Diversity in Life Sciences

Dr. Nicholas Martinez is a Postdoctoral Fellow in the lab of Dr. Wolfgang Peti, located in the Department of Molecular Biology & Biophysics at the University of Connecticut Health Center. Nicholas investigates serine/threonine phosphatase signaling networks using biochemical, biophysical, and structural approaches. Prior to his career in biomedical research, Nicholas received his B.S. (2009) and M.S. (2012) in education at the University of Kansas and was an elementary school teacher for six years. Inspired by his mom’s passing at an early age from colon cancer, he pursued undergraduate research and coursework in biochemistry, biophysics and structural biology at both the University of Kansas and as an NSF summer research fellow at Brandeis University (2016). Nicholas went on to obtain his Ph.D. in Biochemistry & Biophysics at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill (2022). Under the guidance of Dr. Sharon Campbell, his doctoral thesis work involved using biochemical, biophysical and structural approaches, including ITC, a novel Trp-FRET assay, X-ray crystallography and an in vitro kinase activity assay, to characterize the interactions between two key oncogenic cell signaling proteins, RAS and PI3K. Throughout his career in education, which included additional training in special education and teaching English as a second language, and now as a biomedical scientist, Nicholas has passionately pursued DEI efforts and K-12 outreach opportunities, all while fostering a collaborative and inclusive working environment.