Justin grew up in Reno, Nevada, after spending the first three years of his life in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. He later moved to Durham, North Carolina, where he earned his Bachelor of Science in Biology from Duke University. During his undergraduate years, he researched diseases such as ALS, Duchenne muscular dystrophy, and spinocerebellar ataxia. A brief internship at Ionis Pharmaceuticals further fueled his passion for translational research, inspiring him to pursue a career that combines individual patient care with laboratory research.
Justin spent a year at the Neurological Research Institute studying aging and neurodegenerative diseases before joining the Medical Scientist Training Program (M.D./Ph.D.) at Baylor College of Medicine in 2022. He recently began his Ph.D. training in the Genetics & Genomics Graduate Program and plans to focus on resilience and regeneration of vital organs during aging. Using computational tools and bioinformatics, Justin aims to understand the mechanisms behind aging and regeneration.
Outside the lab, Justin is an avid soccer fan and player. He also enjoys running in Houston’s parks, reading, cooking new recipes, and exploring the city’s vibrant bar and restaurant scene.
Justin is honored to join the BRASS community, where he looks forward to contributing to innovative research, growing as a scientist, and forming new friendships in the Houston community.
Matt grew up in Florham Park, NJ. As the youngest of four multilingual boys, Matt became fascinated by how people communicate. His interest in languages led him to The College of Wooster, where he studied Communications Sciences and Disorders and Spanish. After graduation, Matt joined The Hearing and Balance Center at Johns Hopkins University as a vestibular technician and clinical researcher. Motivated by seeing the debilitating effects of vestibular diseases, he joined a basic neuroscience lab to understand how sensory disorders impact brain circuitry. He then completed a post-baccalaureate premedical program at The University of Virginia to finish the prerequisite science courses and decided to pursue a career as a physician-scientist.
Matt joined the Medical Scientist Training Program (M.D./Ph.D.) at Baylor College of Medicine. After the initial first two years of medical training and an internship at NASA’s Human Health and Performance Laboratory, Matt started his Ph.D., joining the Neuroscience Graduate Program. He aspires to use modern neuroscience techniques to advance our understanding and treatment of neuropsychiatric diseases to address the urgent need for more effective mental health care.
Matt enjoys spending time with his partner, friends, and family outside school and exploring Houston’s restaurants and coffee shops. Like many transplanted New Jerseyans, he continues to search for the best pizza and bagels in town. He also likes to exercise and play soccer, although his collegiate career has long since ended.
Matt looks forward to joining the BRASS family and engaging with scholars, donors, and the greater Houston community.
Nicholas was born and raised in Keller, TX. After high school, he was recruited to play baseball at Columbia University in New York City. He played Division I baseball for 2 years before beginning his scientific career in research. Nicholas’ first research experience was in a cancer biology lab using various techniques to study the mechanisms of how cells die. He worked in this area for 2 years until he graduated in 2020 with a BA in biochemistry and honors in biological sciences. After graduating, Nicholas worked for 2 years in Frederick, MD at the National Cancer Institute in the Chemical Biology Laboratory. Here, he continued to develop his passion for cancer research and clinical investigation.
Nicholas came to Baylor in 2022 when he joined the Medical Scientist Training Program (M.D./Ph.D.). After completing 2 years of medical training, he began his Ph.D. in the Development, Disease Models & Therapeutics (DDMT) graduate program. Here, he is interested in understanding the origin and development of pediatric cancers and using this knowledge to inform new treatment strategies.
Outside of the lab, Nicholas enjoys completing DIY home improvement projects with his partner as well as fostering dogs. Since moving to Houston, Nicholas and his partner have short- and long-term fostered 3 dogs. He also enjoys baking, and he has set out to master the art of the New York bagel.
Brandi Small was raised in Morrisville, VT. She later moved to Daytona Beach, FL where she completed her undergraduate degree in Aerospace Physiology. Her interest in science and space was sparked when she was younger watching Star Trek with her father, and later added a focus studying cancer research after her brother was diagnosed with leukemia.
She began her research career during her undergraduate training where she studied the gene regulation, growth pattern, and biofilm formation changes that occurred in bacteria exposed to simulated microgravity environments. She then went on to work for a year at Duke University in Durham, NC in the lab of Dr. Laura Wingler where she studied the G-protein coupled receptors AT1R, CCR7, and CCR2A. Brandi then decided to join Baylor College of Medicine in the Cancer and Cell Biology (CCB) Ph.D. program. She hopes to be able to combine her interests in extreme environments and cancer into a single career field and honor her brother by finding better treatment options and prevention methods for cancer.
Outside of the lab, Brandi considers herself a jack of all trades, as she loves to be active and play sports, as well as read and embrace her Puerto Rican heritage through cooking and dancing.
Brandi is incredibly grateful for the opportunity to join BRASS and cannot wait to give back to her newfound community.
