Ciencia Puerto Rico

I am from Caguas, Puerto Rico. I graduated 2 years ago from the University of Puerto Rico, Mayaguez with a Bachelors degree in Biology. During my undergraduate degree I focus mainly on genetic research working for Dr. Taras Oleksyk in the Genetics Population Lab. Our research focus mainly on comparative genomics of primate lineages and population genetics, studying specific insertions and deletions (indels) in Primate Lineages. I also worked in creating the Puerto Rico DNA Frozen Zoo, which is a creation of a repository of extracted DNA and tissue sample bank from species available at the Puerto Rico Zoo. During this period of time I also travel and did a collaboration research project at the National Cancer Institute in Frederick, Maryland in the lab of the head of the epidemiology department Dr. Cheryl Winkler. There we focus on identifying polymorphic indels in African populations. Finally, I participated in the Cancer Research Summer Internship Program (CaRSIP) from the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor, were I worked with Dr. Kate Barald on testing 6 analogs of natural anti-cancer metabolite (2-methoxyestradiol) in Neurofibromatosis type 1 cell lines. After finishing my undergraduate years I decided to pursue a PhD career in Cancer Research at the University of Michigan.

A more personal aspect of me, I am a very energetic passionate person. I love sports and a good reading. Besides my goals and career, my most important focus is my family, composed of my son Raymar and my partner Kenneth, which support me and push me every day to give the hundred percent of me in what I do.