Education
B.S. in Biology, Saint Mary's College, Notre Dame, Indiana
Ph.D. in Cellular and Integrative Physiology, Indiana University School of Medicine, Indianapolis, Indiana
Bio
Julia M. Hum, Ph.D., serves as program director of the M.S. in Biomedical Sciences (BMS) and tenure professor of physiology at SA国际传媒's Wood College of Osteopathic Medicine. Dr. Hum earned her Ph.D. in Cellular and Integrative Physiology from Indiana University School of Medicine, followed by a postdoctoral fellowship in Medical and Molecular Genetics. Prior to her graduate work, she received her B.S. in Biology from Saint Mary's College, Notre Dame, where she was awarded the Lumen Christi Medal, the highest honor conferred to a graduating senior.
As an educator-scientist, Dr. Hum takes great joy in mentoring graduate and medical students in research projects. Her research spans multiple domains from bone and mineral metabolism to best practices in medical education teaching and learning. Dr. Hum's scholarly work has been published in high-impact journals including the Journal of Bone and Mineral Research, Endocrinology, and Biomolecules, with over 800 citations to date.
Dr. Hum's commitment to teaching excellence stems from her experience as a dyslexic learner. As an educator-scientist, she refines her methods using evidence-based practices, much like refining experimental protocols. Dr. Hum has been recognized for her excellence in teaching by nominations for the Enneking Excellence in Teaching Award and COM Biomedical Sciences Faculty of the Year.
Courses Taught
Master's of Biomedical Sciences Program:
• BMS 551 – Medical Physiology & Pharmacology I
• BMS 552 – Medical Physiology & Pharmacology II
• BMS 501 – Seminar
• BMS 585 – Capstone
• BMS 599 – Research
Doctor of Osteopathic Medicine Program:
• MED 611 – Foundations of Clinical Medicine
• MED 717 – Derm, Skeletal, Ortho (DISkO)
• MED 903 – Academic Medicine Rotation
Areas of Teaching Expertise
Biomedical Sciences:
• Medical Physiology (integrated systems approach)
• Pharmacology (drug mechanisms and clinical applications)
• Integration of physiology and pharmacology curricula
Pedagogical Approaches:
• Evidence-based teaching practices
• Inclusive classroom design and instruction
• Inquiry-based learning and active learning strategies
• Development of retrieval practice and low-stakes assessments
• Content spacing and interleaving techniques
• Clinical case integration and application
• Patient narrative pedagogy (podcast projects)
• Problem-based learning facilitation
Teaching Philosophy
Dr. Hum's teaching philosophy stems from her experience as a dyslexic learner who thrived in inquiry-based science courses. She creates inclusive classrooms where digestible vocabulary promotes conceptual understanding through year-long dialogue in physiology and pharmacology.
As an educator-scientist, she refines her methods using evidence-based practices, much like refining experimental protocols. She leads with vulnerability, mentors with empathy, and teaches compassionately, hoping to touch the future of medicine through her students.
Research Interests
Dr. Hum’s research focuses both her passions the cellular mechanisms regulating bone health and improving the educational experience of aspiring health professionals.
Selected Publications
(2023-present)
Mustaklem, B., Loghmani, M., Waterfill, A., Caron, M., Glore, D., Meyer, N., Shelton, L., Day, E., Marciano, C., Gepfert, A., Wakefield, C., Brown, H., Street, S., Sasse, M., Snyder, J., Hiland, T., Hum, J., Eland, D., Chu, T., & Lowery, J. (2025). Soft tissue manipulation enhances recovery of muscle mass in a disuse model of sarcopenia. Journal of Osteopathic Medicine, 125(10), 485-495.
Assefa, M., Gepfert, A., Zaheer, M., Hum, J. M., & Skinner, B. W. (2024). Casimersen (AMONDYS 45™): An antisense oligonucleotide for Duchenne muscular dystrophy. Biomedicines, 12(4), 912.
Wright, C. S., Lewis, K. J., Semon, K., Yi, X., Reyes Fernandez, P. C., Rust, K., Prideaux, M., Schneider, A., Pederson, M., Deosthale, P., Plotkin, L. I., Hum, J. M., Sankar, U., Farach-Carson, M. C., Robling, A. G., & Thompson, W. R. (2024).
Deletion of the auxiliary α2δ1 voltage sensitive calcium channel subunit in osteocytes and late-stage osteoblasts impairs femur strength and load-induced bone formation in male mice. Journal of Bone and Mineral Research, 39(3), 298-314.
Kelly, M. M., Sharma, K., Wright, C. S., Yi, X., Reyes Fernandez, P. C., Gegg, A. T., Gorrell, T. A., Noonan, M. L., Baghdady, A., Sieger, J. A., Dolphin, A. C., Warden, S. J., Deosthale, P., Plotkin, L. I., Sankar, U., Hum, J. M., Robling, A. G., Farach-Carson, M. C., & Thompson, W. R. (2024). Loss of the auxiliary α2δ1 voltage-sensitive calcium channel subunit impairs bone formation and anabolic responses to mechanical loading. JBMR Plus, 8(2), ziad008.
Marciano, C. L., Hiland, T. A., Jackson, K. L., Street, S., Maris, C., Ehrsam, A., Hum, J. M., Loghmani, M. T., Chu, T.-M. G., Kang, K. S., & Lowery, J. W. (2023). Soft tissue manipulation alters RANTES/CCL5 and IL-4 cytokine levels in a rat model of chronic low back pain. International Journal of Molecular Sciences, 24(18), 14392.
Fahrholz, C. N., North, M., Feiner, J., Masser, E., Skinner, B. W., & Hum, J. M. (2023). Drugs for metabolic bone disease. In S. D. Ray (Ed.), Side Effects of Drugs Annual (Vol. 45, pp. 395-406). Elsevier.
Goode, R. A., Hum, J. M., & Kalwat, M. A. (2023). Advances in pancreatic islet β-cell proliferation and regeneration. Endocrinology, 164(1), bqac193.
Professional Organization Memberships
American Society for Bone and Mineral Research (2011-present)
American Society of Nephrology (2016-18)
The Indiana Physiological Society (2011-present)
The American Physiological Society (2010-present)
Educational Outreach
Career Representative, STEM Professional Workshop, Saint Mary's College (2022-present)
Pen Pal, Letters to a Pre-scientist (2019-present)
Invited Panelist, Women in STEM, DaVinci Pursuit Radio Show (2021)
Invited Speaker, "Conducting Research," Cathedral High School (2020)
Selected Speaker, Soapbox Science, Chicago, IL (2019)
Invited Speaker, American Heart Association – Go Red Go STEM event (2018, 2019)
Scientist, Meet a Scientist, Indiana State Museum (2018-20)
Scientist, Skype a Scientist Outreach (2018-20)
Invited Speaker, "Bioethics," Cardinal Ritter High School (2017, 2018)
Science Fair Judge, CYO Middle School Science Fairs (2010-present)
STEM-related Job Shadowing Host, Emerging Leaders Program, Cathedral High School (2013-present)
Community Leadership
Board of Trustees Member, Cathedral High School (2015-18)
Volunteer Girls Basketball Coach, Saint Thomas Aquinas Grade School (2008-2015)
Personal Info
Dr. Hum lives in Noblesville with her husband and their four children. Having grown up in the Hoosier state, she's a lifelong basketball fan and former collegiate player. You can find Dr. Hum on the sidelines or in the audience of her kids’ various sports and performances. When she’s not cheering on Hum Fam, she’s rooting for all our Indy sports teams.