phone: (787) 832-4040 ext. 2252 office: Q-146

Degrees and trainings B.S. Chemistry M.S. Chemistry/Organic Synthesis Ph.D. Applied Chemistry (Bioinorganic/Biophysical Chemistry) Postdoctoral Molecular and Structural Biology Area of interest: · Medicinal Chemistry · Biochemistry · Organic Chemistry Summary My research group focusses on the discovery of new chemical-based tools for biomedical application in cancer and infectiuos diseases at the interface of synthetic chemistry, cell biology, and medicine, to decipher cellularsignaling networks with an emphasis on protein kinases. As a young investigator, I use synthetic organicchemistry, structural biology, molecular modeling, and molecular biology approaches to develop exquisitely selective inhibitors of key signal transduction targets. This powerful combination allows forthe development of new biologically active, small molecules. The broader goals of my research are: 1) the development of molecular tools of broad use to the scientific community to unravel new aspects of biology relevant to our fundamental understanding of biological processes and disease, and 2) the development of new methods and molecular approaches to target such diseases. My laboratory provides a rich and interdisciplinary environment for trainees that involves chemistry, biochemistry, and biology, which allows them to understand and investigate biological systems that are important to physiological function and human diseases from a biological and chemical perspective. Currently the primary research effort is concentrated on cancer and infectious diseases.