March 28-29, 2025. Institute investigator Dr. Cristina Velázquez-Marrero served as an Invited Student Advisor at the Biomedical Science Careers Program (BSCP) Annual Meeting, organized by the Office for Diversity Inclusion and Community Partnership of the Harvard Medical School. This opportunity  provided an excellent opportunity for Dr. Velázquez-Marrero to connect with rising stars in research: "It was truly rewarding to offer guidance and mentorship to students navigating challenging periods in their academic journeys. Thank you, BSCP, for this wonderful experience!"

An image generated by Institute investigators was selected for the cover of the Journal of Comparative Neurology (January 2025 issue). The image shows a portion of the central nervous system of the snail Biomphalaria glabrata, a major intermediate host for Schistosoma mansoni, the causative agent for schistosomiasis. The wholemount tissue was processed for immunohistochemical detection of the cholecystokinin/sulfakinin (CCK/SK) neuropeptide (green) and the mRNA that encodes the CCK/SK precursor protein (magenta).

December 23, 2024. Drs. Laura Vicente-Rodríguez and Mark W. Miller were awarded a grant  ($56k) under the Research Opportunity Awards for Primarily Undergraduate Institutions (ROA - PUI) program of the National Science Foundation (NSF). The award will support a collaborative project between the UPR Medical Sciences Campus and the UPR Cayey Campus.

February 27, 2025. Institute faculty and students attended a seminar presented by Dr. Patrick Emery, Department of Neurobiology, UMass Chan Medical School. The seminar was titled:  Biological Rhythms at Sea: A Tale of Two Clocks . It was held at the Molecular Sciences Research Center (MSRC) and sponsored by the Centers of Biomedical Research Excellence (COBRE)  Puerto Rico Center for Neuroplasticity .

February 25, 2025. Dr. Jonathan Crooke provided hands-on training on the new Sutter CRISPR instrumentation at the Institute of Neurobiology. The equipment forms part of the Research Centers in Minority Institutions (RCMI) Center for Collaborative Research in Health Disparities (CCRHD) Neurogenetics & Biomaging Service. Participants in the workshop (left to right):  Yanilis Velázquez, Yaniushka Fernández, Alexa Negrón, Fabiola Pagán, Arelys Rivas-Jiménez, and Dr. Jonathan Crooke.