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, 43 McNair M.D./Ph.D. Scholars have graduated and 12 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
Xueyin Alice Wen, Ph.D.
10th Year M.D./Ph.D. Student, 4th Year Medical Student, Class of 2026-2027
Massachusetts Institute of Technology, SB, Brain and Cognitive Sciences, 2016
Graduate Program: Genetics and Genomics
Research Interest: Antibiotics stimulate protein transfer to persister cells
Mentor: Christophe Herman, Ph.D.
Christina Magyar
8th Year M.D./Ph.D. Student, 5th Year Graduate Student
Bethel University, BS Nursing, 2009, Magna Cum Laude
Lake Superior State University, BS Biochemistry, 2017, Summa Cum Laude
Graduate Program: Genetics and Genomics
Research Interest: The role of genetic ancestry on childhood acute lymphoblastic leukemia outcomes
Mentor: Philip J. Lupo, Ph.D.
Sarah Waldvogel, Ph.D.
9th Year M.D./Ph.D. Student, 4th Year Medical Student, Class of 2026-2027
Clemson University, BS Biochemistry and Genetics, 2018, Summa Cum Laude
Graduate Program: Cancer and Cell Biology
Research Interest: Investigating cell fate decisions and fitness dynamics in the context of mosaic DNMT3A loss
Mentor: Margaret Goodell, Ph.D.
Malcolm McDonald, Ph.D.
7th Year M.D./Ph.D. Student, 3rd Year Medical Student, Class of 2026-2027
Duke University, BS Neuroscience, 2018, Magna Cum Laude
Graduate Program: Development, Disease Models and Therapeutics
Research Interest: Distinct Modulation of Glioma Growth by Inhibitory Neuronal Activity and T-cell Reprogramming
Mentors: Benjamin Deneen, Ph.D. and Ganesh Rao, M.D.
Karthik Goli
7th Year M.D./Ph.D. Student, 5th Year Graduate Student
Rice University, BS Biochemistry & Cell Biology, BA Kinesiology, 2020, Magna Cum Laude
Graduate Program: Rice University Bioengineering
Research Interest: Multimodal Optical Imaging Using AI
Mentor: Rebecca Richards-Kortum, Ph.D.
Claudia Tischler
7th Year M.D./Ph.D. Student, 5th Year Graduate Student
University of California, Berkeley, BA Cognitive Sciences, 2018, Magna Cum Laude
Graduate Program: Neuroscience
Research Interest: Circuit mechanisms of spike-wave discharges in the Stxbp1 haploinsufficiency mouse model
Mentor: Mingshan Xue, Ph.D.
Jacey Pridgen
6th Year M.D./Ph.D. Student, 4th Year Graduate Student
University of Texas at Austin, B.S. B.A. Honors Biology, 2020, Polymathic Honors Program
Graduate Program: Genetics & Genomics
Research Interest: Cancer: investigating mutant-p53-driven clonal expansion via mosaic models
Mentor: Margaret Goodell, Ph.D.
Colleen Strohlein
6th Year M.D./Ph.D. Student, 4th Year Graduate Student
University of Pittsburgh, B.S. Chemistry, 2021, Summa Cum Laude
Graduate Program: Neuroscience
Research Interest: Genetic interactions in Alzheimer's disease
Mentors: Joshua Shulman, M.D., Ph.D. and Huda Zoghbi, M.D.
Daniel Brock
5th Year M.D./Ph.D. Student, 3rd Year Graduate Student
University of Washington, Seattle, B.S. Biochemistry, Molecular Cellular & Developmental Biology, 2019, Cum Laude
Graduate Program: Genetics & Genomics
Research Interest: Single-Cell Functional Genomics of Neurovascular Dysfunction in Primary Open Angle Glaucoma
Mentor: Benjamin Frankfort, M.D., Ph.D.
Pearl Fernandez
5th Year M.D./Ph.D. Student, 3rd Year Graduate Student
Rice University, BS Chemistry, 2022, Summa Cum Laude
Graduate Program: Chemical, Physical & Structural Biology
Research Interest: Designing Entry-Competent DNA-Encoded Chemical Libraries for Gram-Negative Bacteria
Mentor: Timothy Palzkill, Ph.D.
Joelle Kim
4th Year M.D./Ph.D. Student, 2nd Year Graduate Student
Baylor University, B.S. Science Research Fellows, 2021, Summa Cum Laude
Graduate Program: Development, Disease Models & Therapeutics Graduate Program
Research Interest: Cancer Immunotherapy
Mentor: Valentina Hoyos, M.D.
Corey Pan
4th Year M.D./Ph.D. Student, 2nd Year Graduate Student
Rice University, B.S. Bioengineering, 2021, Summa Cum Laude
Graduate Program: Genetics & Genomics
Research Interest: Cancer Genomics
Mentor: Margaret Goodell, Ph.D.
Learn more about the McNair Medical Institute at Baylor and the support of Robert C. and Janice McNair.