Trainee Perspectives

Doug Bennion

As a developing researcher, second year medical student Douglas Bennion has enjoyed exposure to both basic and human clinical projects.  He is committed to finding research projects that are both basic and translational in nature, particularly within the field of Neuroscience.  To him, the most inspiring projects are those that seek to answer a fundamental mechanistic question as it relates to disease pathology with the specific intention of using the discovery to support or disprove the efficacy of a specific therapy, intervention, or pharmaceutical, whether experimental or established.  He also looks forward to the integration of genetic therapy techniques into many more areas of medical practice, as supported by translational research of the caliber that he intends to be part of producing.

Stephen Chrzanowski

Stephen is a second year MD-PhD student at the University of Florida and a graduate of the University of Cincinnati where he obtained a BS in Biomedical Engineering.  During his undergraduate, Stephen conducted research under Dr. Christy Holland in the UC Ultrasound Research lab, studying localized drug delivery properties in echogenic liposomes.  Also, during his undergraduate, he executed research at the University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston in the Cardiology Lab under the supervision of Drs. Shaoling Huang and David McPherson.  While at UTHSC-H, Stephen studied vasodilation and anti-hyperplasic properties of ultrasound triggered Nitric Oxide delivery from echogenic liposomes to local vascular endothelium.  Lastly, he has conducted an array of research in the arenas of traumatic brain injury, real time monitoring of intracerebral hemorrhage, and skin lesion quantification in the Emergency Department at the University Hospital (Cincinnati, OH) under the supervision of Dr. Chip Shaw.  Currently, Stephen plans to conduct his PhD training under the mentorship of Dr. Krista Vandenborne studying different therapeutic approaches to treating Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy.

Michael Guo

Michael Guo is a second year medical school student in the MD-PhD program at the University of Florida.  He attended the University of Michigan for his undergraduate, where he graduated with High Distinction, obtaining a BBA in Business Administration and a BS in Cellular and Molecular Biology.  As an undergraduate, he worked with Dr. John Moran to study the molecular mechanisms of LINE-1 retrotransposons in the human genome. His primary research interests lie in studying the molecular and genetic basis of complex diseases. As an aspiring physician-scientist, he hopes to utilize a variety of approaches—basic molecular biology, genomic, epidemiological, etc—to enhance our understanding of the etiology of these complex diseases to identify therapeutic and screening targets.

Martin Wegman

Martin Wegman, a second year medical student, is a summa cum laude graduate from the University of Rochester with a degree in biomedical engineering. Prior to enrolling in the College of Medicine’s MD-PhD program, Martin completed a research fellowship in Cape Town, South Africa where he studied the ethical issues related to vulnerable subject enrollment and investigated mother-infant HIV transmission. In addition, he led a team in the development of a socially appropriate diabetes education program which has been implemented in 40 township community centers across South Africa. At the University of Rochester, Martin also conducted research on modeling red cell membrane elasticity in disease and participated in the planning of traumatic brain injury clinical trials. Currently at the University of Florida, he has completed his first year of medical school and plans to pursue graduate work in public health with particular focus on the underserved.