Stanley Andrisse | Howard Profiles

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Faculty

Stanley Andrisse, MBA, Ph.D. ( He, Him)

Assistant Professor

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https://www.fromprisoncellstophd.org/

Department/Office

Physiology & Biophysics

School/College

College of Medicine

Biography

Stanley Andrisse, MBA, Ph.D., is a tenure track faculty member in the Department of Physiology at the Howard University College of Medicine, where he brings expertise in endocrinology, physiology, and metabolic health. His research primarily explores insulin resistance, liver-specific signaling pathways, and metabolic disease. Andrisse’s work bridges cutting-edge biomedical science and critical health disparities. His research has been funded by multiple major NIH grants, including an R01 on insulin resistance mechanisms and a T34 grant supporting a novel prison-to-college pipeline focused on STEMM education.

In addition to his academic work, Andrisse is the founder and executive director of From Prison Cells to PhD, a nonprofit organization that supports currently and formerly incarcerated people in pursuing higher education and careers in STEM and beyond. Through mentoring, academic advising, and advocacy, the organization aims to dismantle barriers to opportunity and amplify the potential of justice-impacted individuals. The program has gained national recognition for its role in reshaping the narrative around incarceration and educational access.

Andrisse’s academic journey is marked not only by scientific excellence, but also by personal transformation. Formerly incarcerated, he earned his Ph.D. in Physiology from Saint Louis University and an MBA in Finance from Lindenwood University before completing a prestigious postdoctoral fellowship in Pediatric Endocrinology at Johns Hopkins School of Medicine. His path from prison to professor is chronicled in his memoir, From Prison Cells to PhD: It is Never Too Late to Do Good, which has become a touchstone for many seeking inspiration and proof that redemption and success are not mutually exclusive.

At Howard, Andrisse is a passionate educator and mentor, having taught courses across the Colleges of Medicine, Dentistry, Nursing, and Allied Health. He has trained and guided over 60 students, many from underrepresented and justice-involved backgrounds, on paths to medical and research careers. Beyond campus, he serves on advisory boards and national committees for the NIH, Endocrine Society, and National Academies of Sciences.

Education

Postdoctoral Fellow

Pediatric Endocrinology
The Johns Hopkins School of Medicine
2017

Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.)

Physiology
Saint Louis University
2014

Master of Business Administration (MBA)

Finance and Financial Management Services
Lindenwood University
2008

Bachelor of Science (B.S.)

Biology Pre-Health
Lindenwood University
2006

Academics

Structure and Function, Department of Physiology

Basic Medical Physiology, College of Dentistry

Homeostasis, Department of Physiology

General Physiology, College of Nursing & Allied Health Sciences

Organ Systems 4 (Endocrine and Renal), College of Medicine

PHAS 607 - Human Physiology, College of Nursing & Allied Health Sciences

PHSI 252-01 - Cellular and Molecular Physiology, College of Medicine

Research

Funding

FUNDED GRANTS AND CONTRACTS
Title: The cellular molecular regulation of differing mechanisms of insulin resistance.
Grant #: NIH 1R01DK126892
Years: July 2022 to June 2027 (5-year grant)
Project Summary: Insulin resistance is when cells in your muscles, fat, and liver don’t respond well to insulin
and can’t easily take up glucose from your blood, a condition known as prediabetes, affecting more than 84
million people ages 18 and older in the United States, about 1 out of every 3 adults. Researchers don’t fully
understand what causes insulin resistance and prediabetes, but they think that excess weight and lack of
physical activity are major factors. Here, we study three models of insulin resistance in an animal model to
better understand the mechanisms involved in insulin resistance related to excess fat intake, excess sugar
intake, and excess androgens.

Title: Bridges to the Baccalaureate Research Training Program at Howard University and Baltimore City
Community College
Grant #: NIH 1T34GM142610
Years: Aug 2022 to July 2027 (5-year grant)
Project Summary: Bridges to Baccalaureate students would be recruited and provided educational readiness
by Prison to Professionals while still incarcerated, transition to a 2-year associates granting school (Baltimore
City Community College, BCCC), be provided skills and methods development during their 2-years at BCCC,
participate in a 10-week STEM research internship at Howard (HU) University, then transition to a 4-year
Bachelors granting school, HU. Thus, this project is taking the highly innovative approach to intersect the
worlds of research, education, and incarceration by creating a ground-breaking prison-to-college-and-STEM
pipeline.

Title: Analysis of hepatic Androgen Receptor (AR) knockdown for targeted treatment of Polycystic Ovary
Syndrome (PCOS).
Contract #: GB-45025_Alnylam Pharmaceuticals
Years: Feb 2023 to Feb 2024 (1-year)
Project Summary: Genetic deletion of hepatic AR has been shown to be very effective in ameliorating the
metabolic impact of PCOS in a mouse model using low-dose DHT (Andrisse 2021). The current study will use
proprietary therapeutic compounds to prevent the development of insulin resistance in female mice.

Featured News

Read: The Washington Post | Taking a lawbreaking past out of college applications

Read: The Johns Hopkins Newsletter | Banning the box in college admissions

Read: Afro | From Felon to PhD

Read: PBS WYPR | State lawmakers remove criminal history from in-state college apps

Read: ABC WMAR | From Prison to PhD: One man's second chance

Read: The St. Louis Magazine | How a “career criminal” became a career scientist

Listen: Harvard EdCast | From Prison to Ph.D.

Read: Tufts Now | After Prison, Education Equals Opportunity

Read: PBS | Meet the scientists building a prison-to-STEM pipeline

Read: Endocrine News | Never Too Late to Do Good: The Redemption of Stanley Andrisse, PhD, MBA

Read: Prison Fellowship | The Power of a Prosecutor: The Impact of Prosecutorial Discretion

Read: Diverse Issues in Higher Education | Panels Discuss Barriers to College Programs in Prisons

Read: NPR | HBCUs are building a new prison-to-college pipeline

Read: Close Up DC | Reversing the “School-to-Prison Pipeline”? Part 3: Examining the Impact of Prison Education

Listen: HU2U Podcast | From Prison Cells to Ph.D. feat. Dr. Stanley Andrisse

Read: Inside Higher Ed | Advocates Promote Equitable Prison Education Programs Post–Pell Restoration

Watch: 'It's never too late to do good': Man released from prison turns life around, earns Ph.D.

Read: ABC KLTV | Incarceration Nation: Administering Endocrine Healthcare in Our Nation’s Prisons

Read: NBC WBAL | How Baltimore grassroots organizations are supporting those in need amid opioid epidemic

Watch: ABC WTVM | Dr. Stanley Andrisse shares his journey from being incarcerated to getting a PhD

Publications and Presentations

I went from prison to professor

I went from prison to professor – here’s why criminal records should not be used to keep people out of college

It’s time for Congress to lift the ban on Pell Grants for people in prison

From Prison Cells to PhD

From Prison Cells to PhD: It Is Never Too Late to Do Good

A captivating story detailing how resilience and inner strength can be combined to overcome mountainous barriers to reach one's full potential.

Liver Androgen Receptor Knockout Improved High-fat Diet Induced Glucose Dysregulation in Female Mice But Not Male Mice

This study aims to investigate the pathophysiology of high-fat diet (HFD) induced dysglycemia in male and female liver androgen receptor knockout (LivARKO) mice. We performed metabolic tests on LivARKO female and male mice fed a HFD or a control diet (from Research Diets Inc.) during months 1 or 2 after starting the diet.

Promoting anti-racism in the legal system

Promoting anti-racism in the legal system: an application of the STYLE framework

While some professionals in psychology may not have direct experience with the legal system, many of the individuals served by psychologists do (e.g., clients/patients, students, community members). Our framework is represented by the acronym STYLE (Self-examination, Talk about racism, Yield time to anti-racism work, Learn about structural racism, Evaluate policies and practices). The goal of STYLE is to expand anti-racism science and practice within psychology and related fields. We describe new roles for professionals in dismantling health inequities and offer specific pathways to develop critical partnerships toward this aim.

Juneteenth in STEMM and the barriers to equitable science

We are 52 Black scientists. Here, we establish the context of Juneteenth in STEMM and discuss the barriers Black scientists face, the struggles they endure, and the lack of recognition they receive. We review racism's history in science and provide institutional-level solutions to reduce the burdens on Black scientists.

Androgen-induced insulin resistance is ameliorated by deletion of hepatic androgen receptor in females

We investigated the role of hepatocyte AR in hyperandrogenemia-induced metabolic dysfunction by using several approaches to delete hepatic AR via animal-, cell-, and clinical-based methodologies. We conditionally disrupted hepatocyte AR in female mice developmentally (LivARKO) or acutely by tail vein injection of an adeno-associated virus with a liver-specific promoter for Cre expression in ARfl/fl mice (adLivARKO).

Nonalcoholic Fatty Liver Disease in Women and Girls

Nonalcoholic Fatty Liver Disease in Women and Girls With Polycystic Ovary Syndrome

Nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) describes a spectrum of liver damage due to excessive hepatic lipid accumulation. Recent research has demonstrated a high prevalence of NAFLD in women with polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS).

Racial and Ethnic Differences in Metabolic Disease

Racial and Ethnic Differences in Metabolic Disease in Adolescents With Obesity and Polycystic Ovary Syndrome

This work aimed to examine in depth the interaction of race and ethnicity with PCOS-related metabolic disease in adolescent youth.

Multimedia

WorkingNation | Stanley Andrisse on careers for justice-involved people

As a formerly incarcerated person with three felony convictions, Stanley Andrisse was faced with the challenges of finding a career pathway upon release. Andrisse, executive director, Prison to Professionals, says, “When I was released, I realized that there were these roadblocks in place for people with criminal convictions who wanted to put their lives back together.” WorkingNation sat down with Andrisse at Presented by JFF Horizons – See Beyond 2022 in New Orleans.

Union College | Union College Commencement 2023

The featured speaker at this year's Commencement was Stanley Andrisse, an endocrinology researcher and assistant professor at the Howard University College of Medicine.He is also founder and executive director of the non-profit Prison-to-Professionals (P2P), which seeks to change the lives of people with criminal convictions through advocacy, mentoring and policy.

theGrio | Dr. Stanley Andrisse Discusses Journey From Prison Cell to PhD

Dr. Stanley Andrisse is a scientist specializing in Type 2 diabetes. However, when he was 21 years old, he was sentenced to 10 years in a maximum-security prison. Dr. Andrisse’s inspirational journey from behind prison cages to teaching young minds at Howard and Johns Hopkins is now available in a book form entitled, “From Prison Cells to PhD: It is Never Too Late to Do Good.” Dr. Andrisse, assistant professor at Howard University’s College of Medicine and the executive director of the nonprofit “From Prison Cells to PhD,” joins Marc Lamont Hill on “Black News Tonight” to discuss his inspirational story.

WMAR-2 News | From Prison to PhD: One man's second chance

Stanley Andrisse is a well-respected researcher at Johns Hopkins School of Medicine. After serving time for drug trafficking charges, Andrisse continued his education, pursuing a masters and PhD, but finding a program that would accept him was difficult.