About the Program
Long-time supporters of the M.D./Ph.D. program at Baylor College of Medicine, the McNairs established the McNair M.D./Ph.D. Scholars program in 1998. Through that program, they support students for eight years through medical and graduate school.
The M.D./Ph.D. program is designed to train highly motivated individuals into becoming physician scientists who split their time between conducting biomedical research while still caring for patients. To date, 26 McNair M.D./Ph.D. Scholars have graduated and 14 McNair M.D./Ph.D. Scholars are currently enrolled in various stages of their training.
View a complete list of our McNair M.D./Ph.D Scholar Alumni.
Current McNair M.D./Ph.D. Scholars
Amy Pohodich, Ph.D.

9th Year M.D./Ph.D. Student
3rd Year Medical Student, Class of December 2019
University of Texas at Austin, BS Neurobiology, 2010, Summa Cum Laude
Baylor College of Medicine, Ph.D.
Neuroscience, Class of 2018
Thesis: Exploring the molecular changes in MECP2 disorders and their response to interventions
Mentor: Huda Zoghbi, M.D.
Amanda Koire, Ph.D.

8th Year M.D./Ph.D. Student
3rd Year Medical Student, Class of December 2019
Pomona College, BA Molecular Biology, 2011, Magna Cum Laude
Baylor College of Medicine, Ph.D.
Quantitative & Computational Biosciences, Class of 2018
Thesis: Applying evolutionary action to the interpretation and prioritization of rare variants in complex diseases
Mentor: Olivier Lichtarge, M.D., Ph.D.
Jessica Messier, Ph.D.

7th Year M.D./Ph.D. Student
3rd Year Medical Student, Class of 2020
University of Texas at Austin, BS Mathematics and Psychology with Highest Honors, 2012
Baylor College of Medicine, Ph.D.
Neuroscience, Class of 2018
Thesis: Inhibition in the CNS: the role of Neuroligin 2 in inhibitory synapse specification and an improved inhibitory optogenetic tool
Mentor: Mingshan Xue, Ph.D.
Jarey Wang

7th-year M.D./Ph.D. student, 5th-year Graduate Student
Duke University, B.S.E., Biomedical Engineering, 2012, Magna Cum Laude
Graduate Program: Translational Biology and Molecular Medicine
Research Interest: Cancer genomics and cancer cellular signaling.
Mentor: Trey Westbrook, Ph.D.
Gary Liu

6th Year M.D./Ph.D. Student, 4th Year Graduate Student
University of California, San Diego, BS, Human Biology, 2009
Graduate Program: Developmental Biology
Research Interest: Target Specific Functions of Interneurons in Olfactory Circuits and Mental Health
Mentor: Benjamin Arenkiel, Ph.D.
Julie Tomolonis

6th Year M.D./Ph.D. Student, 4th Year Graduate Student
Boston University, BA Biochemistry & Molecular Biology, 2012, Summa Cum Laude
Graduate Program: Translational Biology & Molecular Medicine
Research Interest: Neuroblastoma initiates tumor-promoting inflammation via induction of tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNFa) in monocytes
Mentors: Leonid Metelitsa, M.D., Ph.D. (thesis) and Heidi Russell, M.D., Ph.D. (clinical)
Julia Wang

6th-year M.D./Ph.D. student, 4th-year Graduate Student
University of Michigan at Ann Arbor, B.S., Cellular and Molecular Biology, 2013, with Honors
Graduate Program: Developmental Biology
Research Interest: Genetics and pathogenic mechanisms of mitochondrial disorders
Mentor: Hugo Bellen, D.V.M., Ph.D.
Colleen Brady

5th Year M.D./Ph.D. Student, 3rd Year Graduate Student
Johns Hopkins University, BA Neuroscience, 2013
Graduate Program: Developmental Biology
Research Interest: Genetic causes underlying pediatric epilepsy
Mentor: Mingshan Xue, Ph.D.
Gerry Koons

5th Year M.D./Ph.D. student, 3rd Year Graduate Student
University of South Carolina, B.S., Biomedical Engineering, Honors College, Summa Cum Laude
Graduate Program: Rice University Bioengineering
Research Interest: Craniofacial surgery and tissue engineering and biomaterials
Mentor: Antonios Mikos, Ph.D.
Catherine Bradley

4th Year M.D./Ph.D. Student, 2nd Year Graduate Student
Texas A&M University, BS Biomedical Sciences, 2012, Cum Laude
Johns Hopkins University, MS Molecular Microbiology & Immunology, 2014
Graduate Program: Molecular & Human Genetics
Research Interest: The role of TFIIS in transcription fidelity and cancer in humans
Mentor: Christophe Herman, Ph.D.
Eric Wang

4th Year M.D./Ph.D. Student, 2nd Year Graduate Student
University of California, Los Angeles, BS Neuroscience, 2014
Graduate Program: Neuroscience
Research Interest: Using the cortical micro-circuitry to advance machine learning
Mentor: Andreas Tolias, Ph.D.
Erin Bolte

3rd Year M.D./Ph.D. Student, 1st Year Graduate Student
University of Notre Dame, BS Biochemistry & Arabic Language, 2012, Magna Cum Laude
University of Guelph, MS Molecular & Cellular Biology, 2015
Graduate Program: Translational Biology & Molecular Medicine
Research Interest: Role of the gut microbiome in human endocrinology & behavior
Mentor: TBD
William Wu

3rd Year M.D./Ph.D. Student, 1st Year Graduate Student
Johns Hopkins University, BS Cellular and Molecular Biology
Graduate Program: Translational Biology & Molecular Medicine
Research Interest: Cancer Biology
Mentor: TBD
Linda Zhang

3rd Year M.D./Ph.D. Student, 1st Year Graduate Student
University of California, Berkeley, BA Cellular and Molecular Biology, 2015, Cum Laude
Graduate Program: Translational Biology & Molecular Medicine
Research Interest: Immunology and Endocrinology
Mentor: TBD
McNair Medical Institute at Baylor
Learn more about the McNair Medical Institute at Baylor and the support of Robert C. and Janice McNair.