Sarah S. Garber

Sarah S. Garber, PhD, serves as Director of Interprofessional Studies and Professor at Rosalind Franklin University of Medicine and Science, holding concurrent appointments across the College of Health Professions, College of Pharmacy, School of Graduate and Postdoctoral Studies, and Chicago Medical School since her 1999 appointment. She actively shapes university governance as Faculty Representative to the RFUMS Board of Trustees (2015-present) and through extensive committee involvement.

Her academic foundation includes:

• Bachelor's degree in Biology and Chemistry from Barnard College
• PhD in Biochemistry from Brandeis University
• Postdoctoral fellowship at Stanford University

Dr. Garber's research evolved from 15+ years of NIH-funded work on ion channel physiology and cellular volume regulation to contemporary focus on interprofessional education, program assessment, and fostering interdisciplinary biomedical scholarship. Her multidisciplinary projects extend to body image and eating attitudes research, reflecting her commitment to translational health science education.

Her 2000-2007 publication record demonstrates consistent expertise in cellular osmoregulation mechanisms, particularly chloride/anion channel dynamics in renal and osmotic stress contexts, bridging physiology, biophysics, and nephrology with methodological innovation in single-cell analysis.

Key recognition includes:

• Excellence in Service to the University Award (2011)

Dr. Garber secured sustained extramural funding including NIH support for cellular physiology research while expanding her impact through curriculum development, university leadership (Principal Senator of Faculty Senate 2006-2008), and student mentorship in interprofessional biomedical research. She teaches Fundamentals of Physiology I/II while directing interprofessional initiatives.

Current work centers on the Interprofessional Healthcare Studies program, leveraging cross-school collaborations to advance assessment methodologies and community-engaged scholarship, building on prior research center experience at the University of Alabama's Cystic Fibrosis Research Center.