Mark D. Trottier, PhD, is the Student Research Director for the Michigan State University College of Human Medicine. Dr. Trottier oversees the student research process at the College of Human Medicine, which includes directing the Early Mentors for Research Program (EMR-P) and otherwise assisting students with identifying research mentors and conducting research. He works to help establish research collaborations with health systems, hospitals, private practices, departments and research groups. He is the course director for HM 691 - Research Elective for 3rd and 4th year students, the leader of the Rationality Subgroup of the Advanced, Skills, and Knowledge (ASK) portion of Late Clinical Experience, the Grand Rapids course coordinator for ASK Research Project, the course director for the Getting Started in Research Intersession, and a member of the ECE Scholarly Project mentor team. He also serves as Faculty Advisor for the Medical Student Research Journal (MSRJ). Prior to joining CHM, Dr. Trottier was a Research Assistant Professor in the Biochemistry & Molecular Biology Department at Michigan State University, studying the effects of stress, nutrition and obesity on immune system development and function. He was a postdoctoral fellow at both New York University and Northwestern University/Evanston Hospital where he investigated viral infections of the central nervous system, focusing on viral pathogenesis in models of virus-induced demyelination and encephalitis. Dr. Trottier received a a PhD in Molecular Virology from Purdue University in West Lafayette, IN and a BS in Biology from Rensselaer Polytechnic University in Troy, NY.