Thursday, May 10, 2012 12:00 – 1:00 PM in Room 101 Ponce School of Medicine & Health Sciences Open to the scientific community “Antiretroviral Therapy and transplacental carcinogenesis” By: Ofelia Olivero, PhD, ATS Associate Scientist National Cancer Institute, NIH Laboratory of Cancer Biology and Genetics Dr. Ofelia A. Olivero obtained her PhD in cytogenetics in Argentina and subsequently joined the National Cancer Institute where she has worked since 1987. Dr. Olivero's initial work focused on the relationship between cytogenetics and cancer, and she was able to map DNA adducts on chromosomes using antibodies against DNA adducts. Later she focused on transplacental carcinogenesis induced by the nucleoside analogs that are mainly used in AIDS therapy. Together with her colleagues, she showed for the first time that the nucleoside analog used in the earliest AIDS therapy was a transplacental carcinogen in mice. She is currently a Staff Scientist in the Laboratory of Cancer Biology and Genetics at NCI where she is applying microarray techniques to investigate mechanisms of nucleoside analog-induced carcinogenesis and exploring centrosomal amplification induced by nucleoside analogs. She has been instrumental in the creation and organization of the Staff Scientists/Staff Clinicians Organization in CCR, NCI, and is a past Co-chair for that organization. She is a past Chair of the Executive Board of the Genetic Toxicology Association and co-chairs a committee of the Environmental Mutagen Society and the Society of Toxicology as well as a Mentoring Program. Dr. Olivero has been an active member of the NIH-Hispanic Employee Organization since 1999 and is currently a past president. She is a member of the Minorities in Cancer Research group as well as Women in Cancer Research, Women in Toxicology and Women in EMS. She has been invited to mentor students and to participate in SACNAS, Society for the Advance of Chicanos and Native Americans in Science. She is the author of more than 60 peer-reviewed articles and has been invited to deliver numerous talks in the USA and abroad. She is the recipient of many awards, including the Leading Diversity Award form the National Cancer Institute. For info, contact: Wendy Pacheco wpacheco@psm.edu 787-284-2038