Research Centers

Cellular and Molecular Biology Center

The Cellular and Molecular Biology Center is an interdisciplinary group of researchers from all of the basic sciences departments at our Institution who share common and interrelated research interests in cell and molecular biology. The Center coordinates two core facilities, the Optical Imaging Facility and the Protein and DNA Core Facility, which offer services to Center members and the general scientific community. The Center also coordinates seminars, workshops and an Annual Retreat for UCC researchers, where conceptual and technical advances in cell and molecular biology are presented and demonstrated by distinguished visiting scientists and commercial instrumentation representatives.  Center researchers mainly work in the areas of signal transduction and functional genomics.

Research Projects:

Neuroscience Research Center

The primary mission of the Neuroscience Research Center is to foster and conduct science of the highest caliber that advances the understanding of brain function and diseases that affect the nervous system. The Center maintains a quality research environment highly conducive to productive and clinically-oriented basic research focused on Neuroscience. The Center’s scientists share common interests in understanding the biology of neurological disorders and work toward the shared goal of ultimately developing novel methods of diagnosis and treatment of the disorders.

The Center originally named Center for Molecular and Behavioral Neuroscience (CMBN) was established in 1990 for the purpose of promoting neuroscience research in Puerto Rico and organized as an inter-institutional association of neuroscientists with headquarters at the UCC.  Currently, composed of 17 scientists from four Puerto Rican universities, in addiction to associate and student members.  Close to 20 research projects address issues ranging from the basic mechanism(s) of cocaine addiction, excitotoxicity and neuroprotection, to ion channel function and signal transduction pathways.  This center also organizes the Puerto Rico Neurosciences Conference, held annually since 1992.

Research Projects:

Center for Addiction Studies

The Center for Addiction Studies (know as CEA for its initials in Spanish) was establish with the purpose of expanding scientific knowledge on substance abuse, HIV/AIDS and related topics.  The objectives of the center are 1) To estimate the prevalence of drug use, abuse and dependence in the Puerto Rican population.  2) Describe the patterns of drug use and associated factors, 3) Examine the relationship between substance abuse and other physical and mental health conditions.  The center aims to provide empirical knowledge as the base for the preparation of health professionals that provide substance abuse and drug treatment services.  The center also maintains scientific databases that serve as reference for public policy making.

Research Projects:

Center for Integrative and Complementary Medicine

The Center for Integrative and Complementary Medicine (CUMIC) was founded in 2001 with the purpose of providing treatment and education about complementary and alternative medicine and fomenting research.  The CUMIC coordinates seminars to stimulate the participation in alternative medicine research with special interest in the use of natural compounds for the treatment of disease.  The center is currently active in cancer research.

Retrovirus Research Center

The Retrovirus Research Center is a multidisciplinary research center for the study of HIV/AIDS and other Retroviruses.  The center promotes the study of HIV infection as a multidisciplinary research arena in which the clinical features, immunological, and virological elements and the psychological and behavioral parameters need to be integrated into a coherent research strategy.  The center brings together a coalition of multidisciplinary researchers whose interest is to describe and understand key elements that play a role in the progression and/or expression of HIV infection according to an ecological view of the problem.

•HIV/AIDS Data Core: Studies the natural history of AIDS disease among the Puerto Rican population.

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