The Universidad Central del Caribe (UCC) presents ArsMedicina, a scientific journal that offers a new publication space for scientists and students with the purpose of disseminating knowledge to the entire community.
Our mission
To offer an innovative space for exchanging new knowledge in basic, clinical, and behavioral sciences in an open-access format.
Our vision
To publish scientific papers and disseminate health information with the highest standards of quality, excellence and methodological rigor.
The journal values are:
For UCC, its faculty, students, and alumni, ArsMedicina represents another step forward in fulfilling our mission as an institution of higher education dedicated to training high-quality health professionals dedicated to meeting the needs of the community with a humanistic focus and a high sense of moral obligation. ArsMedicina is the new UCC scientific outreach tool.
We thank Dr. Jorge Lastra, founder of ArsMedicina, for his interest in UCC continuing his innovative project dedicated to science and education. His legacy will continue with us.
Celebrating 31 Years of Neuroscience Excellence: Highlights from the Puerto Rico Neuroscience Conference 2023
The hosting institution of the 31st Puerto Rico Neuroscience Conference was the Universidad Central del Caribe (UCC), School of Medicine, chaired by Dr. David Rivera-Aponte. The organizing committee included esteemed members from various institutions, such as Dr. Mark Miller, Dr. Carmen Maldonado, Dr. Emmanuel Cruz, and Dr. Zaira Mateo.
The event took place at the University of Puerto Rico, Bayamón Campus (UPRB), marking another successful opportunity for fostering communication and collaboration among students and faculty dedicated to neuroscience research. With approximately 300 participants, various plenary sessions, and a showcase of 75 posters, the event was a hub for intellectual exchange.
Plenary sessions featured distinguished speakers: Dr. Daniel Colón from Yale School of Medicine, Dr. Bianca Jones from Columbia University, Dr. Mark Harnett, and Dr. Pedro Feliciano from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Their contributions added depth and insight to the conference discussions.
An exciting addition to this year’s event was the inaugural neuro art section, allowing participants to showcase paintings, designs, and unique fluorescent microscopy images in an art exhibition. This creative initiative expanded the conference’s scope, emphasizing the interdisciplinary nature of neuroscience.
Furthermore, the conference organizers acknowledged the valuable partnership with the UPRB, which enabled the event to be hosted for the first time in that institution, highlighting the collaborative spirit within the scientific community.
The Puerto Rico Neuroscience Conference would not have been possible without Dr. Vesna Eterovic, Professor of Biochemistry and Director of the RCMI Center for Molecular and Behavioral Neuroscience at the UCC, and Dr. Richard Orkand, from the UPR Puerto Rico Neuroscience Institute.
In 1992, following a research seminar Dr. Eterovic, Dr. Orkand, Dr. Pedro Ferchmin, and Dr. Richard Hann from the UCC Department of Biochemistry discussed the idea of organized an annual Puerto Rico Neuroscience Conference. Roughly six months later, on November 13, 1992, the First Puerto Rico Neuroscience Conference was held at the UCC in Bayamón.
As the conference continues to evolve, the Puerto Rico Neuroscience Conference remains a vital platform for advancing neuroscience research, fostering collaboration, and inspiring the next generation of scientists. The continued success year after year symbolizes the enduring commitment of the scientific community to pushing the boundaries of knowledge and fostering a legacy that transcends time.
Submitted Abstracts
The effects of previous social experience on aggression in the blind Mexican cavefish
Alondra I. Ortiz Franco1, Oscar Hernandez-Acevedo,1,, Alana Lopez-Cruz1, Fabiola Pagan-Torres1, Andrea Semidei-Rodriguez1, Alejandro Dueño-Sosa1, Roberto Rodriguez-Morales1 Institutions: (1) Department of Anatomy and Neurobiology, UPR-Medical Sciences Campus, San Juan, PR Aggression is [...]
ASSOCIATION BETWEEN HIGH GLUCOSE LEVELS AND INFLAMMATORY CYTOKINE EXPRESSION IN RAT ASTROCYTES
Alanis Dávila-Santiago1, Alanis N. Rivera-Ramos1, Luis A. Rojas-Colón1, David E. Rivera-Ponte2, Jadier Colón-Vázquez2, Miguel P. Méndez-González1,2 1 Department of Natural Sciences at University of Puerto Rico, Aguadilla, 2 Department of Biochemistry [...]
Design and Synthesis of Novel Nav Channels Inhibitor for Epilepsy
Authors *A. S. CRUZ-CALDERON1, C. P. VLAAR2; 1University of Puerto Rico, Rio Piedras Campus, Dep. of Chemistry, San Juan, Puerto Rico; 2University of Puerto Rico, Medical Sciences Campus, School of Pharmacy, [...]
Neurodegeneration associated behavior defects and Mitophagy in Caenorhabditis elegans mutant sod-1G85R as an Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis model. Authors/affiliations
Authors/affiliations: Ufarry Alvarado, Axel*1, Zaidi Pons, Malik*1 and Torres Ortiz, Ceidy1,2 Department of Biomedical Sciences1, Department of Natural Sciences2, Pontifical Catholic University of Puerto Rico, Ponce, Puerto Rico. Introduction: Amyotrophic Lateral [...]
Synapse Development and Composition after Acute and Chronic Exposure to Alcohol
Mariam Vázquez1, 3 and Bruno Marie1, 2, 3 1 Institute of Neurobiology, University of Puerto Rico, Medical Sciences Campus, San Juan, Puerto Rico. 2 Department of Anatomy and Neurobiology, University [...]
Diabetes-induced neuronal hyperactivity is linked to reduced astrocytic Kir4.1 levels in hyperglycemic mice.
1Luis A. Rojas-Colón, 1Arelys A. Angueira-Laureano, 2 David E. Rivera-Aponte, 2Misty J. Eaton, 2,3Serguei N. Skatchkov, 1,2,4Miguel P. Méndez-González 1 Department of Natural Sciences, University of Puerto Rico, Aguadilla, PR 00604-6150, [...]
Characterizing the effect of restraint stress on the hippocampal activity of breast tumor-bearing mice
Luinet Lee Melendez-Rodriguez B.S.,Yesenia Castillo-Ocampo Ph.D., Melanie Ortiz-León B.S., Yadiel A. Rivera-López B.S., Annette Sofia Rivera-Montes, Alexandra Aquino-Acevedo Ph.D., Elvin Hernández-Cordero B.S., Sangelike M. Ortiz-Negron B.S., Guillermo N. Armaiz-Peña Ph.D. Ponce [...]
Reliability of the MINI International Neuropsychiatric Interview Among Hispanic Adolescents with Diabetes and Their Caregivers
Laura P. La Luz-Barrios, HSDG, Stephanie Ortiz-Domenech, PhD, & Eduardo Cumba-Avilés, PhD Institute for Psychological Research, College of Social Sciences, University of Puerto Rico, Río Piedras Campus, San Juan, Puerto Rico [...]