Current MD-PhD Students

Year in Program: MY2
Mentor:
Graduate Program: 

Publications

• Wu, G.*, Ma, T.*, Hancock, C.E., Gonzalez, S., Aryal, B., Vaz, S., Chan, G., Palarca-Wong, M., Allen, N., Chung, C., Shu, X., Liu, Q. (2024). Opposing GPCR signaling programs protein intake setpoint in Drosophila. Cell 187: 5376-92. (*equal contribution)
• Vaz SM (2025, August). From Confidence therein seek Humility [Poem]. The Oslerian, 26(2), 9.

Oral Presentations

• Vaz SM. “Leprosy: Exploring the History of a Cursed to Curable Affliction.” UTMB Osler Symposium 2025, Galveston, TX. March 29, 2025.

Year in Program: MY4
Mentor: Physician Healer Track - Geary;
Summer 2020 Dr. Sheetz
Graduate Program: BMB (MBET)

Research Interests

I am interested in real-time imaging and mathematical modeling of contractile units in nonmuscle cells and their role in rigidity sensing and preventing cancer growth.

Honors & Awards

• Graduate Student Poster Presentation Award 24th Annual Structural Biology Symposium 2019
• Best Poster Presentation for Biochemistry and Molecular Biology (2nd place) National Student Research Forum 2019
• Vesalius Osler Society Travel Grant School of Medicine 2019
• Dr. F. Parker Gregg Scholarship School of Medicine 2019
• Dea Bailey Calvin Research Scholarship School of Medicine 2019
• Outstanding Poster Award NIH Postbaccalaureate Poster Day 2017
• Intramural Research Training Award NIH 2017-2018
• NSF Physics REU Fellowship Kansas State University 2016
• Undergraduate Research Fellowship University of California, Los Angeles 2015

Research Activities

ResearchGate Profile

Year in Program: MY4
Mentor: Dr. Michael Cornforth
Graduate Program: BMB

Research Interest

Ionizing radiation can damage cells in many ways, the most deleterious of which is by introducing double-strand breaks into chromosomes. When two or more double-strand breaks occur in the same cell, the broken chromosome ends can recombine with incorrect partners to form chromosome aberrations that are damaging to the cell and potentially even carcinogenic. Despite their utility and ubiquity as a measure of radiogenic damage, chromosome aberrations are generated through poorly understood mechanisms. We use novel cytogenomic techniques to elucidate the molecular nature of this radiation damage and how it changes as a function of ionization density and track structure. In effect, we are characterizing the molecular signature of different types of radiation, information which will be valuable in the design of biomarkers for biodosimetry, therapy adjuncts for radiotherapy patients, and radiomitigators and radioprotectors for astronauts on deep space missions.

Honors & Awards

• May 30th, 2025 - Blocker Scholar Fellowship, University of Texas Medical Branch, MD-PhD Program
• January 31st, 2025 - NASA HRP Poster Competition Award for Graduate Students,  NASA Human Research Program Investigators’ Workshop
• January 9th, 2025 -  Dr. Mary Faggard Kanz Travel Award for Environmental Toxicology,  University of Texas Medical Branch
• September 15th, 2024 -  Invited Speaker at Radiation Research Society Annual Meeting, Radiation Research Society
• August 28th, 2024 - M. Jeanne Fairweather, MD Scholarship, University of Texas Medical Branch
• December 21st, 2023 -  Eva Yznaga Seger, MD Presidential Scholarship, University of Texas Medical Branch, Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences
• December 21st, 2023 - Arthur V. Simmang Scholarship, University of Texas Medical Branch, Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences
• August 27th, 2023 -  Scholars and Trainees Travel Award, 17th International Congress for Radiation Research
• August 11th, 2023 -  50/50 Biochemistry and Molecular Biology Achievement Award, University of Texas Medical Branch, Biochem, Cell, and Molecular Bio Dept
• June 2nd, 2023 - Wiktor W. Nowinski Endowed Scholarship, University of Texas Medical Branch, Biochem, Cell, and Molecular Bio Dept
• April 13th, 2023 -  Presentation Finalist, T1-T4 in 3 (Minutes) Competition
• April 1st, 2023 - Best Overall Poster,  National Student Research Forum
• February 9th, 2023 -  NASA HRP Poster Competition Award for Graduate Students, NASA Human Research Program Investigators’ Workshop
• January 26th, 2023 -  Arthur V. Simmang Scholarship, University of Texas Medical Branch, Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences
• January 26th, 2023 - Shirley Patricia Parker Scholarship, University of Texas Medical Branch, Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences
• December 16th, 2022 - SHINE (Space Health Impacts for the NASA Experience) Training Program,  NASA Human Research Program
• May 17th, 2022 -  Bolen Endowed Scholarship,  University of Texas Medical Branch, Biochem, Cell, and Molecular Bio Dept
• May 17th, 2022 -  Biochemistry, Cell, and Molecular Biology Department Travel Award, University of Texas Medical Branch, Biochem, Cell, and Molecular Bio Dept
• March 17th, 2022  - Wiktor W. Nowinski Endowed Scholarship,  University of Texas Medical Branch, Biochem, Cell, and Molecular Bio Dept
• February 10th, 2022 - NASA HRP Grant Augmentation, NASA Human Research Program Investigators’ Workshop
• February 1st, 2022 -  Satish Srivastava Endowed Scholarship, University of Texas Medical Branch, Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences
• May 15th, 2021 - Best Oral Presentation in Cancer Biology,  National Student Research Forum
• February 4th, 2021 -  NASA HRP Grant Augmentation,  NASA Human Research Program Investigators’ Workshop
• January 12th, 2021 -  Bohdan Nechay Endowed Scholarship, University of Texas Medical Branch, Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences

Research Activities

ResearchGate Profile

Publications, Posters & Presentations 

1. Kunkel SR, Kittler R, Michael MN. Cytogenomic analysis of human fibroblasts exposed to gamma rays or HZE ions. Radiat. Res. 2025; Accepted with minor revisions.
2. Kunkel SR, Cornforth, MN. When DSBs misrejoin: DNA sequencing of breakpoint junctions of chromosome exchange-type aberrations in human cells exposed to high- versus low LET radiations. Radiation Research Society Annual Meeting. San Juan, Puerto Rico. September 24, 2025.
3. Poignant F, Huff JL, Kunkel SR, Plante I, Slaba TC. Effect of Fluorescence In Situ Hybridization detection threshold on chromosome aberration counting: a simulation study. Radiation Research Society Annual Meeting. San Juan, Puerto Rico. September 21, 2025.
4. Jamison D, Kadamangudi S, Tumurbaatar B, Zhang W, Palmer L, Kunkel S, Kayed R, Limon A, Taglialatela G. Comparative analysis of brain-derived tau oligomer interactomes in Alzheimer’s disease (AD), non-demented with Alzheimer’s neuropathology (NDAN), and primary age-related tauopathy (PART): implications for neurodegeneration and cognitive resilience. J Alzheimers Dis. Accepted April 25, 2025.
5. Patel S, Janssen C, Szeto JJ, Korrapati K, Lyte C, Kunkel SR, Syed G. Evaluating the Use of Generative AI for Large Scale Literature Screenings in Space Medicine: A Comparative Study of LLMs and Human Reviewers. Aerospace Medical Association & Undersea and Hyperbaric Medical Society Annual Scientific Meeting. Atlanta, Georgia. June 5, 2025.
6. Patel S, Gala T, Szeto JJ, Kunkel SR, Korrapati K, Gaja T, Lyte C, Janssen C, Gessinger R. Immunological Health Risks in Commercial Spaceflight: A Scoping Review for Clinical Preparedness. Aerospace Medical Association & Undersea and Hyperbaric Medical Society Annual Scientific Meeting. Atlanta, Georgia. June 3, 2025.
7. Kunkel SR, Cornforth MN. Space Radiation Effects on the Human Genome. UTMB Research Day. Galveston, Texas. May 29, 2025.
8. Poignant F, Huff JL, Kunkel SR, Plante I, Slaba TC. Effect of Fluorescence In Situ Hybridization Detection Threshold on Chromosome Aberration Counting: a Simulation Study. Life Sci Space Res. 2025;46: 154-168.
9. Kunkel SR, Kittler R, Cornforth MN. Chromosome Breakpoint Sequencing in Human Cells Following Exposure to Gamma Rays vs Heavy Ions. NASA Human Research Program Investigators’ Workshop. Galveston, Texas. January 28, 2025.
10. Kunkel SR. Sizing Up the Damage; Investigating Radiogenic Chromosome Aberrations Using Cytogenomics. Radiation Research Society Annual Meeting. Tucson, Arizona. September 15, 2024.
11. Bailey SM, Kunkel SR, Bedford JS, Cornforth MN. The Central Role of Cytogenetics in Radiation Biology. Radiat. Res. 2024;202(2): 227–259.
12. McGowan M, Brugge D, Bailey S, Cross E, Kunkel SR, Tompkins, CJ. Trawling the Deeps; AI-Empowered High-Throughput dGH SCREEN. American Society of Gene & Cell Therapy. Baltimore, MD. May 7, 2024.
13. Kunkel SR, Cornforth, MN. Is there any difference between chromosome damage induced by low- vs high-LET radiation at the DNA level? NASA Human Research Program Investigators’ Workshop. Galveston, Texas. February 15, 2024.
14. Kunkel SR, Mareth A, Brackman S, Loucas BD, Cornforth MC. Chromosome damage related to temporal aspects of GCR simulation: validation and beam time optimization. NASA Human Research Program Investigators’ Workshop. Galveston, Texas. February 14, 2024.
15. Kunkel SR, Cornforth, MN. Star track; the search for S.P.O.Q. (Signatures Predictive of radiation Quality). BMB Oktoberfest. Galveston, Texas. October 3, 2023.
16. Kunkel SR, Cornforth, MN. Space radiation damage to the human genome detected through cytogenomics. GSBS Research Expo. Galveston, Texas. September 22, 2023.
17. Cornforth MN, Kunkel SR, Shuryak I. Chromosome damage and radiation risk from heavy ions: scoring the right kinds of aberrations. 17^th International Congress for Radiation Research. Montreal, Quebec. August 30, 2023.
18. Kunkel SR, Kittler R, Cornforth, MN. Long read sequencing characterizes structural variants induced by sparsely and densely ionizing radiation. 17^th International Congress for Radiation Research. Montreal, Quebec. August 27, 2023.
19. Kunkel SR, Wiese C. Chaired session “Symposium 1: Chromatin, complex DNA lesion, damage response and repair.” 17^th International Congress for Radiation Research. Montreal, Quebec. August 27, 2023.
20. Kunkel SR, Kittler R, Cornforth MN. Space radiation damage to the human genome. T1-T4 in 3 (Minutes) Competition. Galveston, Texas. April 13, 2023.
21. Kunkel SR, Kittler R, Cross E, Cornforth MN. Space radiation damage to the human genome. National Student Research Forum. Galveston, Texas. April 1, 2023.
22. Kunkel SR, Kittler R, Cross E, Routh AL, Cornforth MN. Sequencing chromosome aberrations induced by sparsely or densely ionizing radiation. NASA Human Research Program Investigators’ Workshop. Galveston, Texas. February 8, 2023.
23. Kunkel SR, Kittler R, Routh AL, Cross E, Cornforth MN. Sequencing chromosome aberrations induced by galactic cosmic radiation. Radiation Research Society Annual Meeting. Waikoloa Village, Hawaii. October 16, 2022.
24. Kunkel SR, Pecha MG, Marshall JET, Valencia W, Shah R, Auñón-Chancellor, S. COVID-19 from 1,300,000 Ft: assessing implications for the aerospace medicine community and developing guidelines for safe return to duty. Spaceflight Operations in the Time of COVID-19 panel. Aerospace Medical Association Annual Meeting. Reno, Nevada. May 24, 2022.
25. Marshall JET, Valencia W, Kunkel SR, Korst G, Shah R, Auñón-Chancellor S. COVID-19: Astronaut Monitoring and Return to Duty: Neurologic, Neurocognitive, Ophthalmologic, and Dermatologic Considerations. Spaceflight Operations in the Time of COVID-19 panel. Aerospace Medical Association Annual Meeting. Reno, Nevada. May 24, 2022.
26. Kunkel SR, Kittler R, Cornforth M. Sequencing Chromosome Aberrations Induced by Space Radiation. National Student Research Forum. Galveston, Texas. May 14, 2022.
27. Loucas BD, Shuryak I, Kunkel SR, Cornforth MN. Dose-dependent Transmissibility of Chromosome Aberrations at First Mitosis after Exposure to Gamma Rays. I. Modeling and Implications Related to Risk Assessment. Radiat. Res. 2022;197(4): 376-383.
28. Kunkel SR, Kittler R, Kollipara RK, Yu Y, Loucas B, Cross E, Cornforth MN. Cytogenomics Comes of Age: DNA Sequencing of Exchange Breakpoint Junctions of IR-Induced Translocations. NASA Human Research Program Investigators’ Workshop. Virtual conference. February 9, 2022.
29. Kunkel SR, Sishc B. Chaired session “Low Dose Rate Effects for Space Radiation Carcinogenesis - A Miniature Technical Informational Meeting (Tiny-TIM) Session 1 - Current Progress.” NASA Human Research Program Investigators’ Workshop. Virtual conference. February 8, 2022.
30. Kunkel SR, Kittler R, Kollipara RK, Yu Y, Loucas B, Cross E, Thompkins C, Cornforth MN. Cytogenomics Comes of Age: DNA Sequencing of Exchange Breakpoint Junctions of IR-Induced Translocations. Radiation Research Society Annual Meeting. Virtual conference. October 3, 2021.
31. Kunkel SR, Pecha MG, Marshall JET, Shah R, Auñón-Chancellor, S. COVID-19 From 417 km: a summary of the pathophysiology, diagnosis, treatment options, and implications for spaceflight. Spaceflight Operations in the Time of COVID-19 panel. Aerospace Medical Association Annual Meeting. Denver, Colorado. September 2, 2021.
32. Marshall JET, Valencia W, Kunkel SR, Korst G, Shah R, Auñón-Chancellor S. COVID-19: Astronaut Monitoring and Return to Duty: Neurologic, Neurocognitive, Ophthalmologic, and Dermatologic Considerations. Spaceflight Operations in the Time of COVID-19 panel. Aerospace Medical Association Annual Meeting. Denver, Colorado. September 2, 2021.
33. Kunkel SR, Kittler R, Kollipara R, Cornforth M. Molecular characterization of stable chromosomal aberrations induced by sparsely and densely ionizing radiation. National Student Research Forum. Virtual Conference. May 15, 2021.
34. Kunkel SR, Kollipara R, Kittler R, Cornforth M. Single-molecular real-time sequencing of radiation-induced chromosome aberrations. National Student Research Forum. April 24, 2020.
35. Langsjoen R, Muruato AE, Kunkel SR, Jaworski E, Routh A. Differential alphavirus defective RNA diversity between intracellular and encapsidated compartments is driven by subgenomic recombination events. mBio. 2020;11(4):e00731-20.
36. O’Brien CJ, Nixon ZS, Holohan AJ, Kunkel SR, Tellez JL, Doonan BJ, Coyle EE, Lavigne F, Kang LJ, Przeworski KC. Part 1: The development of the catalytic Wittig reaction. Chem-Eur J. 2013;19(45):15281-15289.
37. O’Brien CJ, Tellez JL, Nixon ZS, Kang LJ, Carter AL, Kunkel SR, Przeworski KC, Chass GA. Recycling the waste: the development of a catalytic Wittig reaction. Angew Chem Int Edit. 2009;48(37):6836-6839.

Year in Program: GY1
Mentor: Dr. Peter McCaffrey
Graduate Program: Pathology

Year in Program: GY3
Mentor: Dr. Lawrence Sowers
Graduate Program: Pharmacology/Toxicology

Research Interests:

I am interested in the metabolic pathways that contribute to chemotherapy resistance in glioblastoma as well as processes involved in DNA repair. Previously at UT Austin, I investigated how binding motifs impact the specificity and efficiency of human helicase-mediated disruption of secondary DNA/RNA structures.

Honors & Awards:

• Translational Science Training Grant (TL1) from NCATS, UTMB (2024- )
• Truman G. Blocker Endowment for the MD/PhD Program (2022-2023)
• John Sealy School of Medicine Research Scholarship Grant (2022)
• UT Austin Graduate with Honors and Research Distinction (2020)
• UT Austin Undergraduate Research Fellowship (2018)

Research Activities:

Researchgate:
Baljinnyam, T., Conrad, J. W., Sowers, M. L., Chang-Gu, B., Herring, J. L., Hackfeld, L. C., ... & Sowers, L. C. (2023). Characterization of a Novel Thermostable DNA Lyase Used To Prepare DNA for Next-Generation Sequencing. Chemical Research in Toxicology, 36(2), 162-176.

Sowers, M. L., Conrad, J. W., Chang-Gu, B., Cherryhomes, E., Hackfeld, L. C., & Sowers, L. C. (2023). DNA Base Excision Repair Intermediates Influence Duplex–Quadruplex Equilibrium. Molecules, 28(3), 970.
Chang-Gu, B., Venkatesan, S., & Russell, R. (2022). Kinetics measurements of G-quadruplex binding and unfolding by helicases. Methods.

Chang-Gu, B., Bradburn, D., Yangyuoru, P. M., & Russell, R. (2021). The DHX36-specific-motif (DSM) enhances specificity by accelerating recruitment of DNA G-quadruplex structures. Biological Chemistry, 402(5), 593-604.

Year in Program: GY3
Mentor: Ping Wu, MD, PhD
Graduate Program: Neuroscience Graduate Program

Research Interests

Jessica is researching the impact of maternal opioid use on fetal brain development and offspring behavior for her thesis project under the mentorship of Dr. Ping Wu. Previously, at UT Dallas, she researched the role dietary components in the western diet play in pain and diabetic peripheral neuropathy.

Honors & Awards

• CPDD NIDA Women & Sex/Gender Junior Investigator Travel Award, College on Problems of Drug Dependence (CPDD), Brentwood, TN, 2025
• Saunders Student Award, University of Texas Medical Branch, Galveston, TX, 2024
• T32DA007287: Translational Explorations in Substance Use Disorders, University of Texas Medical Branch, Galveston, TX, 2023–2025
• Harry B. and Marie S. Kelso Endowed Blocker Scholarship, University of Texas Medical Branch, Galveston, TX, 2022–2023
• Behavioral and Brain Sciences (BBS) Honors, University of Texas at Dallas, TX, 2018
• Larry Cauller Undergraduate Research Travel Award, University of Texas at Dallas, Richardson, TX, 2018
• Undergraduate Research Scholar Award, University of Texas at Dallas, Richardson, TX, 2018
• Buhrmester Undergraduate Research Award, University of Texas at Dallas, Richardson, TX, 2017

Research Activities

https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Jessica-Tierney

ORCID ID: 0000-0003-2615-5847

1. Melissa E. Lenert, Nilesh M. Agalave, Emily K. Debner, Jessica A. Tierney, Syed A. Naqvi, Andreas M. Chavez, Marilyn Dockum, Phil Albrecht, Frank L. Rice, Theodore J. Price, Erica L. Sanchez, Michael D. Burton - TLR4⁺ Dermal fibroblasts induce acute and transitional pain states. Research Square 2025.
2. Michelle Hagenimana*, Audrey R. Green*, Jessica A. Tierney, Melissa E. Lenert, Michael D. Burton - Intravenous streptozotocin induces variants in painful diabetic peripheral neuropathy in female mice. Research Square 2025. *=co-first author 
3. Deyse Cristina Madruga Carvalho, Tiffany Dunn, Rafael Kroon Campos, Jessica A. Tierney, Florence Onyoni, Luiz Henrique Agra Cavalcante-Silva, Lindomar José Pena, Sandra Rodrigues-Mascarenhas, Ping Wu, Scott C. Weaver - Antiviral and immunomodulatory effects of ouabain against congenital Zika syndrome. Molecular Therapy 2025; 33:456-470 (DOI: 10.1016/j.ymthe.2024.12.021)
4. Kathleen E McDonough, Regan Hammond, Jigong Wang, Jessica Tierney, Kali Hankerd, Jin Mo Chung, Jun-Ho La - Spinal GABAergic disinhibition allows microglial activation mediating the development of nociplastic pain in male mice. Brain, Behavior, and Immunity 2023; 107:215-224 (DOI: 10.1016/j.bbi.2022.10.013)
5. Jessica A Tierney*, Calvin D Uong*, Melissa E Lenert, Marisa Williams, Michael D Burton - High-fat diet causes mechanical allodynia in the absence of injury or diabetic pathology. Scientific Reports 2022; 12:14840 (DOI: 10.1038/s41598-022-18281-x)  *=co-first author 
6. Lin Jia, Syann Lee, Jessica A Tierney, Joel K Elmquist, Michael D Burton, Laurent Gautron - TLR4 signaling selectively and directly promotes CGRP release from vagal afferents in the mouse. eNeuro 2020; 8: ENEURO.0254-20.2020 (DOI:10.1523/ENEURO.0254-20.2020) 
7. Michael Burton, Thomas Szabo-Pardi, Katherine Garner, Jessica Tierney, Theodore Price – Uncovering Cell-Specific Mechanisms in Sex Differences in TLR4-Dependent Pain. The Journal of Pain 2019; 20:S1 (DOI: 10.1016/j.jpain.2019.01.016)