Published September 9, 2026
By Darlene Muguiro
UTEP College of Health Sciences

This fall, the College of Health Sciences (CHS) is welcoming several new faculty members. We are pleased to present our first profile featuring Dr. Nicholas Buoncristiani, assistant professor of Kinesiology.

Dr. Buoncristiani earned his master’s degree in Exercise Physiology from Western Kentucky University and his PhD in Human Movement Science from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.

###

Dr. Nicholas Buoncristiani recalls when he first realized that he wanted to set out on a journey into academia, despite having been originally set on a career in physical education and coaching.

“I was a powerlifter in high school, so I had always been interested in strength and conditioning and how the body responds to exercise,” he said. “Then I took an exercise physiology course as an undergraduate that really sparked my interest in research, and that ultimately led me to pursue my master’s degree in Exercise Physiology.”

While pursuing his master’s degree, Buoncristiani noticed that much of the exercise science literature focused on athletes. When he came across research applying similar exercise science principles to first responders, he saw an opportunity to use what he had learned to address health and performance questions in a real-world occupational setting.

“I felt that I could truly make a difference in this area, so I began looking at who was doing research in the area of first responders and eventually found my advisor at UNC, where I transitioned into my PhD.”  

During his PhD, Buoncristiani developed a research focus on the health, safety and occupational performance of firefighters, with a particular emphasis on firefighters who have experienced cancer. Firefighters face occupational exposures that contribute to cancer risk, and while considerable research has focused on prevention and exposure reduction, Buoncristiani became interested in what happens after a firefighter receives a cancer diagnosis, completes treatment and enters survivorship.

“Thankfully, there’s been a lot of really good research focused on the prevention side, including how to better decontaminate personal protective equipment and how to make stations safer so there’s less exposure and risk for firefighters,” he said. “My work looks at what happens on the other side of that, after a firefighter has gone through a cancer diagnosis and treatment and is getting back to work.”

One focus of Buoncristiani’s doctoral research was cancer-related fatigue, a persistent sense of physical, emotional and/or cognitive exhaustion associated with cancer or its treatment that can interfere with everyday functioning and may not be fully relieved by rest.

As part of his dissertation, Buoncristiani surveyed current and retired firefighters from across the United States who were in cancer remission. His findings indicated that cancer-related fatigue was common in this population, highlighting an important survivorship concern that has received relatively little attention within the fire service.

His dissertation also extended beyond survey research into the laboratory. Buoncristiani examined performance fatigability in firefighters in cancer remission and used measures of neuromuscular and vascular function to begin exploring physiological factors that may contribute to differences in physical performance following cancer treatment.

Together, this work has helped establish the foundation for a broader research program aimed at understanding how cancer and other health challenges may affect firefighters’ ability to remain healthy, physically capable and occupationally ready throughout their careers. Buoncristiani also hopes to identify practical exercise and health strategies that can support firefighters during survivorship and across the career span.

Buoncristiani says his transition from the green, humid climate of North Carolina to the desert climate of El Paso was easier than most might first believe.

“The evenings here are so nice. Even though it’s definitely hotter than North Carolina, I’m not sweating as much with the dry heat,” he said. “I’ve really enjoyed getting to know my local community where I live. Additionally, all of my colleagues at UTEP have been so welcoming.”

Upon first arriving on campus, one of the first things he noticed was the students’ strong connection to their community and their desire to get involved. He says this aligns well with his plans for developing his research program at UTEP.  

“I understand that for these students, giving back is important, and I respect and admire that. My research provides a great opportunity to do that because it doesn’t stop at the laboratory door,” he said. “While we will do some testing in-house at UTEP, we’ll also be focused on going directly to fire stations and other public-safety agencies with portable equipment, so students can get out of the classroom and really be engaged. It also helps them make important connections and network for future job opportunities.”

At UTEP, Buoncristiani plans to build a research program focused broadly on first responder occupational health and performance. In addition to continuing his work in cancer survivorship, he hopes to work directly with local fire departments and other community partners to study physical readiness, occupational health, injury risk and strategies that can help personnel remain healthy and capable throughout their careers.

For Buoncristiani, involving students in that work will be central to the laboratory’s mission. By combining laboratory-based research with field-based assessments and community partnerships, he hopes UTEP students will gain hands-on experience while contributing to research that directly benefits El Paso and the surrounding region.

For more information about Dr. Buoncristiani’s research and laboratory opportunities, please email him at nabuoncristian@utep.edu

###

Go Miners!