The mission of our department is to provide for the education of biomedical students in the principles of physiology that are essential for the proper practice of medicine and the conductance of creative research. Our faculty members are involved in the generation of new knowledge by carrying out biomedical research and disseminating ideas through their participation in local, national and international symposiums and publication of their work. Our faculty participates in interdisciplinary graduate teaching and attracts postdoctoral fellows and visiting scientists for training and collaboration.

Activities

The Department has received external funding for research since its early beginnings during the late ‘70s. Undergraduate and medical student research participation has also been a distinguishing feature among the research laboratories. Its faculty has been involved in the organization of local science symposiums and conferences as Annual Retreats, Annual Puerto Rico Neuroscience and Puerto Rico Physiological Annual Conferences. The Graduate Program in the Department includes Master and Ph.D. degrees in the fields of Cell Biology and Neuroscience. Its faculty participates in the medical courses Physiology, Neuroscience and Biochemistry and in specialized graduated courses designed to develop the skills, which would ultimately enable graduate students to design and conduct independent, relevant and creative research.

 

The current research topics of our faculty include:

  • Neurobiology of drug addiction,
  • Immune synapse, lipid rafts,
  • Non-genomic action of thyroid hormones,
  • Neurobiology-Neuronal Glial Networks,
  • Biology of endothelial cells,
  • Breast cancer invasion, metastasis, and cancer cell survival,
  • Platelet function, atherosclerosis, innate immunity

 

Physiology Department Faculty

PRISCILA SANABRIA, Ph.D.

Department Chairman & Professor
Director Optical Imaging Facility
Physiology Course Coordinator
Secretary/Treasurer PR Physiological Society
X 2053, psanabria@uccaribe.edu

LEGIER ROJAS, Ph.D.

Professor
Director Center of Learning Resources & Information
Director Behavioral Testing Facility
X 2057 lrojas@uccaribe.edu

 

MIKHAIL INYUSHIN, Ph.D.

Research Assistant Professor
x. 2063, mikhail.inyushin@uccaribe.edu

 

AMELIA RIVERA, Ph.D.

Associate Professor
X 2055 amelia.rivera@uccaribe.edu

 

SERGUEI SKATCHKOV, Ph.D.

Coordinator OIF Immunocytochemistry Lab.,
X 2057, 2065, 2035; serguei.skatchkov@uccaribe.edu

 

MICHELLE MARTINEZ, Ph.D.

Adjunct Assistant Professor
X 2152,
michelle.martinez@uccaribe.edu

A.VALANCE WASHINGTON, Ph.D.

Adjunct Assistant Professor,
Coordinator OIF Confocal Microscope Area,
X 2154,
anthony.washington@uccaribe.edu

 

 
GLADYS ESCALONA DE MOTA, Ph.D.

Adjunct Professor

 

ANGEL NORIEGA, M.D. M.D., F.A.A.N.

Ad-Honorem Professor

 

Physiology Department Staff

JAN BENEDICT, Ph.D.

Post-doctoral fellow,
jan.benedickt@uccaribe.edu

ASTRID ZAYAS, Ph.D.

Post-doctoral fellow,
astrid.zayas@uccaribe.edu

KATIRIA COLON, BS

Research specialist,
X 2061, katiria.colon@uccaribe.edu

 

JENISE SEGARRA, BS

Research specialist,
jenise.segarra@uccaribe.edu

LYDIA MIRANDA, BS

Research specialist,
lydia.miranda@uccaribe.edu

 

ANNETTE RIVERA, AD

Administrative Assistant,
X 2054, annette.rivera@uccaribe.edu

 

Contact Us

Physiology Department
Universidad Central del Caribe
PO Box 60327 Bayamón, Puerto Rico 00960-6032
Phone (787) 798-3001 X 2054
Fax (787) 786-6285
e-mail: annette.rivera@uccaribe.edu