MSCR Student Profiles
Check out what some of our MSCR students have been up to!
Christopher Abbott, MD
2007 Cohort
Dr. Abbott's research interest area is late-life mood disorders
and neurodegenerative diseases. These different diseases can have similar
clinical presentations as seen in the example of “pseudo-dementia” (i.e. – cognitive deficits, both subjective and objective, resulting
from depression) and depression of Alzheimer’s disease (depression in the
context of a neurodegenerative process). Some evidence also suggests that
late-onset depression may be one of the first manifestations of dementia.
Conversion rates from pseudo-dementia to dementia are also higher
than previously reported. Correct diagnosis has important prognostic and
treatment implications. Our current tools (clinical interview,
neuropsychological tests, and structural imaging) lack the sensitivity and
specificity to sort through this important diagnostic challenge. Dr. Abbott
is hoping
to concentrate on this diagnostic question using functional MRI technology.
He has individualized his study plan and thesis committee in the MSCR
program to reflect this interest. After establishing a strong research
foundation by completing the required core coursework of the MS-CR program,
he will be concentrating on the statistical and technology domains of study
to learn applied imaging fundamentals.
Peter Guarnero, PhD
2007 Cohort
Dr. Guarnero is an Assistant Professor of Nursing at the College of Nursing,
Health Sciences Center, University of New Mexico in Albuquerque. Dr.
Guarnero earned a Bachelor of Science in Nursing degree from the Marcella
Neihoff School of Nursing, Loyola University, Chicago; a Master of Nursing
degree from the University of California, Los Angeles; and a doctorate in
Nursing from the University of California, San Francisco. In addition, Dr.
Guarnero earned a postdoctoral certificate from the UCLA School of Nursing
Center for Vulnerable Populations Research. He is currently pursuing a
Master of Science in Biomedical Sciences degree with a concentration in
clinical research at the University of New Mexico School of Medicine. Dr.
Guarnero's research focuses on how family and community influence the health
promotion behaviors of young Latino/Hispanic men.
Stephen Lu, MD
2008 Cohort
Dr. Lu is an Associate Professor in the Department of
Surgery at the University of New Mexico School of Medicine. Dr. Lu earned his MD
degree from The George Washington University School of Medicine in Washington DC.
He then did his residency in general surgery and critical care fellowship at the
Oregon Health Sciences University in Portland, Oregon. He is currently the medical
director of the Burn and Trauma Service at the University of New Mexico
Hospital. His research interests are medical error in the trauma and critical
care setting, and access disparities in trauma care.
Carlos Macias, MD
2008 Cohort
Dr Carlos Macias is currently an Assistant Professor of Medicine at the
University of New Mexico Health Sciences Center and works in the Division of
Hospital Medicine. He finished
his residency training in Internal Medicine at UNM and stayed on as faculty.
His primary clinical area of interest is Cardiology and will be starting a
Fellowship in Cardiovascular Disease at UNM in July 2009. Current areas of
research interest include the diagnostic utility of cardiac biomarkers in
patients in End Stage Renal Disease on Hemodialysis and their predictive
utility for Acute Coronary Syndrome in asymptomatic ESRD patients.
Dr Macias hopes to narrow the scope of his research during the next
three years as a Cardiology Fellow to coincide with specific disciplines
like Interventional Cardiology.
Aideloje Onime, MD
2007 Cohort
Dr. Onime is a junior faculty member in the Div. of Nephrology, Dept. of
Medicine. His interests include outcomes among end stage renal disease patients
on hemodialysis and epidemiology of chronic kidney disease. On concluding his
nephrology fellowship training at UNM and transitioning to faculty, he realized
that to be effective as young investigator training in clinic research is
necessary. His goals and objectives in undertaking the masters program are to:
Understand and apply study design and classification; learn how to construct and
carry out randomized controlled trials, including randomization schemes,
identification of primary and secondary outcomes, power analyses, confounders,
statistical analyses, interim analyses, data safety and monitoring board, making
a budget and HIPPA concerns; design observational studies including longitudinal
studies, cohort studies, case control studies and nested case control studies;
develop a strong foundation in biostatistics, data analysis and data management;
acquire grantsmanship and grant preparation skills; develop proficiency in
manuscript preparation and presentations; and understand ethical and cultural
aspects related to study of our indigent population.
Barbara Overman, PhD
2007 Cohort
Dr. Overman is an Associate Professor at the College of Nursing, Health
Sciences Center, University of New Mexico in Albuquerque. Dr. Overman earned
a Bachelor of Science in Nursing from the University of Delaware, a Masters
in Public Health from the University of Pittsburgh and a Master of Science
in Nursing with a specialty in Nurse-midwifery from the University of
Colorado. Dr. Overman’s PhD is in Nursing from the University of Colorado
where her dissertation research examined the relationship between urogenital
infection and preterm labor and birth. Dr. Overman has been involved in
nurse-midwifery and nursing education since 1986 having held faculty
positions at the University of Colorado and the University of Florida prior
to coming to New Mexico to coordinate the nurse-midwifery concentration in
1994. Dr. Overman’s scholarship has focused on access to education for rural
and underserved populations and systemic issues impacting rural maternity
and midwifery care. She was co-investigator on the New Mexico Partnerships
for Training Project funded by Robert Wood Johnson and the Navajo
Nurse-mentorship project funded by the William Randolph Hearst Foundation.
Her interests include economic and social determinants of health, culture
and health care and innovative models of service delivery for women and
infants. She is currently working on a project with the New Mexico Health
Policy Commission to develop policy alternatives to malpractice litigation
for injury reduction and equitable compensation in childbearing care.
