MENTORS

Our research mentors are established and extramurally funded investigators from various disciplines.  Areas of institutional research strengths include aging, cancer, diabetes/cardiovascular disease, infectious disease, and neuroscience.  This diversity in science creates a robust, interdisciplinary research environment for SABERIRACDA Scholars and ensures that each SABERIRACDA Scholar has an opportunity for advanced research training in their area of interest.  Many of these investigators are also affiliated with interdisciplinary research institutes and centers, which facilitates the acquisition of a broad foundation of knowledge in interdisciplinary science and contributes to their preparedness for future careers in research and teaching.

A sampling of potential research mentors is presented below.  Please note, this is not an exhaustive list.  New research mentors are continually added by the program leadership. If you are unable to identify potential mentor(s) in an area of biomedical research that you are interested in, please contact the Program Directors.

Dean Bacich, Ph.D.

Biochemistry and Structural Biology

Michael T. Berton, Ph.D.

Microbiology, Immunology & Molecular Genetics

Jeffery A. Boychuck, Ph.D.

Cellular and Integrative Physiology

Thomas G. Boyer, Ph.D.

Molecular Medicine

Paolo Casali, M.D.

Microbiology, Immunology & Molecular Genetics

Yidong Chen, Ph.D.

Population Health Sciences

Robert A Clark, M.D.

Medicine, Infectious Disease

Ann Griffith, Ph.D.

Microbiology, Immunology & Molecular Genetics

Teja Guda, Ph.D.

Cell Systems and Anatomy

Jean Jiang, Ph.D.

Biochemistry and Structural Biology

Erzsebet Kokovay, Ph.D.

Cell Systems and Anatomy

A. Pratap Kumar, Ph.D.

Molecular Medicine

Elizabeth Leadbetter, Ph.D.

Microbiology, Immunology & Molecular Genetics

James D. Lechleiter, Ph.D.

Cell Systems and Anatomy

David Libich, Ph.D.

Biochemistry and Structural Biology

Philip T. LoVerde, Ph.D.

Biochemistry

Luke Norton, Ph.D.

Cell Systems and Anatomy

Medicine, Diabetes

Jason O’Connor, Ph.D.

Pharmacology

Babatunde O. Oyajobi, M.D., Ph.D., M.B.A.

Cell Systems and Anatomy

April Risinger, Ph.D.

Pharmacology

Ronald Rodriguez, M.D., Ph.D.

Medicine, Urology

Naomi Sayre, Ph.D.

Neurosurgery

James Stockand, Ph.D.

Cellular and Integrative Physiology

Alex Taylor, Ph.D.

Biochemistry and Structural Biology

Glenn M. Toney, Ph.D.

Cellular and Integrative Physiology

Alexei Tumanov, Ph.D.

Microbiology, Immunology & Molecular Genetics

Susan T. Weintraub, Ph.D.

Biochemistry

P. Renee Yew, Ph.D.

Molecular Medicine

Our teaching mentors in the SABER*IRACDA Program are drawn from two primarily undergraduate partner institutions.  Both are designated as Hispanic-Serving by the U.S. Department of Education (St. Mary’s University and Our Lady of the Lake University).  Teaching mentors from these institutions are selected on the basis of passion for and success in classroom teaching, on-going interests and involvement in research, as well as enthusiasm to engage in mentored teacher training. Collectively, our mentors are highly regarded faculty, teach diverse subjects within the undergraduate and ensure that SABER Scholars become well-trained teachers with expertise in course development, presentation and assessment.  Mentors also ensure Scholars are well prepared to address the challenges associated with motivating and sustaining the interests of undergraduate students, especially those from historically-marginalized groups and non-traditional students.

A sampling of potential teaching mentors is presented below.  Program Coordinators at either institution will work with SABER Scholars in Year 1, to help them select appropriate teaching mentors based on the Scholar’s interest

Our Lady of the Lake University

John Gómez, Ph.D.
Psychology

James S. Hall, Ph.D.
Biology

Teresita Munguia, Ph.D.
Chemistry

Susan Murphy, Ph.D.
Biology

Briana Salas, Ph.D.

Biology

St. Mary’s University

Lori Boies, Ph.D.
Biological Sciences

Richard Cardenas, Ph.D.
Physics

Verónica Contreras-Shannon, Ph.D.
Biological Sciences

Ahmad Galaleldeen, Ph.D.
Biological Sciences

Christine Gray, Ph.D.
Biological Sciences

Richard Lombardini, Ph.D.
Physics

Thomas E. Macrini, Ph.D.
Biological Sciences

Gary Ogden, Ph.D.
Biological Sciences

Susan P. Oxley, Ph.D.

Chemistry

Terry Shackleford, Ph.D.

Biological Sciences

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