Kaiser Permanente Bernard J. Tyson School of Medicine (KPSOM) is celebrating a historic milestone as Mackenzie “Mac” Thurston, PhD, became the school's first MD-PhD student to successfully defend a doctoral dissertation at the California Institute of Technology (Caltech).
Thurston defended their dissertation, Characterizing the Neural Populations of the Cortical Grasping Network in Tetraplegic Humans, on July 21, 2026, marking a significant achievement in both their academic journey and the evolution of KPSOM's physician-scientist training pathway. Thurston originally came to KPSOM in 2020 as a member of the school's inaugural class; after the first two years of medical school, they spent the next four years at Caltech. Following the defense, Thurston is returning to KPSOM this fall to complete the final two years of medical school training. They are projected to complete the MD degree part of the program and be eligible for graduation in 2028.
"Being the first MD-PhD student to make it to this stage feels surreal and amazing," Thurston said. " It's been a hard journey as there was not a clear path laid by those who had come before. I built a strong, supportive community, and I feel honored to get to be that for other students. I'm really excited to transition back to medical school, keep laying that foundation for the next generation, and hit the next milestone. "
The accomplishment represents an important moment for KPSOM and its partnership with Caltech through the schools' joint MD-PhD program. The dual-degree program prepares future physician-scientists by combining medical education at KPSOM with advanced research training at Caltech. Students complete their foundational medical school coursework at KPSOM, conduct doctoral research in Caltech laboratories, continue developing their clinical skills through Kaiser Permanente, and then return to KPSOM to complete their MD studies. Graduates are prepared to bridge scientific discovery and patient care while advancing solutions to complex health challenges.
Thurston conducted doctoral research at Caltech focused on understanding how the brain controls grasping movements in people with tetraplegia. Their work explored the neural populations involved in the cortical grasping network, contributing to a growing body of research aimed at better understanding motor function and laying the foundation for potential advances in neurotechnology and rehabilitation.
The dissertation was completed under the mentorship of renowned neuroscientist Richard Andersen, PhD, and was evaluated by a committee that included Dean Mobbs, PhD, Ueli Rutishauser, PhD, and Henry Lester, PhD. The successful defense culminated years of intensive research, data analysis, and scientific collaboration.
For KPSOM leaders, the achievement highlights the promise of the school's physician-scientist training model and the opportunities available through the Caltech partnership.
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