Dr. Murata
is a Professor of Medicine at the University of New Mexico School of
Medicine and Director of the Outcomes Research Program at the New Mexico VA
Health Care System. He has an interest in the outcomes of care for chronic
obstructive pulmonary disease, chronic renal failure, and diabetes and
develops algorithms that predict treatment response from patient
characteristics. Dr. Murata has been independently funded as a health
services researcher for years and has published over 150 scientific
articles. He is the principal investigator for the Diabetes Outcomes in
Veteran Study (DOVES) – a federally-funded, multi-center study of risk
factor control among veterans with type 2 diabetes. His current grant
examines disparities in insulin use among different ethnic groups living in
the American Southwest. Dr. Murata is married and has two daughters – one in
medical school and the other recently graduated from business school. He has
an interest in geology (his college minor) and reads extensively on the
effect of geologic events on human evolution and development of ancient
civilizations. In his spare time, he plays acoustic and bass guitar for a
semi-professional group that plays classic rock at different venues in the
Albuquerque area.