Recent PhD Graduate Cuauhtemoc (Temoc) Ramirez Blends Metabolic Research and Mentorship

Postdoctoral fellow Cuauhtemoc (Temoc) Ramirez, PhD, starts his research career driven by the impact of metabolic diseases in his own family and mentoring students as he was once mentored.

When Cuauhtemoc (Temoc) Ramirez, PhD, first went to college, he dreamed of becoming a doctor. His goal stemmed in part from a desire to help the cancer survivors he met while volunteering as a high school student at the American Cancer Society’s Relay for Life fundraising walkathon.

“It’s a really powerful event,” says Ramirez. “I met so many people impacted by cancer, which encouraged me to want to become a medical doctor.”

That was before he took a course at Glendale Community College (GCC) designed to introduce students to research. “I didn’t yet know the other half of it,” says Ramirez, referring to the medical discovery side of healthcare. “I didn’t know research was a career!”

Not quite a decade after taking that introductory GCC course, Ramirez is now a PhD graduate of the UC Irvine School of Medicine, advancing healthcare through groundbreaking research into metabolic diseases.

The Power of Academic Research

The GCC course was eye-opening for Ramirez, introducing him to impactful research in microbiology. In fact, the study he worked on at GCC resulted in a paper related to flagellar gene expression, published in the Journal of Bacteriology.

“It was so much fun working in the lab, and I had such great mentors,” says Ramirez. “That’s when I figured out that I wanted to do research.”

He later transferred to UC Irvine, after falling in love with the campus while participating in a paid summer internship offered through its Minority Science Program. Ramirez conducted research in the School of Biological Sciences, working with Professor and Chancellor’s Fellow Aimee Edinger. “It was fantastic,” he says, again crediting the strong mentorship he received for nurturing his continued interest in academic research.

Ramirez went on to earn his bachelor’s degree in biology and master’s degree in biomedical sciences. “I did a lot of cancer research and cell biology research as an undergraduate, but then I learned what interested me more was studying diseases impacting my family,” he says. His paternal grandfather passed away from liver disease, while his maternal grandfather died from heart disease and diabetes.

“A lot of these metabolic diseases disproportionately impact Latino families,” he explains. “I wanted to get involved in understanding ways to advance healthcare in terms of addressing metabolic diseases, like fatty liver disease and diabetes and even cancer on a broader scale.”

Ramirez’s work in the Lee and Jang Labs — led by his doctoral advisors, Gina Lee, PhD, and Cholsoon Jang, PhD — is already having an impact, providing critical insights into the role of genetics in liver disease.

Advancing Metabolic Health

In January, Ramirez received the Fletcher Jones Fellowship, awarded to outstanding doctoral students, and in June, he completed his five-year PhD journey.

“The main focus for my dissertation was studying how the intestines can protect the liver from fructose-induced liver disease,” he says. “Turns out, if you won the genetic lottery, your intestines will efficiently break down sugar before it reaches your liver.” However, in others, the liver largely stores sugar as fat, which leads to fatty liver disease.

“Genetics plays a big role in how your body processes fructose, and that might be true for other dietary nutrients,” he says.

The findings appear in a paper published in Cell Metabolism, outlining how genetics can protect the liver from fructose-induced MASLD (metabolic-dysfunction-associated steatotic liver disease). The work reveals a potential biomarker — glycerate — which could help identify individuals resistant to this condition. It could also lead to fructose tolerance tests and glycerate measurements that predict an individual’s susceptibility to fructose-induced liver disease.

Through this study, Ramirez gained expertise in leveraging state-of-the-art bioanalytical tools, such as liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry (LC-MS). “We collect different blood or tissue samples, and we process them to extract and identify metabolites in the samples,” he says. The LC-MS system enables researchers to analyze thousands of metabolites at once, providing a global view of how the metabolism changes in response to disease-causing diets, such as high-fat or high-fructose diets.

Now Ramirez is investigating how amino acids are used and distributed in TSC kidney tumors, a rare hereditary tumor syndrome, with the goal of identifying potential therapeutic targets for TSC patients.

“I’m continuing to work in the Jang Lab as a postdoctoral fellow, because I want to finish up that project while considering my options,” he says. “I definitely want to stay in the research realm, but I’m exploring the industry side of things.”

Prioritizing Collaboration & Mentorship

Ramirez is looking to explore the biotech industry and how it might complement his academic discoveries. “A huge part of why I love UC Irvine is because it’s so collaborative,” he says. “I accomplished so much because of opportunities to connect with researchers in interdisciplinary fields.”

He hopes to foster new collaborations between academia and industry, given the importance of emerging bioanalytical technology.

He also hopes to continue supporting the next generation of scientists. “My educational journey was sparked by initiatives that bring people like me into STEM,” says Ramirez. “I had a lot to offer; I just didn’t know these doors were there. Other talented students with limited access to quality education are out there. They just need guidance.”

Ramirez provides that guidance, serving as a mentor to undergraduate students conducting research in university labs. “These programs, some called ‘maximizing student development’ or MSD initiatives, pay top-level students to do research,” he says. “I would not be where I am today if it weren’t for these types of programs, so I pay it forward.”

To anyone hoping to follow in his footsteps, Ramirez emphasizes the need to prioritize physical and mental well-being. “I make it a point to de-stress.” He enjoys surfing, paddle boarding and spending time outdoors with his girlfriend and two dogs. “You have to do things that make you happy.”

For now, Ramirez is happy celebrating all he has accomplished — and his family is celebrating as well. “We recently had a graduation party, and someone put a microphone in my dad’s hand,” he says. “He led a toast, saying how proud he is of me.”

Ramirez credits opportunity, guidance and resilience for his educational success, and he looks forward to realizing his goal of making a lasting impact on healthcare. “I’m excited,” he says. “It’s really exciting being on the other end of it.”

Learn more about the impact of scientific discovery and about inclusive excellence at UC Irvine.