Humberto Monsivais, PhD

Very excited to participate in this symposium. See you all in LA!

I am very excited to announce that I passed my Ph.D. defense! Thank you so much to everyone who attended. I'm beyond grateful for the support from my family, friends, and mentors, who believed in me every step of the way!

The wait time is over, and I am returning home to Texas! I am beyond excited to have matched at @MDAndersonNews #MedPhysMATCH #imaging

My first PhD paper was accepted in NeuroImage!

• Using whole-brain MRI relaxometry and statistical parametric mapping, we developed a novel method for depicting excess manganese (Mn) accumulation in the brain of welders.

• In this cohort of welders, we show that the spatial distribution of excess brain Mn expands beyond the basal ganglia via white matter tracts to brain areas associated with motor and cognitive function.

• Elevated Mn levels were associated with welding fume exposure metrics and lower performance scores in motor tests.

I am so happy to have received my first NOA! This NIEHS F31 will fund me through the last stretch of my PhD. I am extremely grateful to my mentors for their support throughout this process.