About Me

I am an immunologist with a unique career path that bridges biomedical science, public policy, and science diplomacy. Currently, I serve as a AAAS Science & Technology Policy Fellow in the Middle East Regional Cooperation (MERC) Program at the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID). In this role, I contribute to fostering scientific collaboration between Arab and Israeli researchers, promoting regional development through research grants. I am also honored to be an Inter-American Institute for Global Change Research (IAI) Science, Technology, and Policy (STeP) Science Diplomacy Fellow. Prior to being a AAAS - STeP Fellow, I worked as a Policy Advisor at Lewis-Burke Associates, a government relations firm. In that capacity, I provided expert advice on matters concerning public health, biomedical research, and international affairs.

I am deeply passionate about advocacy, science communication, and community outreach. With extensive experience as a speaker, I cover a wide range of topics, including science communication, science policy, and science diplomacy. My efforts to educate the public, especially Spanish speakers, about COVID-19 earned me the "Union of Concerned Scientists (UCS) 2020 Science Defender Award." Additionally, I am committed to advance evidence-based policymaking in my roles as an ambassador of the Puerto Rico Science Policy Action Network (PRSPAN), and a founding member of the Science Diplomacy Network in Latin America and the Caribbean (DiploCientifica).

I take immense pride in my Puerto Rican heritage. I graduated with a Bachelor's Degree in Cellular and Molecular Biology from Universidad Metropolitana in San Juan, PR, in 2012. Later, I earned my Ph.D. in Immunology from the Mayo Clinic Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences, where my research focused on analyzing tiny particles in the blood, called extracellular vesicles, as "liquid biopsies" to predict tumor growth and treatment outcomes in glioblastoma (GBM) brain tumor patients. This groundbreaking work resulted in a patent application. My academic journey has taken me to various countries, including China, Brazil, Germany (where I worked with the Nobel Laureate Harald zur Hausen), and Spain, where I obtained my Master's Degree in 2013 at the Institute of Parasitology and Biomedicine Lopez Neyra. Throughout my career, my research endeavors have garnered numerous awards, peer-reviewed publications, and opportunities to present at national and international scientific conferences. I am dedicated to inspiring fellow Latinos to engage with science and contribute to the policymaking process.