Dwayne M. Baxa, Ph.D.

Dr. Baxa is associate professor, Department of Foundational Medical Studies. He joined the Oakland University William Beaumont School of Medicine in July 2013 as an assistant professor in the Department of Biomedical Sciences. He teaches Microbiology for the M1-M2 curriculum.

Dr. Baxa received a B.S. in Biology from Oakland University, and an M.S. in Basic Medical Sciences and a Ph.D. in Microbiology and Immunology from Wayne State University. He has a certificate in Molecular Diagnostics from Michigan State University.

Prior to joining OUWB School of Medicine, Dr. Baxa worked in the Division of Infectious Diseases at Henry Ford Hospital in Detroit, where he most recently held the positions of Assistant Staff Scientist and Technical Director of the Infectious Disease Research Laboratory and conducted clinical testing for HIV antiretroviral drug resistance and phenotyping. Dr. Baxa also taught undergraduate medical classes in the Department of Clinical Laboratory Sciences at Eastern Michigan University and in the Department of Health Sciences at Baker College.

Dr. Baxa’s research has focused on HIV and Hepatitis B and C viruses, including work with the Terry Beirn Clinical Programs for Clinical Research on AIDS and the AIDS Clinical Trials Group. He has received investigator-initiated funding from Merck Pharmaceuticals to study the effects of HIV integrase inhibitors on cellular apoptosis and Gilead to investigate HBV therapy resistance mutations in recent seroconverters. As part of a multidisciplinary team of HIV investigators that received funding from the Institute for Population Studies, Health Assessment, Administration, Services and Economics (INPHAASE), he conducted a study of a social media-based HIV prevention and intervention program designed for youth in the Wayne County Juvenile Detention Facility. Dr. Baxa continues to conduct research projects in collaboration with Henry Ford Hospital. Dr. Baxa’s additional research interests include medical education and student wellness.