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Jonathan Torres Crespo received the
Chancellor’s Award for the highest grade
point average and the Summa Cum Laude
distinction in the 2009 commencement
ceremony of University of Puerto Rico -
Aguadilla. In 2008 he had the opportunity to
participate in a Summer Internship at Yale
University which was an outstanding
experience. In 2008 he was selected as the mentor student of the
LSAMP Peer Mentored Undergraduate Research Program. He
presented the results of his research project Molecular
Characterization of Halobacteria in Guánica Salterns: Total
Protein Profile at PR-LSAMP’s Puerto Rico Interdisciplinary
Scientific Meeting 2009. He is currently a third year student at the
School of Medicine of the UPR Medical Sciences Campus where
he has been distinguished for his academic and personal
excellence.
Eythan Morenú Villarrubia obtained
his BS in Biology in 2008 degree from
the University of Puerto Rico Aguadilla
Campus (UPR-Ag). He was part of the
Mentored Undergraduate Research
Program from 2006 to 2007 and
presented the results of his research
project at the Undergraduate Research
Symposium and at PR-LSAMP’s PRISM 2007. In 2007 Eythan
participated of a Summer Research Opportunity Program at
Purdue University. He was treasurer for the ACS Aguadilla’s
Student Chapter (2007-2008) and designer and developer of
their webpage, which he still maintains. Eythan is also a
dedicated musician who played with the UPR at Aguadilla Band.
He is currently in his third year at the Medicine Program of the
San Juan Bautista School of Medicine at Caguas, PR and offers
informative talks to premedical students.
Leonardo Valdivieso obtained his bachelors
degree in Biology in 2008 with the Cum Laude
distinction. He was admitted to the MS/PhD
Bridge to the Doctorate Program, at the University
of Puerto Rico Mayaguez articulated with the
University Of Medicine and Dentistry of New
Jersey, Rutgers. During his stay at UPR
Mayaguez Leonardo collaborated on a research
project about the origins of cassava domestication
in Mesoamerica. Leonardo is recipient of the NIH
Supplement (09-2011-present) and the NIH funded “Bridge to the
Doctoral Degree: University of Puerto Rico to UMDNJ" scholar.
He participated in a research on the “Identification and Analysis
of Protein Patterns on Halobacteria from Guánica Salterns” and
he presented the results of this research at two Puerto Rico
Interdisciplinary Scientific Meetings scientific meetings in 2007
and 2008 respectively.
Dr. Aníbal Valentín Acevedo obtained a
bachelors degree in Biology at the University of
Puerto Rico, Aguadilla in 2003 a PhD in
Molecular Immunology from Rutgers State
University in 2011. As a graduate student he was
recipient of the Virus-Host Interaction in
Eukaryotic Cells Training Grant, the Arthur
MaCallum Summer Research Fellowship, the
FASEB-MARC Minority Travel Award, the James
B. and Anne M. Leathem Summer Research
Fellowship and a Pre-Doctoral Fellowship from the New Jersey
Commission on Cancer Research. Anibal has published recently
in the Journal of Immunology. He is currently a research scientist
at private biotechnology industry working on the development
and optimization of in-vitro and cell based assays for the analysis
and identification of biomarkers and drug targets in autoimmune
diseases.
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Johnny Cruz Corchado obtained a BS in
Biology-Genetics in 2009 from the
University of Puerto Rico Aguadilla Campus
(UPR-Ag) and in 2009 was admitted to the
University of Iowa Interdisciplinary PhD
Program in Genetics where Johnny has
been awarded the Dean’s Graduate
Fellowship. His research interest is on a
rare kidney disease that leads to renal
failure in 50% of affected patients. The long
term goal of the research is to improve the
diagnosis of DDD and to develop an effective treatment for patients
with this disease. Asked about his interest in Science he says “I am
interested in science since my childhood, but during my LSAMP
undergraduate research experience, I confirmed that pursuing a
career in Science was the correct pathway for me”.
Elaine Jiménez received the Chancellor’s
Award for the highest GPA and the Summa
Cum Laude distinction in her 2008 graduation
ceremony in Biomedics. In 2007-2008 she was
part of the Peer Mentored Undergraduate
Research Program. Elaine participated of a
summer research experience at the University
of Illinois at Chicago. She was a math tutor from
January 2005 to May 2007. Elaine says “Since I can remember I
was interested in science. My summer research internship and the
PR-LSAMP research opportunities gave me more motivation to
continue seeking the kind of knowledge I want to acquire”. She is
in her fourth year at the School of Medicine of the UPR Medical
Sciences Campus.
Fernando Bonilla is an undergraduate student
that has shown outstanding academic qualities
since he entered the biology department at UPR
Aguadilla Campus in 2009. As a freshman he
started volunteer work in an undergraduate
research laboratory. In 2010 he was admitted to a
summer research experience at the University of
Iowa and in the 2011 summer he was accepted to
the Undergraduate Summer Research Program at Purdue
University. Fernando has presented the results of his research at
the UPR Aguadilla Undergraduate Research Symposium and last
spring he presented “Determining the Presence of Halovirus in the
Guánica Salterns, PR” at PR-LSAMP’s Puerto Rico Interdisciplinary
Scientific Meeting (PRISM). He has been sponsored by PR-LSAMP
Peer Mentored Undergraduate Program for the last two years.
Dr. Eneida C. Villanueva Feliciano obtained a
bachelors degree in Biology at the University of
Puerto Rico Aguadilla in 2004. A Ph.D. in 2009
on Molecular Physiology from University of
Michigan. As a graduate student she was
recipient of The University of Michigan-Centocor
Postdoctoral Training Program in Immunology
and Protein Therapeutics, the NIH Supplement to
Promote Diversity in Health-Related Research,
the Pat Simons Travel Award, which recognizes
research excellence by young investigators, the
Obesity Society Rackham Travel Award, the John A. Williams
Award for Outstanding Graduate Student Service. She has
publications in the Journal of Immunology, the American Journal of
Physiology and Endocrinology Metabolism and in Cell Metabolism.
Eneida is currently a senior scientist at a biotechnology company in
Arizona.