Ciencia Puerto Rico

With the goal of understanding brain function and development I focused my dissertation in examining auditory neurons. My project consisted in studying the distribution of synaptically-relevant proteins along the cochlear contour and the effects of neurotrophic factors in modulating this frequency-dependent distribution.

To broaden my expertise in sensory systems, I've transitioned to the visual system in St Jude Children's Hospital where I am currently a Postdoctoral Research Associate. Working under the supervision of Dr. Michael A. Dyer I am using human orthotopic xenografts to examine genetic pathways involved in tumorigenesis and metastasis stages of retinoblastoma. In addition, we are interested in examining how retinal neurons adopt specific cell fate and how they are capable of proliferating and differentiating, both of which will broaden our understanding of retinal development.