Liam M. Guthrie
Biography
Graduate Program
MD/PhD Program
Entrance Year
2010 (Graduation May 2022)
Previous Degrees
BS Science Midwestern State University 2010
What are you career goals?
My career goals include becoming a board-certified psychiatrist. I am interested in Child and Adolescent Psychiatry as well as clinical/translational research. The experience I gained working in a drug develop/structural biology lab under Dr. James Sacchettini enabled me to better understand the pharmaceutical industry and drug development pipeline leading from initial steps through preclinical trials. The graduate program supported me in my career pursuits by providing ample research, mentorship, and networking opportunities to develop and advance my professional ambitions. To date, my greatest accomplishment is my publication in Science pertaining to a potential copper therapy for Menkes disease.
When I am not in the lab/classroom, I am planning future road trips. I enjoy driving and have road tripped through 45 states and 6 Canadian provinces.
Lab
Dr. James Sacchettini
Research Focus
Brain, Genetics, and Neurological Disorders
Describe your research project
Menkes disease is an X-linked infantile fatal genetic disorder related to abnormal copper transport within cells and tissues. In the brain, copper deficiency impairs energy production resulting in degeneration and death before 3 years of age in affected boys. The aims of my project were to evaluate the efficacy of a novel copper replacement therapy that bypasses the defective copper transporter, ATP7A, using a small molecule, elesclomol, in a mouse model of Menkes disease. The results of four years of animal trials indicate elesclomol therapy holds promise as a future therapeutic option for treatment of Menkes disease which currently has no FDA-approved treatment.
Why did you choose the School of Medicine at Texas A&M?
I chose Texas A&M School of Medicine because I was interested in drug discovery/development and structural biology. A&M has amazing core facilities and numerous opportunities to pursue structural biology-related research with an emphasis on translational applications and commercialization.
School of Medicine and its relationship with Baylor Scott & White, a system I plan to pursue a residency position with, was another important factor.
What experiences in our graduate program have made you grow as a scientist?
Opportunities to participate in student government through TAMHSC, state advocacy through CSAC/TMA, and numerous local and national conferences have contributed to my growth as a scientist.
Excellent curriculum and faculty in both medical and graduate school prepared me for research by providing an essential foundation of knowledge necessary for advancing scientific discovery in my field.