Sharmeen Islam

I am from Bangladesh.

I came to WSU Animal Sciences because of the department’s strong graduate research program, supportive academic environment, and opportunities to work in developmental biology, skeletal muscle biology, and epigenetics. WSU Animal Sciences provides an excellent environment to grow as a researcher, collaborate with faculty and students, and contribute to meaningful research in animal and biomedical sciences.

My primary area of study is muscle biology, with a focus on skeletal muscle development and regeneration. My research investigates how maternal obesity and other metabolic stressors affect skeletal muscle growth, function, and long-term metabolic health in offspring. I am particularly interested in understanding the molecular and epigenetic mechanisms that regulate muscle development, including the role of the H19/IGF2 signaling axis in myogenesis, muscle regeneration, and developmental programming.

The best part of becoming a member of the Animal Sciences community is the supportive and collaborative environment. I have had the opportunity to learn from faculty, work with fellow graduate students, develop my research skills, and grow as a teaching assistant. Being part of this community has helped me become more confident as a scientist and communicator.

Yes. I have recently received Irwin A. Dyer Award for Excellence Fellowship in Animal Science Nutrition and Ralph and Posy Erb Graduate Fellowship.

Yes, I have published three peer-reviewed manuscripts related to maternal obesity, H19 long noncoding RNA, metabolic programming, and skeletal muscle development. In our original research article published in Diabetes, we reported that maternal obesity impairs offspring skeletal muscle function through H19-mediated programming of insulin-like growth factor 2 signaling. I also published two articles, one in Trends in Endocrinology & Metabolism and one in Life Sciences, highlighting the role of H19 lncRNA in maternal obesity-driven metabolic programming, prenatal development, and the developmental origins of health and disease.