PRI-PHSU Graduate Training Program in Biomedical Sciences

🎉 Congratulations, Adrian! 🎉

Please join us in congratulating Adrian Márquez, our third-year student and T32 trainee from the Dr. Vanessa Rivera-Amill Lab, on successfully completing Part 2 of his Ph.D. Qualifying Examination (Oral Examination) on September 28, 2026.

This is an important milestone in Adrian’s doctoral journey and marks his advancement to Ph.D. candidacy in Biomedical Sciences.

👏 Congratulations, Adrian, on this well-deserved achievement! We are proud of your progress and wish you continued success as you move forward with your research and work toward completing your dissertation.

Keep going, you are one step closer to the finish line! 🎓🔬

📚 Graduate Student Portfolio Session

Yesterday, our PhD Biomedical Sciences Program Manager, Jean Marie Schmidt, led a session on the Graduate Student Portfolio, a required component of our T32 graduate training program and a valuable tool for communicating and documenting each student’s academic and professional development.

A portfolio is more than a collection of documents or accomplishments. It is an evolving record of growth, reflection, skills, experiences, and achievements throughout graduate training. It helps students make their development visible, recognize their progress, and prepare thoughtfully for future academic and professional opportunities.

A special thank you to our senior students Dorca Marcano, Axel Ufarry, Vivianka Ramos, and Adrian Marquez for leading the interactive portion of the session. By sharing their own portfolios, experiences, and the evaluations and feedback they have received from their research mentors, they gave our trainees a firsthand perspective on how a portfolio develops over time.

These conversations reminded us that a portfolio is not simply something to complete; it is a tool to reflect, communicate, grow, and prepare for the next stage of one’s professional journey. 🎓🔬✨

🎉 Publication Acknowledgement

Congratulations to Dr. Carmen Ortiz-Sánchez and the Ortiz Lab on this important publication in Nature Scientific Reports!

We are especially proud to celebrate Ralphdy Vergne, our first-year trainee, who is a co-author on this work:

“DNA methylation modulation by 5-Azacytidine regulates EMT markers and reduces invasiveness in docetaxel-resistant prostate cancer cells.”

This publication represents an exciting early achievement in Ralphdy’s research journey and highlights the valuable contributions of our trainees to biomedical research. We are proud to see our students actively engaged in meaningful scientific work and contributing to research that advances our understanding of cancer biology.

Congratulations, Ralphdy, Dr. Ortiz-Sánchez, and the entire research team! 🧬🔬

Published August 17, 2026, in Nature Scientific Reports.

Figure adapted from Ortiz-Sánchez et al., Scientific Reports (2026). https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-026-66577-z

👏 Congratulations to Vivianka Ramos (3rd year, Appleyard’s Lab) and Dorca Marcano (4th year, Ramos’ Lab) on their excellent Chalk Talks today!

A Chalk Talk is a scientific presentation where trainees explain their research, experimental approach, and future directions while engaging in questions and discussion.

Both did a wonderful job communicating their science with clarity and confidence.

Great work, Vivianka and Dorca! 🧬👏

A warm congratulations to our third-year graduate student, Adrian Márquez, a member of Dr. Vanessa Rivera-Amill’s lab, for taking the opportunity to share his research beyond the laboratory and with the community! 👏🏼🧪💙

Last Friday, September 11, Adrian visited Golden Village, a senior housing community in Aibonito, where he spoke with a group of residents about dengue, the focus of his research.

Dengue is not only an important research topic, but also a serious public health concern in Puerto Rico. Community education can help increase awareness about prevention, symptoms, warning signs, and when to seek medical attention.

We are proud of Adrian for representing our graduate program and sharing his knowledge with members of the community. Congratulations, Adrian, on this valuable outreach initiative!

🎉 Celebrating our outstanding students recognized at the recent STEM en 3 event! 🔬✨

STEM en 3, an initiative of Ciencias en Tus Manos, celebrates university students and graduates who excel in research and science communication, making their work accessible and engaging to the broader community.

🏆 Lourdes M. Caro — 1st Award, Graduate Category
Dr. Ramos’ Lab

🥉 Paola N. Flores — 3rd Award, Graduate Category
Dr. Rivera-Amill’s Lab

We are incredibly proud of their accomplishments and their dedication to sharing science with the community! 👏🎓

🎓 PhD Fellowship Opportunity!
AstraZeneca–Howard University 2-year Post-Doctoral Medical Affairs Fellowship in Oncology.

📍 Gaithersburg, MD & Washington, DC
📅 Application deadline: October 16, 2026

See flyer for details and application information.

Today!! Do not miss this opportunity to better understand the importance and value of community participation in research projects from the perspective of a community researcher and an academic. There will also be participation by a lawyer specializing in public policy development and review of the cancer patient bill of rights as an example of what can be achieved through public policy.

We thank Dr. Annelyn Torres Reverón for leading an engaging and interactive professional development session, “How Generative AI Can Help Development Planning: Best Practices and Limitations.”

The session focused on the Individual Development Plan (IDP) and how generative AI can be thoughtfully and responsibly used to support the development planning process, while maintaining critical thinking and human oversight.

It was a valuable opportunity for our students and faculty to explore practical ways to incorporate generative AI into their academic and professional planning. Thank you, Annelyn, for sharing your expertise with our community!

Congratulations, Ralphdy! 🎉
We are thrilled to celebrate our first-year trainee Ralphdy Vergne on the publication of his clinical case report in the PHSU Scientific Journal Special Edition, dedicated to the 20th Annual PHSU-PRI Scientific Conference.
Under the mentorship of Dr. Carmen Ortiz Sánchez, Ralphdy published the clinical case report titled “Atypical Initial Presentation of Stiff Person Syndrome: A Case Report of Emulating Pertussis Symptoms.”
Congratulations, Ralphdy, on this wonderful milestone! 👏🏼 This achievement is a testament to your dedication to research, your commitment to scientific excellence, and the high quality of work being carried out by our trainees.
We are very proud of you and look forward to celebrating many more accomplishments along your scientific journey! 🧪🔬🎓✨