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New Mexico State University
Office of the Vice President for Research

Medical and Health Sciences

NMSU's Capabilities in Medical and Health Sciences
Chemist Jeffrey Arterburn, left, cell biologist Charles Shuster, center, and biology doctoral student Olivia George teamed up to investigate the mechanism by which bisphenol A disrupts cell division

Research in the medical and health sciences includes the NIH-funded partnership with the Fred Hutchison Cancer Research Center to advance cancer research capacity at NMSU; the NIH-funded NM-INBRE Program, providing biomedical research resources to researchers throughout New Mexico; multiple NIH-funded biomedical projects through the Support of Competitive Research Program; development of an experimental facility to create and test rehabilitation technologies that reduce the sensation of patient body weight; the interactive role of food, activity level, self esteem, and family involvement in obesity prevention; underlying and regulatory processes involved in mosquito- or tick-borne illnesses, such as Dengue, Malaria, West Nile, and Yellow Fever; and multiple studies of cell development, function, and survival.

Major Programs

Faculty Research
Programs Supporting Faculty Research
Programs Supporting Student Research

Researchers

Emerging pathogenes
  • Jeffrey Arterburn (Chemistry and Biochemistry - synthesis of antiviral drugs and radiopharmaceuticals)
  • Immo Hansen (Biology, reproductive biology of mosquitoes)
  • Kathryn Hanley (Biology - molecular biology, evolution and ecology of RNA virus)
  • Maria G. Castillo (Biology - immunological aspect of symbiotic relationships)
  • Jiannong Xu (Biology - metagenomics of mosquito gut ecosystem)
Genetics
  • Brook Milligan (Biology - interference between population genetics, ecology, evolutionary biology)
  • William J. Boecklen (Biology - ecological and evolutionary insect-plant interactions)
Neuroscience
  • Elba Serrano (Biology - nervous system, sensory organ systems, hearing and balance)
  • Graciela Unguez (Biology - developmental biology, neuroscience, motor systems)
Cell and Developmental Biology
Public Health
  • Mark J. Kittleson (Public Health Sciences - Health Behavior)
  • James Robinson (Public Health Sciences - Health Behavior and Substance Abuse)
  • Rebecca Palacios (Public Health Sciences - Health Psychology, Fast Food Marketing, Community Health, Obesity, Aging, HIV/AIDS populations, Risk Behavior, etc.)
  • Cindy Kratzke (Public Health Sciences - Health Administration, Culture and Health)
  • Satya Rao (Public Health Sciences - Violence, Substance Abuse, Minority Mental Health)
  • Charles Kozel (Public Health Sciences - Health Advocacy and Policy, Aging)
  • Anup Amatya (Public Health Sciences - Biostatistics and Pharmacoepidemiology)
  • Sue Forster-Cox (Public Health Sciences - Community Gardening)
  • Susan Wilson (Public Health Sciences - Social Determinants of Health, Health Administration and Policy, Rural Health, Health Disparities, Preparedness & Response, and International Health)
  • Joseph Gladstone (Public Health Sciences - Health Facility Administration)
  • Collin Payne (Marketing - Public Health Marketing)
  • Mary Alice Scott (Anthropology - Medical Anthropology, Public Health)
  • Miriam Chaiken (Anthropology - Rural Health)
  • Christopher P. Brown (Geography - Applications of GIS to Public Health Issues)
  • Anne Hubbell (Communications - Health Communication)
  • Kathleen W. Huttlinger (Nursing - Culture and Health Care, Diabetes in the Native American Population)
  • Geri L. Schmotzer (Nursing - Public Health and Promotion, Health Disparities, Border Health, Women's Health in Cancer Prevention and Control, Access to Care)
  • Becky Keele (Nursing - Health Promotion)
  • Kevin Lombard (Plant and Environmental Sciences - Horticulture and Public Health to Address Diabetes)
  • April Ulery (Plant and Environmental Sciences - Metal Exposure Assessment)
  • Hugo Vilchis (Public Health Sciences - Border Epidemiology and Environmental Health Center)
  • Margaret Ann Bock (Family and Consumer Sciences - Obesity Prevention, Human Nutrition, and Nutrition Bioavailability)
  • Wanda Eastman (Family and Consumer Sciences - School Based Nutrition Interventions, Diabetes)
  • Ron Byford (Food Safety, Biosecurity)
  • Nancy Flores (Cooperative Extension Service - Food Safety)
  • Lisa McKee (Family and Consumer Sciences - Food Safety)
  • Adrian Unc (Plant and Environmental Sciences - Biosecurity)
  • Natalie P. Goldberg (Plant Pathology & Extension Plant Sciences - Food Safety, Biosecurity)
Mental Health, Development, and Behavior
  • David G. LoConto (Sociology - Developmental Disabilities)
  • Jim Kroger (Psychology - Biopsychology)
  • Laura Thompson (Psychology - Developmental Psychology)
  • Pamela Schultz (Nursing - Cancer Survivorship and Violence Against Women)
  • Marilyn Pase (Nursing - Stress, Violence, Drug Abuse, and Medication Compliance)
  • Cynthia Bostick (Nursing - Psychiatric and Mental Health Nursing)
  • Anita Reinhardt (Nursing - Leadership and Work Environments)
  • Wanda J. Borges (Nursing - Chronic Disease Self-Management)
  • Esther Devall (Extension/Family and Consumer Sciences - Parenting and Family Health Education, Child Development)
  • Marcel Montañez (Family and Consumer Sciences - Equine Assisted Psychotherapy, Family, Adolescents, Aging)
Medicine
Biomedical Applications
  • Jessica Houston (Chemical Engineering - Flow Cytometry and Biophotonics Techniques)
  • Kevin Houston (Chemistry and Biochemistry - Molecular Function of Ovarian Hormones)
  • Barbara Lyons (Chemistry and Biochemistry - Protein Structures)
  • Aaron Rowland (Chemistry and Biochemistry - Toxicology, Drug Metabolism Enzymes)
  • Joe Song (Computer Science . Computing Applications in Biological and Medical Sciences)
  • Wayne van Voorhies (Molecular Biology - Metabolism and Genetic Stability)
  • Michael Johnson (Chemistry and Biochemistry - Biomedical Applications of Metals Chemistry)
  • Shelley L. Lusetti (Chemistry and Biochemistry - Cellular Processes Underlying Chromosomal Maintenance)
  • William A. Maio (Chemistry and Biochemistry - Chemotherapeutics and Small-Molecule Inhibitors)
  • Sergei N. Smirnov (Chemistry and Biochemistry - Intracellular Drug Delivery and Cell Transfection)
Bioethics
Biomedical Education and Training
  • Michele Shuster (Biology - Biomedical Sciences Undergraduate and K-8 Education)
  • Elba Serrano (Biology - NMSU RISE to Excellence Program and Building Research Achievement in Neuroscience Program (BRAiN))
  • Michael Johnson (Chemistry and Biochemistry - NMSU MARC Program)
  • Ralph Preszler (Biology - NMSU Howard Hughes Medical Institute Undergraduate Science Education Program)
  • Mary O'Connell (Plant and Environmental Sciences - Medicinal Plants of the Southwest Program, Partnership for the Advancement of Cancer Research Project)
  • Barbara Lyons (Chemistry and Biochemistry - Bridges to the Baccalaureate Program)

Major Units