Zak Webber

MS IV
College of Medicine – Tucson
Year Entered Program: 
2021
Degrees Received: 
  • BS Molecular Biology University Honors- Brigham Young University, April 2020
  • PhD Medical Pharmacology - University of Arizona, May 2025
PhD Program: 
Medical Pharmacology
Thesis Advisor: 
Tally Largent-Milnes PhD
Thesis Research: 
Shaping Hearts: Opioids and Congenital Heart Disease
About Me: 
Pubmed: Pubmed
 
I grew up in Payson, Utah. After a two-year ecclesiastical mission in Spain, I attended Brigham Young University-Provo, where I earned my B.S. in Molecular Biology. My honors' thesis was a collaborative work with students in Chinle to investigate the ability of sunflowers to remove uranium from pooled groundwater (1). I also participated in Dr. Marc Hansen's (PhD) laboratory where we validated a new synthesis technique for JAK1 JH2 pseudokinase inhibitors (2). I gained experience in tissue culture, luciferase assays, and drug discovery which I used following graduation as a high-throughput sequencing (HTS) technician for Recursion Pharmaceuticals, and gained experience working in industry.
 
During my PhD training, I worked in the Largent-Milnes/Vanderah lab and connected with various collaborators: Dr. Michael Seckeler from Pediatric Cardiology, Dr. Jonathon Hill at Brigham Young University, and Dr. Aitor Aguirre at Michigan State University. My work demonstrated an association between opioid exposure and altered cardiac differentiation, as well as increased incidence of conotruncal congenital heart defects (3). I also found historical evidence supporting a link between opioid exposure and congenital heart disease (4). 
 
I am pursuing a career in interventional radiology, where I aim to integrate image-guided procedures to provide innovative therapeutic solutions to patients in need. My clinical training is complemented by extensive involvement in mentorship, leadership in community and academic settings, and fluency in medical Spanish. I believe excellence is integral to providing compassionate patient care. 
 
Outside of medicine, I love spending time outdoors with my family, trail running, and making homemade ice cream.
 
Honors & Awards: 
  • Peer Mentoring Fellowship Award, 2025, College of Medicine- Tucson, Tucson, Arizona.
  • Graduate & Professional Student Council Travel Grant- Spring 2025, University of Arizona, Tucson, Arizona.
  • Yamamurah Travel Grant- Spring 2024, Department of Pharmacology, Tucson, Arizona.
  • American Society Adiction Medicine Conference Scholarship, Department of Psychiatry, Tucson, Arizona.
  • College Undergraduate Research Award 2019, 2020, Brigham Young University, Provo, Utah.
  • Undergraduate Mentored Learning Scholar 2019, Brigham Young University, Provo, Utah.
  • Hearts & Hands Award, 2019, Office of the Lieutenant Governor, Salt Lake City, Utah.
Licenses & Certifications:
 
  • Medical Spanish Language Certification – ALTA Language Services, 2025
  • Spanish Bilingual-Certified Healthcare Professional – Banner Healthcare, 2025
  • Basic Life Support – Aug 2025
  • Advanced Cardiovascular Life Support – Aug 2025
  • United States Licensing Examination Step 1:  Pass – Feb 2023
  • Medical College Admissions Test: 514 (94th percentile) – Sep 2019

Leadership Experience: 

  • Student Reserve Committe, Society of Interventional Radiology, 2026-Present
  • Co-president, Radiology Interest Group, 2021-2022
  • Honor Code Committee Co-Chair, 2021-Present
  • Recruitment Committee, Medical Scientist Training Program, 2023-2024
  • College of Medicine Representative, Graduate Professional Student Council, 2023-2024
  • Admission Screener/Interviewer, College of Medicine-Tucson, 2023-Present
  • President, MEDTEACH, College of Medicine- Tucson, 2021-2022
  • Information Techynology Committee Representative, College of Medicine- Tucson, 2021-2022
  • Multi-Clinic Supplies Coordinator, College of Medicine- Tucson 2021-2022
  • Retreat Committee, Medical Scientist Training Program, 2022
  • Secretary, American Medical Association, Tucson Chapter, 2021-2022
Selected Publications: 
 
Webber Z, Grisham LM, Meziab OZ, Hoyer AW, Barber BJ, Price AM, Klewer SE, Largent-Milnes TM, Seckeler MD. Higher Incidence of Moderate and Severe Congenital Heart Disease in Patients With Neonatal Abstinence Syndrome. Neonatal Netw. 2025 Aug 1;44(4):256-260. doi: 10.1891/NN-2024-0036. PMID: 40816762.
 
Webber ZR, Seckeler MD, Largent-Milnes TM. Neonatal Opioid Withdrawal in History: Revisiting Pioneering Research. Neonatal Netw. 2025 Aug 1;44(4):240-242. doi: 10.1891/NN-2024-0058. PMID: 40816759.
 
Prince, R., Monsen, J., Webber, Z., Olsen, A., Nelson, T., Reeves, C., & Adams, J. (2025). Staying Hydrated - A Comparative Analysis of Humectants in Human Cadaveric Tissue. HAPS Educator, 29(4), 5–13. https://doi.org/10.21692/haps.2025.023.
 
Patel, S.B., Webber, Z., Strah, D.D., Hellinger, R.D., Yrun-Duffy, M., Kowalek, K.A., Seckeler, M.D. Acute Hospital Outcomes for Renal Transplantation in Patients With Moderate or Severe Congenital Heart Disease, The American Journal of Cardiology, Volume 186, 2023, Pages 87-90, ISSN 0002-9149, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.amjcard.2022.10.034. PMID: 36347068
 
Seckeler, M.D., Webber, Z. & Fox, K.A. Using 3D Printed Heart Models for Surgical and Catheterization Planning in Congenital Heart Disease. Curr Treat Options Peds 8, 115–128 (2022). https://doi.org/10.1007/s40746-022-00238-x.
 
Webber, Z. R.., Webber, K. G. I., Rock, T., St. Clair, I., Thompson, C., Groenwald, S., Aanderud, Z., Carling, G. T., Frei, R. J., & Abbott, B. W. (2021). Diné citizen science: Phytoremediation of uranium and arsenic in the Navajo Nation. Science of The Total Environment, 794, 148665. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.scitotenv.2021.148665. PMID: 34218141
 
Singleton, J. D., Dass, R., Neubert, N. R., Smith, R. M., Webber, Z., Hansen, M. D. H., & Peterson, M. A. (2020). Synthesis and biological evaluation of novel pyrazolo[1,5-a]pyrimidines: Discovery of a selective inhibitor of JAK1 JH2 pseudokinase and VPS34. Bioorganic and Medicinal Chemistry Letters, 30(2). https://doi.org/10.1016/j.bmcl.2019.126813. PMID: 31831383