Raquela Thomas, Ph.D
Director
Office of Postdoc Affairs
University of New Mexico
ASERT Postdoctoral Scholar
Division of Molecular Medicine
raqthomas@salud.unm.edu
(505) 277-2501
Education
B.S. – Biology – Northern Arizona University
Ph.D. – Biomedical Sciences – Medical University of South Carolina
Mentor
Eric Bartee, Ph.D.
Dr. Thomas earned her Ph.D. in Biomedical Sciences from the Medical University of South Carolina, where she began her career in cancer research. After a brief stint studying bacteriophages and biowarfare pathogens in industry followed by clinical trials research at UNM Comprehensive Cancer Center, she has resumed her basic and translational cancer studies in the lab of Dr. Michelle Ozbun.
In 2021, Dr. Thomas recognized the need for a Postdoctoral Association (PDA) at UNM and spearheaded the efforts to establish this organization. She served as the UNM PDA President from 2022-2023 and now collaborates closely with this motivated, impressive, effective group of postdocs as the Director of the UNM Office for Postdoctoral Affairs (OPA). In this role, she is working to establish the OPA as a solid mechanism for supporting UNM’s postdoctoral population through initiatives including career development and funding opportunities; creating community; acting as a liaison between postdocs and the administration; and establishing policies; all through a lens of promoting diversity, equity, and inclusion, in support of UNM’s mission for excellence in research.
