Dustin Snapper,
MD, MS
Research Scientist
Dr. Dustin Snapper is a Research Scientist in the Department of Regenerative and Personalized Medicine. Dustin completed his BS at the University of Maryland, Baltimore County in the biological sciences with a minor in chemistry. He subsequently received his MD from West Virginia University School of Medicine and completed a general surgical internship at Charleston Area Medical Center. He went on to obtain a Master of Science degree in biomedical engineering at Case Western Reserve University.
Dustin has also completed two post-doctoral fellowships, one at the FDA in the Vascular Biology Laboratory and the second at the Uniformed Services University in the Department of Pharmacology. At the FDA, he studied the functional effects of nickel chloride and nickel-titanium (nitinol) nanoparticles, commonly used as a component of vascular stents and metal-on-metal hip implants, on cultured human endothelial cells and macrophages with relevance to biocompatibility. He also determined the in vivo effects of nickel chloride, nickel-titanium, and cobalt- alloy on angiogenesis within silicone bioreactors surgically implanted into mice.
At the Uniformed Services University, he conducted research on the effects of blast-induced traumatic brain injury. He utilized a novel bioengineered 3D brain-like tissue for identifying biomarkers of primary blast-induced traumatic brain injury. He also studied the role of angiotensin-(1-7) in mediating the radio-protective effects of captopril, and performed transcriptomic analysis of mouse brains after traumatic brain injury.
His research has been published in several peer-reviewed journals and has been presented in a number of scientific conferences.
In his spare time, Dustin enjoys hiking, fishing, snowboarding, skydiving, and playing bass guitar.
Honors and Awards:
Dustin has also completed two post-doctoral fellowships, one at the FDA in the Vascular Biology Laboratory and the second at the Uniformed Services University in the Department of Pharmacology. At the FDA, he studied the functional effects of nickel chloride and nickel-titanium (nitinol) nanoparticles, commonly used as a component of vascular stents and metal-on-metal hip implants, on cultured human endothelial cells and macrophages with relevance to biocompatibility. He also determined the in vivo effects of nickel chloride, nickel-titanium, and cobalt- alloy on angiogenesis within silicone bioreactors surgically implanted into mice.
At the Uniformed Services University, he conducted research on the effects of blast-induced traumatic brain injury. He utilized a novel bioengineered 3D brain-like tissue for identifying biomarkers of primary blast-induced traumatic brain injury. He also studied the role of angiotensin-(1-7) in mediating the radio-protective effects of captopril, and performed transcriptomic analysis of mouse brains after traumatic brain injury.
His research has been published in several peer-reviewed journals and has been presented in a number of scientific conferences.
In his spare time, Dustin enjoys hiking, fishing, snowboarding, skydiving, and playing bass guitar.
Honors and Awards:
- 1st place Post-Doctoral Fellow Poster Award, National Capital Area TBI Research Symposium, 2023
- Post-Doctoral Outstanding Poster Award, USU Research Days, 2021
- FDA Group Recognition Award, Essure Stent Post-Market Safety Review Team, 2017
- Case Western Reserve University Scholarship, 2015–2017
- Global Health Travel Award, West Virginia University School of Medicine, 2012–2013
- Mountaineer Medical Scholarship, West Virginia University, 2012–2013