Paul Richardson, Ph.D.
Chair/Professor
Contact Paul Richardson, Ph.D.
843-349-2598 prichar@coastal.eduScience Annex II 301F
Office hours: by appointmentEducation
Ph.D., Biochemistry and Molecular Genetics, University of Alabama Birmingham
M.S., Applied Immunology and Molecular Biology, University of Southern Maine
B.S., Biochemistry, Lebanon Valley College
Professional Experience
- Chair, Department of Chemistry, Coastal Carolina University
- Professor, Coastal Carolina University
- Program Director, CCU INBRE, Coastal Carolina University
- Associate Professor, Coastal Carolina University
- Assistant Professor, Coastal Carolina University
- Quality Control, Bayer Pharmaceuticals
Biography
Paul Richardson, Ph.D., joined the Coastal Carolina University faculty in 2004 and was promoted to associate professor in 2009. That same year, he was named the outstanding researcher in Applied Medical Sciences, and in 2012, he was awarded the Harry M. Lightsey Jr. Visiting Scholar award. In 2016, he was promoted to the rank of full professor of biochemistry. From 2016-2020, he was the principle investigator for Coastal Carolina University’s INBRE program and was on the SC INBRE steering committee. In the fall of 2020, Richardson took over as chair of the Department of Chemistry. In 2021, he co-won the student engagement award for his service to the students. Later in 2022, he co-won the University Service Award for his work on the COVID-19 pandemic and his leadership to keep the University safe.
Richardson's current research focuses on using genetic-based approaches to detect viruses in environmental and living samples. He focuses only on undergraduate research and mentoring. He has mentored over 72 undergraduate students resulting in over 63 student poster presentations, 14 student oral presentations, seven student-led research publications, and four non-research publications. In his 18 years at Coastal Carolina University, he has received over $2.3 million in grant money to support his research.
Richardson was raised in Maine, where he won several state science fair awards for his work on characterizing bacteria using magnetic fields and treating bacterial infections using household food products. He then accepted a Vickroy scholarship to attend Lebanon Valley College earning a degree in biochemistry in 1996. After Lebanon Valley College, Richardson worked for Bayer Pharmaceuticals, testing over-the-counter drugs (Aspirin, Midol, etc.) in the quality control department. After a year at Bayer, he went to the University of Southern Maine and earned a master’s degree in medical immunology and molecular biology in 1999. He was also awarded the Outstanding Graduate Student Award for his master's thesis work on herpesvirus apoptotic factors. Finally, he went to the University of Alabama, Birmingham School of Medicine, and conducted research on molecular modeling of proteins in diseases. He received his Ph.D. in biochemistry and molecular genetics in 2004.
In his free time, Richardson enjoys playing disc golf, fishing, and poker.