Curriculum Lead (2023–present) Course Director, Foundations of Medicine 1 (2023–present) Course Director, Molecular and Cellular Foundations of Medicine (2022) Course Co-Director, Endocrine and Reproductive Systems (2022) Course Co-Director, Molecular and Cellular Foundations of Medicine (2017–2021) |
| Research Interest(s): | 1. AI-Driven Analysis of Molecular and Clinical Cancer Data Collaborators: Homayoun Valafar (USC AI Institute and Molinaroli College of Engineering and Computing), Jeffery Edenfield (Prisma Health Cancer Institute). 2. Circular RNAs as Biomarkers in Cancer and Endometriosis Collaborators: Michael Shtutman (Functional Genomics Core, USC Office of Research), Jeffery Edenfield (Prisma Health Cancer Institute), Lisa Green and Paul Miller (Prisma Health OB/GYN). 3. Cancer Mutational Landscape Analysis Collaborator: Jeffery Edenfield (Prisma Health Cancer Institute). 4. Galectin and Glycomic Profiling in Cancer Collaborators: Jeffery Edenfield (Prisma Health Cancer Institute), Connie Arthur (Harvard Medical School), Nourine Kamili (Emory University School of Medicine). 5. Antimicrobial Properties of Galectin Proteins and Application of Glycan Microarrays Collaborators: Sean Stowell (Harvard Medical School), Nourine Kamili (Emory University School of Medicine). 6. Medical Education Research Focus: knowledge retention and performance on course objectives; validity and reliability of student evaluations of teaching; impact of medical student characteristics on residency match outcomes. |
| Honors & Awards: | 2025 – Certificate of Mentor Excellence in Student Research (SOARinG) 2024 – Bench to Bedside Faculty Research Award, USC School of Medicine Greenville 2024 – Certificate of Mentor Excellence in Student Research (SOARinG) 2024 – Medical Educator Fellowship, International Association of Medical Science Educators 2024 – Pipeline for Academy Leaders Fellowship, University of South Carolina 2022 – Outstanding Mentor Award, USC School of Medicine Greenville 2021 – Bench to Bedside Faculty Research Award, USC School of Medicine Greenville 2020 – Golden Peach Excellence in Education Award, USC School of Medicine Greenville 2018 – Best Overall Research Poster Award, Health Science Center Research Showcase, Greenville Health System 2015–2016 – Sabbatical Award (Emory SOM project: “Innate Immunity in Fighting Molecular Mimicry”), Erskine College 2007–2008 – inaugural Postdoctoral Academic Career Development Scholarship (NIH P20 RR-016461), South Carolina IDeA Network of Biomedical Research Excellence 2007–2008 – Former Soviet Union Area Studies Travel Award, Clemson University 2003 – Graduate Student Government Travel Award for PAG-XI conference, Clemson University 2002–2003 – Wade Stackhouse Fellowship for Outstanding Graduate Student in Plant and Animal Genetics, Clemson University 2001–2002 – Wade Stackhouse Fellowship for Outstanding Graduate Student in Plant and Animal Genetics, Clemson University 2001 – Schilletter Fellowship for Outstanding Graduate Student, Clemson University 2000–2001 – Wade Stackhouse Fellowship for Outstanding Graduate Student in Plant and Animal Genetics, Clemson University 2000 – Schilletter Fellowship for Outstanding Graduate Student, Clemson University 1996 – Diploma of Specialist with Distinction, Ukraine |
| Professional Affiliations: | Current: Association of Professors of Human and Medical Genetics (APHMG) Other - Genetics Curriculum Directors Executive Committee (2025–present); Medical School Course Directors (2017–2019) American Association for Cancer Research (AACR) Member An International Association for Medical Education (AMEE) Member International Association of Medical Science Educators (IAMSE) Other - Chair, Publications Committee (2022–2024); Professional Development Committee (2022–2025); IAMSE 2027 Program Committee (2026–present) American College of Medical Genetics and Genomics (ACMG) Member Association of American Medical Colleges SGEA Member Association of Biochemistry Educators (ABE) Other - Professional Development Committee (2023–2025); Finance Committee (2026–present) Past: Society for Glycobiology (SFG), 2017–2023 Member American Society for Microbiology (ASM), 2017–2019 Member American Association of University Women (AAUW), 2006–2022 Member American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS), 2013–2015, 2017 Member American Society for Biochemistry and Molecular Biology (ASBMB), 2017–2018 Member |