Nate was a  lab member from 2014 to 2016 and he continues to collaborate to this day. Nate is a Vitreoretinal Surgeon and Scientific Director of the Vision Research Center at Eye Associates of New Mexico and is an Assistant Professor of Surgery at the University of New Mexico. Nate received his undergraduate degree in Animal Science from New Mexico State University, followed by an M.D., Ph.D. at the University of New Mexico. His doctoral studies focused on gene regulation of vascular endothelial growth factor. He completed a residency in ophthalmology and postdoctoral fellowship at the Jules Stein Eye Institute, UCLA. His postdoctoral studies focused on gene therapies and visual cycle biochemistry.  Nate  completed a Vitreoretinal Fellowship at the University of Iowa Hospitals and Clinics. He remains interested in translational proteomics.