Get to know me

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Hello, my name is Humberto Monsivais, and I am in my last year of the Medical Physics Ph.D. program at Purdue University, School of Health Sciences. My current research is focused on brain multiparametric quantitative MRI (qMRI) techniques to disentangle the MRI contrast of Mn and Fe and develop a whole-brain mapping method to visualize and quantify these metals in the individual brain. I also employ network-based computational neuroscience approaches to understand the propagation of metals in the brain and investigate the role of affected brain regions on health outcomes.

Currently, I am a medical physics fellow in imaging at MD Anderson Cancer Center. My work will focus on assessing structural changes, like cortical thickness and grey matter volume, and understanding how neurotransmitters such as GABA and glutamate influence neuronal connectivity in substance use disorders (SUDs). This research aims to shed light on the underlying neurobiology and support the development of more effective treatments.

Where I come from

I grew up in a small rural community in Mexico, where most people worked as farmers. The highest aspiration one could have was to take over the family's land or work at a factory in the city. Obtaining an education just was not the norm. My father, fettered to his father's land, only completed elementary school. My mother decided to stop after middle school to support her youngest sister's goal to become an accountant. Yet, our parents tried their best to provide us with as many resources as possible to ensure their children had a better life.

For this reason, my parents made many sacrifices for their five sons to move to the US as permanent residents. My dad was one of the lucky individuals who received amnesty through The Immigration Reform and Control Act of 1986. This was right around the time he met my mom, so he did not return to the US for many years until he realized that there was no future for his family back where we lived. My parents decided to start applying for our residency while my dad worked in the US. This meant I only saw my dad six times a year while my mom raised us alone. As a kid, it never occurred to me that we would eventually leave our hometown and move to a different country. Many other families had similar situations, but my parents always told us that ours was different. Ultimately, my dad became a US citizen, which sped up the process tremendously. In the summer of 2008, we said goodbye to our friends and family and moved to Crockett, TX. The move profoundly affected our lives. I felt lost for a while and faced many challenges along the way, but these experiences have shaped me into who I am today.

Moving to ThE U.S.

I entered high school in the 10th grade without knowing English. Although this limited me in every aspect of school, my resolve to succeed allowed me to gain enough proficiency in the language to graduate with honors and attend a local state college eventually. Even though I was accomplishing my goals, I was always unsure of how best to do it. Many of the things that my peers took for granted, such as why GPA and SAT scores were important or why taking AP courses was a good thing, I had to learn on my own and ultimately learned too late. As the first member of my family to graduate high school and enter college, I had no one to guide me along the process. Our school district was poor, and not many teachers/counselors were eager to help the kid who barely spoke English and whose ambitions were just "unrealistic." However, I did have a few teachers who always believed in me and pushed me to pursue my dreams. At the same time, I had no idea what my dreams were. Everything was so new to me and it was difficult for me to grasp all of the opportunities at my reach.

College and Professional Career

When I entered college, I became aware of how much behind I was compared to the students in my program. I could not take calculus my first semester because my math SAT score was too low, so I had to take a few prerequisites before I started taking physics courses. Thus, I was set behind by a year, but this did not shine me away from constantly striving to do my best. During my second year of college, I joined a Latin-based fraternity, became a math tutor, and truly started my path to becoming a physicist. However, once again, I did not know what to do next. What could I do with a physics degree? I realized I was so focused on passing my classes and graduating that I never considered the next steps. In the end, I graduated Cum Laude and moved back with my parents. I worked as a restaurant manager for six months while applying for jobs in the major cities. Eventually, I secured a position as a medical physicist assistant at UT MD Anderson Cancer Center in Houston, TX. This is where I fell in love with the field of medical physics and medical imaging. As a result, I enrolled in Purdue's medical physics graduate program in 2019. I received my Master's in MP in Spring 2021 and continued to earn my PhD in May 2024.

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