GROSSE POINTE WOODS, MI, October 01, 2026 /24-7PressRelease/ -- Nicholas Blackmond has been recognized for achievement in healthcare quality improvement and free and charitable clinic operations.

Nicholas Blackmond has distinguished himself through work spanning healthcare quality improvement, health services research, cardiovascular and renal physiology, medical education, and the operations of free and charitable clinics. At the Dr. Gary Burnstein Community Health Clinic in Pontiac, Michigan, Blackmond serves as Quality Improvement and Health Services Research Manager, where his work focuses on improving clinical quality, developing organizational policies and systems, evaluating patient and population health outcomes, and examining the impact of care delivered to uninsured and underserved populations.

Mr. Blackmond's work at the clinic has helped support the expansion and evaluation of services for patients who face substantial barriers to health care. His efforts have included developing approaches to quantify the clinical and economic value of free-clinic care, strengthening referral and academic partnerships, supporting quality and safety initiatives, and conducting research examining outcomes among patients with chronic diseases such as hypertension and diabetes. His experiences working directly with underserved patients have reinforced a professional philosophy centered on equitable access to health care and the broader social circumstances that influence health.

Alongside his work in community health, Mr. Blackmond is pursuing a Doctor of Philosophy in Kinesiology at Wayne State University, where his research focuses on cardio-renal-metabolic physiology. His research interests include diabetes, hypertension, chronic kidney disease, endothelial dysfunction, vascular biology, biomarker discovery, and clinical outcomes research.

His doctoral dissertation investigates complement-mediated endothelial dysfunction in diabetic kidney disease, with particular emphasis on complement factor H-related protein 2 (CFHR2). His research evaluates circulating and urinary CFHR2 as potential biomarkers associated with vascular dysfunction and diabetic kidney disease phenotypes, with the broader goal of improving early disease detection, risk stratification, and understanding of the mechanisms linking metabolic, cardiovascular, and renal disease.

Mr. Blackmond conducts his doctoral training in the laboratory of Dr. Rogerio Nogueira Soares at Wayne State University, where he serves as a Predoctoral Graduate Research and Teaching Assistant. His academic interests increasingly bridge mechanistic physiology with translational and clinical research, particularly questions relevant to diabetes and kidney disease.

Medical and scientific education have also become significant components of Mr. Blackmond's academic career. At Wayne State University School of Medicine, he serves as a facilitator in the second-year medical curriculum's nephrology block and previously served as a teaching assistant in Basic Endocrinology and as a physiology coach. He also supervises Exercise and Sports Science interns and participates in research mentorship involving medical students.

Mr. Blackmond's path to academic research developed through an interdisciplinary clinical and research background. Before beginning his doctoral training, he earned a Master of Science in Physiology from Wayne State University School of Medicine in 2024 and a Bachelor of Science in Exercise and Sports Science from Wayne State University in 2022. He is also completing a concurrent Graduate Bridge Certificate in Public Health through Wayne State University, expanding his training in population health and epidemiologic approaches that complement his physiologic and clinical research.

His earlier research experience included work as a clinical research assistant in the Department of Orthopaedic Surgery at Henry Ford Health. He also gained clinical experience in urgent care and medical documentation before increasingly concentrating his career on research, education, and health services improvement.

Mr. Blackmond's military service played a foundational role in his development as a healthcare professional. He served as a Hospital Corpsman in the United States Navy, where his responsibilities included providing medical support to Marines and gaining experience in clinical environments ranging from primary care to trauma medicine. The leadership, clinical responsibility, and adaptability developed during his military service subsequently influenced his approach to patient care, research, and organizational leadership.

His scholarly work spans vascular physiology, community health, student-run clinics, orthopaedics, and clinical case reports. In 2026, Blackmond co-authored "Reactive Hyperemia: Revisiting a Key Vascular Feature of Cardiorespiratory Fitness" in Exercise and Sport Sciences Reviews. His previous peer-reviewed publications include research on the establishment of a gynecology student-run free clinic, medical student experiences with pelvic examinations under anesthesia, outcomes following robotic medial unicompartmental knee arthroplasty, and clinical challenges encountered in free-clinic settings.

Mr. Blackmond also contributes to scientific communication through the American Physiological Society's I Spy Physiology blog, where he has written about topics including vascular responses to stress, hemoglobin A1c and metabolic health, cardiovascular physiology, and the physiology of parenthood.

Beyond his own research, Mr. Blackmond is active in scholarly publishing and research mentorship. He serves as Editor-in-Chief of the Journal of Student-Run Clinics and has held multiple peer-review roles, including reviewing manuscripts for journals affiliated with the American Physiological Society as well as other biomedical and health sciences publications. He also mentors medical students conducting research related to population health, cardiovascular disease, and the role of free clinics in improving health outcomes.

His professional service includes participation in the National Association of Free & Charitable Clinics' Standards Working Committee and Clinical Working Group, as well as service on Wayne State University's Exercise and Sports Science Advisory Board. Through these roles, his work extends beyond individual research projects to questions involving healthcare quality, clinical standards, research mentorship, and the infrastructure needed to provide effective care in resource-limited settings.

Mr. Blackmond was recognized as an Oakland Together 40 Under 40 honoree by Oakland County, Michigan, in 2026 for his leadership and contributions to community health and research.

Mentorship and family support have also been central to his professional development. Mr. Blackmond credits his wife, Natalie, as an important source of support throughout his education and career. He also recognizes the influence of mentors including Mary Lewis, chief executive officer of the Gary Burnstein Community Health Clinic, and Dr. Rogerio Nogueira Soares, his doctoral advisor, along with physicians, scientists, educators, and colleagues who have helped shape his development.

Outside of his professional work, Mr. Blackmond enjoys running, endurance sports, and spending time with his wife and young son.

Looking ahead, Mr. Blackmond plans to pursue an academic career at a school of medicine where he can integrate research, medical education, and mentorship. His long-term research interests center on advancing cardio-renal-metabolic science, particularly the mechanisms connecting diabetes, vascular dysfunction, and kidney disease. He hopes to develop a collaborative research program aligned with the scientific mission of the National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases while contributing to the education and mentorship of future physicians, scientists, and biomedical researchers.

# # #