PACR Faculty
The PACR supports collaborative research projects, outreach initiatives and education programs between scientists and educators in Seattle, Washington and Las Cruces, New Mexico. Faculty at each institution conduct collaborative research projects, and contribute to outreach and education initiatives in NM and WA.
The PACR Team in Seattle, Washington
Principal Investigator
Julian Simon, Ph.D.
Dr. Simon researches the development of small molecules as mechanistic probes for cellular processes and as potential lead compounds for the development of therapeutic agents.
Co-investigators
Heather Greenlee, N.D., Ph.D., MPH
Project Lead
Jaimee Heffner, Ph.D.
Project Lead
Vida Henderson, Ph.D.
Project Co-Investigator
Johanna Lampe, Ph.D., R.D.
Project Co-Investigator
Jean McDougall, Ph.D.
Outreach Core Co-Investigator
Allison Meisner, Ph.D.
Core Co-Investigator
Jason Mendoza, M.D., MPH
Project Lead
India Ornelas, Ph.D.
REACH Core Co-Investigator
Karen Peterson, Ph.D.
Core Lead
Lucas Sullivan, Ph.D.
Project Lead
Program Staff
The PACR Team in Las Cruces, New Mexico
As the state’s land grant institution, New Mexico State University has a presence in every county in the state through its branch campuses and Extension Service, allowing much of New Mexico’s population access to educational opportunities. NMSU’s main campus is located in Dona Ana County, which has a 65% Hispanic population.
With 62% minority enrollment, the NMSU undergraduate program is a minority-majority institution. Further, NMSU is the only Doctoral/Research University-Extensive ranked by the National Science Foundation with significant representation of both Hispanic and Native American students.
Principal Investigator
Graciela Unguez, Ph.D.
Dr. Unguez’s research interests focus on the mechanisms responsible for the formation, plasticity, and regeneration of different components of neuromuscular and other electromotor circuits in adult vertebrates. Her lab uses electric fishes to study how the skeletal muscle program is modified to become the electric organ, that is, a non-contractile tissue specialized to generate electricity, and determine the role played by the nervous system in the differentiation of electrogenic cell types.
Co-investigators
Ivette Guzman, Ph.D.
Project Lead
Soyoung Jeon, Ph.D.
Project Lead
Dejan Magoc, Ph.D.
Project Lead
Merranda Marin, Ph.D.
Outreach Co-Investigator
Karen Plawecki, Ph.D.
Project Co-Investigator
Mary Alice Scott, Ph.D.
REACH Core lead
Michèle Shuster, Ph.D.
SuCCESS Core Lead
LaJoy Spears, Ph.D.
Project Co-Investigator
Lois Stanford, Ph.D.
Project Co-Investigator
Tamara Stimatze, Ph.D.
Project & Core Lead