I am currently a professor at the University of Puerto Rico in the School of Medicine, Department of Biochemistry. I am also the director of the Center for Environmental and Toxicological Research at the Medical Sciences Campus. The Center conducts research and investigates environmental and toxicological problems in the island of Puerto Rico. The Center currently investigates the effects of Saharan dust and its role on the exacerbation of asthma in PR. I received my BS degree from the University of Puerto Rico at Río Piedras in the year 1972 and my Ph.D. in Marine Sciences from the UPR at Mayaguez in 1980. I did post-doctoral research in Environmental Toxicology at Oak Ridge National Laboratories (1984–89) and Medical Toxicology at the University of Colorado (1993–95) under the direction of Dr. Philip Guzelian.
I have focused on environmental problems and issues that affect the Puerto Rican population. As an environmental toxicologist I have been studying the possible relationships between respiratory diseases and various constituents of local airborne particulate matter throughout Puerto Rico. We are also interested in the effects of African Dust that cross the Atlantic and impact the island of Puerto Rico. We have been studying these dust storms and characterizing part of the constituents responsible for inducing immunological responses and causing toxicological stress. Other areas of research in molecular toxicology include studying the mechanisms of MHCII genes through the induction of the nuclear receptor of pregnane x receptor (PXR).
Recent Publications:
1. Enrique Fuentes-Mattei, Evasomary Rivera, Adriana Gioda, Diana Sanchez-Rivera, Felix R. Roman-Velazquez, and Braulio D. Jimenez-Velez. Use of human bronchial epithelial cells (BEAS-2B) to study immunological markers resulting from exposure to PM2.5 organic extract from Puerto Rico. Toxicology and Applied Pharmacology 243 (2010) 381-389.
2. Braulio Jiménez-Vélez, Yasmin Detrés, Roy A. Armstrong, and Adriana Gioda. Characterization of African dust (PM2.5) across the Atlantic Ocean during AEROSE 2004. Atmospheric Environ. 43 (2009) 2659-2664.
3. Adriana Gioda, Gilberto Hanke, Augusto Elias, and Braulio Jiménez-Velez. A pilot study to determine mercury levels in a dental environment at the School of Dentistry. Submitted to Journal Toxicology and Industrial Health. 2007.
4. Adriana Gioda, Ulda Peréz, Zenaida Rosa and Braulio D. Jimenez-Velez. Particulate matter (PM10 and PM2.5) from different areas of Puerto Rico. Fresenius Environmental Bull. Vol. 16; No. 4 2007.
5. Alejandro R. Molinelli,, Guido Santacana, Michael C. Madden, and Braulio D. Jiménez-Vélez. Cytotoxicity and metal content of Organic Solvent Extracts from Airborne Particulate Matter in Puerto Rico. Environmental Research, 102:314-325, 2006.
6. Acevedo D., B.D. Jiménez-Vélez and C. J. Rodríguez-Sierra Trace metals in sediments of two estuarine lagoons from Puerto Rico. Environ. Poll. 141:336-342, 2006.
7. Adriana Gioda, Ulda Pérez, Zenaida Rosa and Braulio D. Jiménez-Vélez. Concentration of heavy metals in airborne PM10 from Jobos Bay National Estuary, Puerto Rico. Water Air and Soil Pollution. 174 (1-4): 141-159 JUL 2006.
8. Figueroa, David Acevedo; Rodríguez-Sierra, Carlos J.; and Jiménez-Velez, Braulio D. Concentrations of Ni and V, other heavy metals, arsenic, elemental and organic carbon in atmospheric fine particles (PM2.5) from Puerto Rico. Toxicol. Indust. Health 22 (2): 87-99 2006.
9. B. Jimenez-Velez, A. Gioda, Fuentes-Mattei, E. Organic and aqueous extracts from particulate matter (PM2.5) and their effect on the immunological response of human bronchial epithelial cells BEAS-2B. In Metals Ions in Biology and Medicine. 2006 267-272.
10. Adriana Gioda, and Braulio D. Jiménez-Vélez. Assessment of heavy metals in fine particulate matter (PM2.5) from a workplace environment in Puerto Rico. Proceedings of Indoor Air Conference Beijing China. (2): 1526-1530 2005.
11. Jaime F. Puig-Hernández, PhD. and Braulio D. Jiménez-Velez, PhD. HPLC Determination of the Concentration and Integrity of L-Thyroxine (T4) in Free T4 Stock Solution. Puerto Rico Health Sciences Journal, 25 (2): 151-156 (2005).
12. Mónica I. Torres-Pérez , MS; Braulio D. Jiménez-Velez, PhD; Imar Mansilla-Rivera, PhD, Carlos J. Rodríguez-Sierra, PhD. Effect of three extraction techniques on submitochondrial particle and Microtox bioassays by airborne particulate matter. Puerto Rico Health Science Journal 24 (1): 35-39 (2005).