Associate Professor
B.S.: Univ. Centroccidental
PHD: IVIC/University of Utah
(209) 228-4541
Research Interests:
- Tissue regeneration
- Stem cells
- Cancer
- Planarian biology
Primary Research Interest:
Biomolecular Research
School:
School of Natural Sciences
Bylaw 55 Unit:
Molecular Cell Biology
Recent Success:
Principle investigator in grants from NIH to support research in cancer and tissue regeneration
Community Affiliations:
Member of HSRI Executive Committee
Chair Educational Policy QSB Graduate Program
Graduate Courses:
Introduction Molecular Biology; Cancer Genetics and Tumor Biology cells; Tissues and Organs
Undergraduate Courses:
Undergraduate and graduate courses in biology
Graduate Student Research:
Repair of DNA damage
Host-pathogen interactions
Electrophysiology
Current Graduate Students:
7
Past Research Topics:
Tissue regeneration
Cancer
Adult tissue maintenance
Area Of Expertise:
Stem Cells
Cancer
Planarian biology
Cell signaling
Developmental Biology
Field of Study:
Biomolecular Research
Year Joined UC Merced:
2009
Post Doc School:
Harvard Medical School
Hometown:
Caracas
Member Website:
Current Funding Needs:
Funding to support graduate students
High-throughput sequencing
Current Research Focus:
Stem cells are undifferentiated cells critical for embryonic development, adult tissue maintenance and injury repair. Stem cells play essential role in cancer and degenerative diseases, but the molecular basis regulating their behavior remains poorly understood. Our group investigates the fundamental mechanisms of stem cell regulation to gain insights on the process of regeneration, malignant cell transformation and the renewal of adult tissues.