MD/PhD Student Profiles

Learn more about a few of our MD/PhD students!

  Nick Andrews
  2003 Cohort

  Nick is in his fifth year of the MD/PhD program and is nearing the end of his dissertation research under
  the guidance of Dr. Diane Lidke.His research involves the use of high resolution live cell imaging
  techniques and quantum dot based probes to examine the role of receptor diffusion and membrane
  topography in high affinity IgE receptor signaling. A major component of this work was recently
  published in Nature Cell Biology, and has been presented at several national conferences, including
  the annual meetings of the FASEB, the AAAAI, and the joint meeting of the ASCI, AAP, and APSA. For the past two years, his work has been funded by a fellowship from the NSF IGERT program in Integrating Nanotechnology with Cell Biology and Neuroscience. This fellowship not only provided him with a generous stipend, but also with the opportunity to spend three months at the Max Planck Institute for Biophysical Chemistry in Goettingen, Germany. 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. When not in the lab, Nick enjoys spending time with his wonderfully supportive wife and their two boys.

  Ryan Brunsing
  2004 Cohort

  Ryan is originally from Santa Rosa, California. He came to UNM from San Diego where he worked for
  three years as a research technician and lab manager at the Scripps Research Institute and UC
  San Diego. His research areas are endocrinology and immunology and his professional interests
  are radiation oncology and immunology. Ryan has worked as a TA in Structural Biochemistry at UCSD,
  a Kaplan MCAT Instructor, a lecturer for an Anatomy Review Course at UNM and an ICU volunteer at
  Scripps Hospital. He is currently the President of the New Mexico Student Medical Society, a member of several state/national committees for the American Medical Association and the President of the UNM Health Sciences Student Council. Ryan has been awarded an Infectious Disease and Immunity Pre-doctoral Fellowship (NIH T-32). 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 and their concerns. Ryan has taken advantage of the outdoor lifestyle in Albuquerque by getting involved in endurance sports and is currently training for triathlons with the hope of completing an Ironman 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.

  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 medical endeavors, but plans to continue to do molecular
  work in the area of Infectious Disease. She grew up in Albuquerque, attending Albuquerque High, and is glad to be a part of this great program in her home town. 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.

Robert Dietz
2003 Cohort

Robert is a native to Albuquerque and attended the University of New Mexico earning his bachelor’s degree in Biology while performing research on immune host defense systems and antibiotic resistant strains of Staphylococcus aureus at both UNM and UCLA, under the guidance of Drs. Michael Yeaman and Renee-Claude Mercier. He entered the MD/PhD program at the University of New Mexico School of Medicine in 2003. His dissertation project was under the direction of Bill Shuttleworth, PhD and focused on the roles of Ca²⁺ and Zn²⁺ in neuronal injury during peri-infarct depolarizations following stroke. A major component of his work was recently published in the Journal of Neuroscience, and has been presented at several international conferences. Robert’s work has provided new important insights into the roles of these ions and their effects on metabolic processes in neurons following ischemic injury.In addition to his research, Robert serves as a reviewer for the UNM Medical Student Research Committee and sits on the Dean’s Advisory Council. When not in the lab or at the hospital, he enjoys Albuquerque’s beautiful weather with his wife and sometimes he even gets in a round of golf.

  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.

  Brant Wagener
  2001 Cohort

  Brant grew up in Roswell, NM and graduated with a degree in Biology from The University of  
  New Mexico. He did some work in various research labs both here and at Dartmouth Medical
  School and then decided to pursue a career in translational research. His research has focused on
  G protein-coupled receptor physiology and pathophysiology with Dr. Eric Prossnitz. He has been
  awarded two pre-doctoral fellowships to fund and pursue this research, has numerous publications
  and is currently in pursuit of three first-author publications resulting from his research. Additionally, he has been highly involved in the creation of the BSGP Annual Retreat and had presented his research at national meetings for the American Society of Cell Biology and Era of Hope Breast Cancer Research Program. Brant thinks that Albuquerque is a great place to live as it is temperate and there are great outdoor activities, including hiking, biking, skiing and more.