MD/PhD Student Profiles
Learn more about a few of our MD/PhD students!
Erin Crossey
2008 Cohort
Erin graduated from Colorado College in May 2007 with a dual degree in
Physics and Biology, and spent the subsequent year working on a molecular
biology project with Christina Takacs-Vesbach in the UNM Biology Department
examining and characterizing the soil microbe communities of the Antarctic Dry
Valleys. She also worked on a research project with Sandia National Labs, using
molecular methods to detect changes in biofilm communities upon various water
treatment procedures. She is just getting started in her graduate endeavors,
having completed her first two years of medical school, and has begun work in a
lab focused on vaccine development using virus-like particle platforms. She grew
up in Albuquerque, attending Albuquerque High, and is glad to be a part of this
great program in her home town. She grew up playing soccer, which she continues
to be involved in, as well as ice hockey. Meetings/papers-in progress: Crossey,
E., et al. (2006). Temporal Dynamics of an Antarctic Riparian Zone Microbial
Community: Eos Trans. American Geophysical Union, 87 (52), Fall Meet. Suppl.,
B13C-1111. Papers in Progress: Crossey, E., et al. (November 2008). Spatial and
Temporal Dynamics of Microbial Communities Throughout Antarctic Lake and Stream
Riparian Zones. Eviron Microbiol. • Crossey, E., et al.(November 2008). Effects
of Biofilm Growth on Chlorine Treatment of Tap Water Contaminated with B. cereus
as an Analog for B. anthracis. Environ Sci Technol.
Bradley Webster
2006 Cohort
Brad is currently is his 4th year of the MD/PhD program. He grew up in
Ryan Brunsing
2005 Cohort
Ryan grew up in Santa Rosa, California, and conducted his
undergraduate studies at UC San Diego where he majored in physics and molecular
biology. Prior to joining the program, he worked as a research technician and
lab manager at the Scripps Research Institute and UCSD. His PhD centers on
immunology, while his professional interests include tumor immunology,
radiotherapy, and immunotherapy strategies. Ryan spent two terms as a TA in
Structural Biochemistry while at UCSD and has served as a Kaplan MCAT
Instructor. He is a past president of several student societies and has served
on a number of different committees locally and nationally. During the course of
his PhD work, he has been awarded an Infectious Disease and Immunity
Pre-doctoral Fellowship (NIH T-32) and an NIH F30 National Research Service
Award from the NIDDK. He says the best thing about the program here at UNM is
the flexibility to enjoy other aspects of your life and the general willingness
to listen to the students. Ryan has taken advantage of the outdoor lifestyle in
Albuquerque by getting involved in endurance sports. He is currently training
for his second marathon with the hope of qualifying for Boston before he
graduates. Publications: Brunsing, R.L., et al. (2005). J Bacteriol.
187:6972-81., Brunsing, R.L., et al. (2008). J Biol Chem. 283(26):17954-61.
Michael Puglia
2004 Cohort
Michael received his undergraduate degree from the University of
Nevada in Biochemistry. During that time he performed mycology research on Cryptococcus neoformans,
an opportunistic pathogen. In 2004, he matriculated into the MD/PhD program, and after finishing the
first two years of classroom medical school he began working with Dr. Fernando Valenzuela. His
research focuses on the effects of alcohol on the developing brain during the third-trimester. This
research has led to the granting of a predoctoral MD/PhD fellowship, in addition to numerous presentations at
scientific meetings (Society for Neuroscience, Research Society for Alcoholism,
and The Keystone MD/PhD Annual Meeting). Michael enjoys all that Albuquerque has
to offer, including biking, hiking and running.
Nick Andrews
2003 Cohort
Nick is in his final year of the MD/PhD program and is currently touring
the nation interviewing for a residency position in Obstetrics and Gynecology.
He is also in the process of co-authoring a chapter on ovarian cancer screening
for the 2012 edition of "Clinical Obstetrics and Gynecology." His dissertation
research with Dr. Diane Lidke involved the use of high-speed live cell imaging
techniques and single molecule tracking to elucidate the roles of receptor
diffusion and membrane topography in IgE receptor signaling. His work resulted
in numerous co-authored publications, as well as two first-author publications
in Nature Cell Biologyand Immunity. He was able to secure
external funding for two years of his research in the form of an NSF IGERT
Fellowship, which also included three months in Goettingen, Germany at the Max
Planck Institute for Biophysical Chemistry. Through the MD/PhD program, he has
had the opportunity to collaborate with a broad cross-section of the scientific
community from physicists to physicians. Outside of his professional pursuits,
Nick enjoys spending time out in the New Mexico sunshine with his wonderfully
supportive wife and their three children.
