Education

B.S. Biology, College of Charleston, 2003
Ph.D. Molecular and Cellular Biology and Pathobiology, Medical University of South Carolina, 2012

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Biography

Dr. K. Alexa Orr Gandy is a Clinical Assistant Professor in the Department of Pathology, Microbiology, and Immunology at the University of South Carolina School of Medicine. An accomplished educator, researcher, and mentor, she has built her career at the intersection of molecular biology, immunology, and medical education.

Dr. Gandy earned her Bachelor of Science in Biology with a molecular emphasis and a minor in Chemistry from the College of Charleston in 2003. She went on to receive her Ph.D. in Molecular and Cellular Biology and Pathobiology from the Medical University of South Carolina in 2012, where her doctoral research, under the mentorship of Dr. Lina Obeid, explored the role of the sphingosine kinase/sphingosine 1-phosphate pathway in cellular regulation.

She later advanced into postdoctoral training at the University of South Carolina School of Medicine under Dr. Mitzi Nagarkatti, focusing on natural products, epigenetics, and immune regulation, particularly in experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis models.

With her research contributions spanning immunotoxicology, lipid biology, and neuroimmunology, she has authored multiple peer-reviewed publications on topics such as sphingolipid signaling, gut microbiome influences on multiple sclerosis, and natural product regulation of immune responses. Her work has been supported by competitive federal fellowships, including an NIH NRSA postdoctoral fellowship investigating microRNA regulation in autoimmune disease.

In 2017, Dr. Gandy joined the University of South Carolina faculty as a Clinical Assistant Professor. Since then, she has established herself as a dedicated educator, playing a central role in medical education by serving as the Longitudinal Content Director of Medical Microbiology & Immunology, director of several M2 systems blocks: General Principles, Hematology, Musculoskeletal, Gastrointestinal, and Integrated, and overseeing the M2 Student Remediation Program. She has been consistently recognized by students and peers for her teaching excellence, with multiple “M2 Teacher of the Year” awards and the “String of Pearls Teaching Award.” Her courses routinely receive among the highest evaluation scores from medical students.

She has also contributed nationally through conference presentations on curriculum design and student performance and in recognition of her outstanding contributions, she was named the 2021 American Medical Women’s Association Woman of the Year and was selected to attend the prestigious AAMC Early Career Women Faculty Leadership Development Seminar in 2025.
Beyond teaching, Dr. Gandy has been deeply involved in academic service and leadership. She has served as Chair of the Medical Curriculum Committee, co-chaired LCME accreditation self-study efforts, and participates in numerous subcommittees and working groups aimed at advancing curriculum design, assessment, and student wellness. She currently chairs the Departmental Chair’s Advisory Committee on Medical Education, the Assessment and Evaluation Subcommittee, and is a reviewer for journals including Medical Science Educator.

Dr. Gandy’s professional memberships reflect her commitment to interdisciplinary science and education. She is a past member of the American Association of Immunologists, and is currently active in national professional organizations, including the International Association of Medical Science Educators.

Through her scholarship, teaching, and leadership, Dr. Gandy has become a respected figure in medical science education, known for her dedication to student success, her innovative approach to curriculum design, and her ongoing contributions to immunological research.

Click here for the complete list of Dr. Gandy's published work.