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.
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
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 [...]
Sex-dependent effects of anxiolytics on approach/avoidance conflict behaviors
Zarcaly Quintero Martinez1, Amanda Lopez Ramirez1, Xaymarie Serrano Velazquez1, Christian Bravo Rivera1, Orlando Torres Rodriguez1 1Depts. of Psychiatry and Anatomy & Neurobiology, University of Puerto Rico School of Medicine, San Juan, [...]
Sex-Dependent Modulation of Tumor-Associated Myeloid Cell Cytokine Expression on Pyk2 and FAK Signaling in Glioblastoma
Tyrel Porter1, Ciro M. Carrillo Marcano1, Miguel Mayol del Valle2, Lilia Kucheryavykh1 1Department of Biochemistry, Universidad Central del Caribe, Bayamón, PR 00956, USA 2Department of Neurosurgery, University of Puerto Rico, Medical [...]
Short-term binge-like alcohol exposure affects murine fear extinction
1,2 Marieliz Dieppa Rodríguez, 1,2 Mario Lloret Torres, 2,3 Jovangelis González del Toro, 1,2 Cristina Velázquez- Marrero University of Puerto Rico, Medical Science Campus, San Juan P.R.; - Institute of Neurobiology, [...]
Smurf Bees: Development of an intestinal integrity assay for aging Apis mellifera
Jesus Ortiz, BD; Felipe Rosa, BD; Imilce Rodriguez, PhD; Tugrul Giray, PhD Introduction: Aging is a natural result of the accumulation of a wide variety of molecular and cellular damage over [...]
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 [...]
The anti-inflammatory role of the alpha 7 receptors in diet-induced obesity
Vegas-de Paramo. P1, Vincenti-Pérez. A1, Rivera. N1, Vélez-Torres. W1 Universidad Central del Caribe School of Medicine INTRODUCTION: Obesity is a significant public health concern due to its association with chronic diseases [...]
The effect of closed-head injury on anxiety-like behaviors in female rats
Yadiel Alicea-Torres1,2, Eduardo Rosario-Díaz1,2, Paulette Vázquez-Martínez1,2, Gabriela Serrano-Rivera1,2, Diego Nazario-Martínez1,2, Joseph Torres-Cruz1,2, Isabel Rivera-Correa1,2, Jahaziel Díaz-Rodríguez1,2, Génesis Rivas-Soto, Laura Vicente-Rodríguez, PhD1,2, Demetrio Sierra-Mercado, PhD2 1University of Puerto Rico at Cayey, Department [...]
The effects of dibutyl phthalate developmental exposure on worker honey bee behavior and circadian rhythms
Catalina P. Rodriguez Alemany and Tugrul Giray Department of Biology, University of Puerto Rico Rio Piedras Campus, San Juan, PR, USA INTRODUCTION: Honey bees (Apis mellifera) are economically and ecologically important [...]
The effects of exposure to dibutyl phthalate and manganese on locomotion in the freshwater prawn Macrobrachium rosenberji
Isabel S. Castro-Rivera1, Ana I. Ortiz-Colón2,3, Nilsa M. Rivera-Cheverez2, María A. Sosa-Lloréns2 1 Department of Environmental Sciences, Rio Piedras Campus, University of Puerto Rico 2 Department of Anatomy & Neurobiology, School [...]
The effects of herbicide consumption on avoidance and pain-related behaviors in rats
AUTHOR BLOCK: *N. JIMENEZ-RIVERA1, L. MÉNDEZ-SANTACRUZ1,2, T. JIMÉNEZ-RIVERA1, L. VICENTE-RODRÍGUEZ3, P. VÁZQUEZ-MARTÍNEZ3, D. NAZARIO-MARTÍNEZ3, M. CÁCERES-CHACÓN1, O. MARTÍNEZ-GUZMÁN1, D. SIERRA-MERCADO1; 1Anat. & Neurobio., Univ. Puerto Rico Sch. of Med., San Juan, [...]
The effects of melatonin in the Caernoharbitidis elegans Alzheimer’s model
Joseline M. Velazquez-Cintron and Zaira Mateo- Mayol, PhD Pontifical Catholic University of Puerto Rico – Ponce Campus Introduction: Melatonin is a hormone produced in the pineal gland, which acts as an [...]