University of Nevada, Reno School of Medicine (UNR Med) medical students are making their mark through impactful research recognized on local and national stages. Their work reflects UNR Med’s commitment to advancing scientific discovery, improving patient care and addressing health challenges.
“Research opportunities aren't just for future scientists; they're a key part of how our students learn evidence-based medicine,” John Westhoff, M.D., MPH, assistant dean of medical research, said.
Examining fentanyl-stimulant co-involvement in older adults
Third-year medical student Gab Pasia led a multi-institutional research team investigating a critical and underrecognized trend in the U.S. opioid crisis. Their study, “Fentanyl-Stimulant Co-Involvement in Older Adults: Trends in the Fourth Wave of the U.S. Opioid Crisis,” was one of only eight projects selected by the American Society of Anesthesiologists (ASA) for national press release recognition at the ASA 2025 Annual Meeting in San Antonio, Texas, for its public-health significance. The work has since been featured by ASA Newsroom, U.S. News & World Report, and WebMD.
“Our study examined national trends in fentanyl- and stimulant-related overdose deaths among adults aged 65 and older using CDC mortality data,” Pasia explained. “We found that nearly half of recent fentanyl-related deaths in this age group involved stimulants — a combination that greatly increases overdose risk. This finding underscores the shifting landscape of substance use among older adults and highlights the need for awareness among clinicians, caregivers and policymakers.”
The research, co-led by fellow third-year medical students Henry Tang, Dom Baria, Alex Kilgore-Gomez, Dajhanna Flores Sanchez, and Jo Tran, with mentorship from John Westhoff, Ph.D. (UNR Med), Richard Wang, M.D. (Rush University Medical Center), and Lily Liu, M.D. (Cleveland Clinic), reflects UNR Med’s culture of student-driven inquiry and collaboration.
“My background bridges aging and public health, and I’ve long been interested in how systemic crises affect older adults,” Pasia said. “This project underscored how data-driven, student-led research can elevate neglected issues and contribute to national dialogue.”
Pasia credited UNR Med for providing the foundation to pursue this work. “Dr. Westhoff’s mentorship and UNR Med’s emphasis on independent research — especially through ESP, a first-year course — gave me the methodological and coding skills that formed the basis for this project,” he said. “I’m also deeply grateful to my collaborators for their dedication and hard work. It’s been rewarding to see our collective effort bring attention to an issue that affects so many older adults.”
Addressing Nevada’s physician shortage
Third-year medical student Douglas Collins and his classmates Colton Cox, Robert Fisch, Brittany Jemmoua, Dallin Parker, and pre-medical student Erin Lovell earned first place at the Nevada Academy of Family Physicians (NAFP) Winter Conference poster competition for their project, “Projection and Analysis of Physician Rates in Patient Care Per State from 2020 through 2050,” which was later published in the NAFP Journal.
“Our focus was on projecting all 50 states’ physician rate per capita data to visualize which states have worked toward correcting the physician shortage and which are falling behind,” Collins explained. The team’s research highlights trends in rural western states — such as Nevada, Utah, Idaho and Montana — and underscores the need for expanded residency programs to help retain young physicians. “For example,” Collins said, “if a medical student wanted to pursue any kind of surgical specialty, they must leave Northern Nevada and seek residency either in Las Vegas or a different state. We hope to secure future funding to help address that issue.”
As a student in the Health Policy and Advocacy Scholarly Concentration, Collins has been particularly focused on physician workforce issues. “One of the major issues we advocate for is ensuring there are enough residency spots to maintain our levels of physician practice in the state and to keep medical students we train local,” he said. “We recognized that most doctors typically choose to stay and practice where they train for residency, and Nevada is particularly good at keeping physicians that we train for both medical school and residency.”
Collins also credited UNR Med for sparking the project. “Our research initially began as a project in our statistics class taught by Dr. Westhoff,” he said. “Without that class, it likely wouldn’t have evolved into the idea for this current research, which we hope to publish soon with contributions from some of our newer team members.”
Exploring maternal well-being through sleep
Third-year medical student Michelle Irish recently earned top recognition for her project “Sleep Quality Improvement and Postpartum Outcomes,” which was selected as the top student submission from District VIII for the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists (ACOG) annual meeting.
Her research, mentored by James Alexander, M.D., chair of obstetrics and gynecology, examines how postpartum sleep hygiene affects outcomes such as sleep quality, depression risk, pain levels, and breastfeeding success. “Improved sleep for hospitalized patients has been linked to better outcomes,” Irish explained. “However, there is limited research on patients admitted to postpartum units.”
Irish’s inspiration for the project came from her own experience. “I was inspired to pursue this project after experiencing firsthand how difficult it can be to sleep in the hospital,” she said. “This experience, combined with my interest in obstetrics, drew me to the postpartum population. I wanted to explore how improving sleep during this critical period could support both physical recovery and emotional well-being. By testing interventions that promote restful sleep for postpartum patients, I hope to help establish a foundation for maternal recovery, emotional stability, and successful adaptation to the demands of newborn care.”
She also credits UNR Med for providing guidance throughout the research process. “UNR Med has been invaluable in helping me navigate the IRB process, connecting me with biostatisticians and data analysts, and ensuring compliance with human subjects' regulations,” Irish said.
Advancing artificial intelligence in orthopedic research
For first-year medical student D’Mar Moore, research has meant bridging medicine and technology. His work, “A CNN Autoencoder for Learning Latent Disc Geometry from Segmented Lumbar Spine MRI,” was published in the Annals of Biomedical Engineering and presented at the Orthopedic Research Society Annual Meeting earlier this year.
“This project really lands at a cross-section of two fields of research I am very interested in — orthopedics and artificial intelligence,” Moore said. Working with a team at Rush University Medical Center in Chicago, he developed a convolutional neural network model to better understand lumbar disc geometry and pathology, helping improve predictions of disc narrowing — one of the key indicators in low back pain.
“When seeking this opportunity to do research, I first contacted Dr. Westhoff, our assistant dean of student research,” Moore shared. “He gave me tips on finding mentors and understanding the research process. When I was offered the opportunity, Dr. Westhoff strongly encouraged me to take it — and it led to my first publication!”
Discovering the power of fiber
First-year medical student Vera Vaz earned top honors at the American College of Physicians (ACP) Northern Regional Medical Student Abstract Competition for her project “Effects of Cactus Pear Pectin on the Bioactivity of Human Gut Microbiomes.” Vaz went on to win second place at the ACP Nevada State Competition in Las Vegas.
Her research, mentored by John Cushman, Ph.D., and Steven Frese, Ph.D., explores how cactus pear pectin could serve as a novel dietary fiber source. “Only about five percent of Americans reach the recommended dietary allowance for fiber intake,” Vaz said. “Creating a potential fiber supplement using cactus pear pectin could help address this issue.”
Originally her senior undergraduate thesis project at the University of Nevada, Reno, Vaz credits UNR Med for encouraging her to continue. “UNR Med supported my involvement in research by notifying me of the opportunity to present at the ACP conference, which I otherwise wouldn’t have heard about as a first-year student.”
Investigating cancer genetics and health equity
Second-year medical student Jesica Godinez Paredes earned second place at the Nevada State Medical Association poster competition for her research on “Germline Pathogenic Variants Associated with Triple-Negative Breast Cancer in U.S. Hispanic and Guatemalan Women.” Conducted in collaboration with the National Cancer Institute, the study identified recurrent pathogenic variants and underscored the need for inclusive genetic research.
“I pursued this project to better understand the genetic factors underlying cancer health disparities in underrepresented populations,” Godinez Paredes said. “This experience deepened my commitment to advancing cancer genetics and reinforced the importance of translating scientific discoveries into accessible, patient-centered solutions.”
She highlighted the role of mentorship at UNR Med: “Faculty such as Dr. Westhoff cultivate curiosity and provide mentorship that help students grow as both clinicians and investigators. This support has enabled me to pursue research that advances science and promotes social responsibility.”
Uncovering the forensic impacts of “non-lethal” projectiles
Second-year medical students Brennan Pott and Devan Glensor collaborated with the Washoe County Regional Medical Examiner’s Office on their project, “Fatal Traumatic Brain Injury with Traumatic Axonal Injury from a Non-Penetrating Rubber Bullet: A Forensic Case Report.” Their work earned “Best Clinical Poster” at Renown’s 3rd Annual Neuroscience Symposium and was accepted for presentation at the National Association of Medical Examiners (NAME) national conference.
“This case highlights the forensic significance of kinetic impact projectiles as a mechanism for severe neurotrauma,” Pott explained. “Given the increasing use of rubber bullets in correctional and crowd-control settings, this report contributes to the growing body of forensic literature documenting their potential lethality. As someone who initially knew some about neurotrauma and very little about forensic pathology, this project was a great way to be immersed in these interesting fields of research and medicine.”
Glensor shared that her background drew her naturally to this area of study. “Before medical school, I spent seven years working as a forensic autopsy technician, where I developed a strong foundation in postmortem examination and an appreciation for how pathology informs both medicine and justice,” she said. “This case was particularly interesting because it highlights how forensic pathology can serve as a powerful form of patient and community advocacy — translating individual tragedies into data that inform safer practices and public policy.”
Both students credited UNR Med’s culture of mentorship and collaboration for supporting their success. “UNR Med strongly supports student research through a close-knit community of mentors,” Glensor said. “There are numerous faculty and community partners eager to guide projects that make an impact both regionally and beyond.”
Fueling discovery in Nevada and beyond
Across every field, from the lab bench to public health policy, UNR Med students are demonstrating how curiosity, mentorship and collaboration fuel discovery. Through their research, they are not only advancing science but also shaping a healthier future for Nevada and beyond.
“Supporting Dean Hauptman's vision, we've worked to make these research experiences more accessible,” Dr. Westhoff said. “Not because we expect everyone to become a researcher, but because doing research is the best way to learn how to evaluate good science. Even students who never write another abstract after graduation will spend their entire careers reading medical literature and making clinical decisions based on what they read. Research experience prepares them for exactly that. And each year, we're expanding our offerings and increasing our support.”
On November 19, 2025, UNR Med students will showcase their research during the annual Medical Student Research Day. The event features a series of poster and oral presentations highlighting student work across diverse fields, including Clinical and Translational Research, Basic and Mechanistic Science, Public and Community Health, Health Systems, Education and Policy, and Clinical Case Reports and Series.
