Dom is currently working towards his PhD in Medical Neuroscience in Indianapolis. His research interests surround using genetic screening approaches to investigate modifiers of tau-aggregate driven neurodegeneration. He serves as a board member of IUSM’s chapter of the Society for Advancement of Chicanos & Native Americans in Science (SACNAS) and is a member of the American Indian Science and Engineering Society’s ‘Lighting the Pathway to Faculty Careers for Natives in STEM.’

While at the University of Notre Dame, Dom worked part-time for the Office of Multicultural Student Programs and Services (MSPS). As an intern for 6 semesters, Dom worked as an intern for the office for 10 hours per week. His responsibilities included working the reception desk, helping organize student activities, and maintaining connections with several Notre Dame Alumni Groups (Black Alumni, Native American Alumni, AAPI Alumni, Hispanic Alumni). Dom also helped facilitate events for the Building Bridges Mentorship Program, an initiative of MSPS aimed at serving underrepresented students wanting to get involved in undergraduate research. His time at MSPS was his first experience with Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) work and inspired him to want to be a role model for other Indigenous students pursuing careers in academia.

Previously, Dom graduated from the University of Notre Dame with a bachelor’s degree in Neuroscience & Behavior. His work in the laboratory of Giles Duffield and in collaboration with the University’s Environmental Research Centers (Upper Peninsula, MI & Nation Bison Range, MT) investigated the physiological factors that effect rhythmic behaviors. Studying circadian and seasonal rhythms in Anopheles gambiae and Peromyscus maniculatus allowed him to gain an appreciation for how genetics and environmental effects can drive behaviors that ultimately affect human health.