As a child, Manuel Ruiz remembers tagging along with his mother as she attended college classes in the evenings to pursue a Psychology degree. The experience planted an intellectual curiosity that still guides his research today.

"My mom didn't have childcare, so she would bring me along and I remember listening to all the different lectures. One of the things that always caught my attention was discussions on the human brain," says Manuel, who will soon earn his doctorate in Biochemistry and Molecular Biology.

Manuel's research investigates how neural cells in the brain are affected by high blood sugar levels, which are commonly seen in individuals who have been diagnosed with Type 2 Diabetes. It's a disease that Ruiz has seen firsthand within his family. Many relatives on his mother's side have been diagnosed with it and his great aunt died from diabetes complications.

"Seeing them navigate this disease had a huge impact on me and it's what led me to want to get into the medical field and research," he says.

Through his study of the model organism C. elegans, Manuel has found that high sugar diets affect the structure of neurons including increasing the presence of axonal degeneration, which breaks down communication between cells in the brain.

Manuel felt UNT was a good fit for accomplishing his research after learning about the work of Pamela Padilla, UNT's vice president for the Division of Research and Innovation, who studies how organisms respond to and survive environmental stress with the goal of better understanding issues like diabetes. Manuel says work in Padilla's lab over the last seven years has been influential for him as a researcher.

"I have received a lot of support here at UNT. I am the scientist I am today because of Dr. Padilla," Manuel says. "She has been an excellent mentor. She's really good at adapting to the needs of her students and nurturing their talents."

Next up in his journey, Manuel will work as a postdoctoral research fellow at Stanford University where he will be able to continue his work on the implications of a high sugar diet on the brain.

"I'm really excited to continue my work on neurodegeneration," Manuel says. "In the future, I want to have my own lab to do research and be able to do my part in training the next generation of scientists."

The College of Science's commencement ceremony will be taking place in the UNT Coliseum at noon on Friday, May 10, 2024.

For more information about UNT Commencement, please visit https://www.unt.edu/commencement/

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