He received his BS (1989) and PhD in Biology (2003) at the University of Texas at San Antonio. His research interests include protein purification, structural analysis, and biology activity of pituitary and placental hormones. He is currently investigating the influence of pregnancy and lactation on growth and gene expression patterns of the maternal liver. This system provides an excellent model to understand mechanism(s) of physiological liver growth; results from these studies could provide valuable information about potential ways to modulate liver size in individuals with reduced liver function.