The event took place at Casa Comerío, Bayamón, Puerto Rico, 10:00 am through 4:00 pm.
This event was developed by the Office of the Associate Dean for Research and Graduate Studies. The organizing committee included Dr. Fernández, Associate Dean; OARGDS Staff (Vicmag Cabrera, Jennifer Guzmán, Lissette Arroyo, Ivonne Amill, Gabriel Sierra) and representatives for all academic programs.
Keynote Speaker:
Ivone Bruno, PhD, VP Preclinical Affairs and Process Development at CytoImmune Therapeutics
Presentation Title: “The Future of Healthcare: Artificial Intelligence’s Role in
Biotech Advancements”
Knowing the professionalism and academic talent of our students and residents, we have developed the UCC Research Symposium as a poster presentation activity to showcase their research projects, achievements, and intellectual growth. This is a valuable learning experience that facilitates the exchange of ideas, promotes knowledge innovation, and fosters new research collaborations and networking among students, faculty, and researchers.
The symposium encompasses a range of research focus areas, organized into three main categories: the basic sciences, Clinical and Translational Sciences, and public health.
Sixty-four poster presentations were presented this year by students in all academic programs (Biomedical Sciences, Chiropractic, Medical Imaging, Medicine, and Substance Abuse). With approximately 220 participants, a Keynote Speaker session.
A total of ten (10) Awards and recognitions were given.
Best Poster Award – $150
- Glucocorticoid and Aryl Hydrocarbon Receptors Signaling in Osteoblasts: Crosstalk and Implications for Bone Health. C. López Vega; H. Bensreti; C. Gross; D. Alhamad; A. Tripathi; S. Sultana; C. Yearwood; J. Dorn; C. Dai; W. Bollag; C. Isales; M. McGee-Lawrence. Academic Program: Medicine
Three prizes for 1st Place Poster Award – $150
- Basic Sciences: Pyk2 and MEK/ERK Signaling Control Extracellular Vesicle Secretion in Glioblastoma. N. Ramírez; L. Kucheryavykh. Academic Program: Graduate Program in Biomedical Sciences.
- Clinical and Translational: Neuroadjuvant Immunotherapy Improves Survival Outcomes in Locoregionally Advanced, Resectable Cutaneous Squamous Cell Carcinoma: A Retrospective Cohort Study. R. Torres; F. Gleber; S. Naara; M. Amit; N. Gross. Academic Program: Medicine
- Public Health: Understanding the Healthcare Needs of the Underserved: A Patient Population Analysis at the Padre Venard Student-Run Free Clinic. G. Del Rio Montesinos; F. Mercado Nieves; I. Olmeda López; A. Soto-González; G. Camareno Soto. Academic Program: Medicine
Three prizes for 2nd Place -$100
- Basic Sciences: Influence on the Activation State of Monocytes from HIV-negative Men Expose to Plasm Exosomes from ART-treated HIV-positive Men in Presence of Absence of Cytochalasain D. B. Collazo; N. Alcalá; L. Ortiz-Valentin; Y. Cantres-Rosario; E. Rodríguez; J. Alves; V. Wojna; Y. Genera. Academic Progam: Medicine
- Clinical and Translational: Chiropractic Management of Shoulder Impingement Syndrome and Achilles Tendinopathy: A Case Study. G. Flores; R. Vazquez; C. Marrero. Academic Program: Chiropractic
- Public Health: Health Literacy Assessment Tools in Spine Surgery and their Relevance to Underserved Populations. E. Lugo; A. Fábregas; N. Ramírez. Academic Program: Medicine
Three prizes for 3rd Place – $75
- Basic Sciences: Statistical Analysis of Mortality Due to Renal Disease in Puerto Rico During Periods of Emergency (2015-2023). J. Encarnación; C. Pérez Morales; P. Rivera; O. Lugo Capera. Academic Program: Medicine
- Clinical and Translational: Neonatal Encephalopathy Associated Feeding Disorders and Brain Magnetic Resonance Imaging Findings. J. Pérez-Ocasio; N. Borges-Rivera; L. García-Fragoso; K. Colón-Romero; L. Garcia-Tormos. Academic Program: Medical Imaging Technology
- Public Health: Substance Use in Puerto Rican Breastfeeding Mothers. A. Figueroa-Vázquez; C. Reyes-Pagán; A. Fuentes-Armesto; H. Nieves-Díaz; M. Cabán-Ruiz. Academic Program: Substance Abuse
As the symposium continues to evolve, the UCC Biomedical and Clinical Student/Residents Research Symposium remains a vital space for promoting the exchange of ideas and knowledge that fosters research collaboration and networking among students, faculty, and researchers. Plans for the 2026 symposium will be announced, and we extend our deepest thanks to the members of the organizing committee, our president, Waleska Crespo; the Vice President, Ariel Dávila; and to the Deans, Directors, and all participants who contributed to the success of this event.
Managing Scoliosis in Escobar Syndrome: A Retrospective Review of Treatments and Challenges
Andrea Fábregas, BS Norman Ramírez, MD Amer Samdani, MD Shriners Children's, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania School of Medicine, Universidad Central del Caribe, Bayamón, Puerto Rico Pediatric Orthopedic Surgery Department, Mayagüez Medical Center, Mayagüez, [...]
Mechanistic Insights into the Downregulation of CXCR4 Surface Expression by Oral Bacterial Cell Wall Molecules
Kamish D. Marrero Ying Dang Qiujia Shao Xiangxu Jia Bindong Liu Universidad Central del Caribe, School of Medicine, Bayamón, Puerto Rico Meharry Medical College, Center for AIDS Health Disparities Research, Department [...]
Neonatal Encephalopathy Associated Feeding Disorders and Brain Magnetic Resonance Imaging Findings
Juan Pérez-Ocasio, MPH, RT Natalia Borges-Rivera Lourdes García-Fragoso, MD, FAAP Karla Colón-Romero, EdD, MS Lourdes García-Tormos, EdD, CCC-SLP, BCS-S Universidad Central del Caribe UPR School of Medicine, Department of Pediatrics, Neonatology [...]
Open-Source High Performance Kidney Stone Segmentation from Ureteroscopy Footage Using You Only Look Once Segmentation vs Conventional Model
Orlando G. Díaz-Ramos Jonathan Katz Ashley Gordon Archan Khandekar Hemendra N. Shah Robert Marcovich Julio Ojalvo Sarvesh Saini Ubbo Visser Aravind Rathinam Universidad Central del Caribe School of Medicine, Bayamón, Puerto [...]
Pathological Analysis of a Cadaver: Falx Cerebri Calcification/Ossification
Gabriel F. Pérez Bryan Ruiz Rocío Colón Jensen Ramos Dr. Ana Ortiz Dr. Angelisa Franceschini Universidad Central del Caribe School of Medicine Introduction Calcification/ossification of the falx cerebri is an anatomical [...]
PYK2 and MEK/ERK Signaling Control Extracellular Vesicle Secretion in Glioblastoma
Neisha Ramírez Serrano, BS Lilia Kucheryavykh, PhD Department of Biochemistry, Universidad Central del Caribe, Bayamón, Puerto Rico Introduction Glioblastoma (GBM) is an aggressive primary brain tumor with a profoundly immunosuppressive microenvironment [...]
Abstracts should be presented as a single paragraph adopting the structured abstract style, including section headings as follows:
Title: Maximum of 150 characters, including spaces.
Affiliation(s): list institutions where work was performed.
Introduction: A brief description of the significance of the research presented. Please include the study’s aim/goal/objective, research questions, and hypothesis, if applicable.
Methods: Brief description of the research study design, procedures, statistical analysis (if apply), strategies, and/or activities.
Results: Summary of the preliminary data or results obtained.
Conclusion: A statement about the findings reached and future directions. Conclusions must be written in the present simple tense.
If apply, include IRB/IACUC approval number.
Provide acknowledgments. It is highly recommended to include grant support.
For clinical trials: please provide the name of the trial registry, the registry ULL and the trial registration number.
Length of the abstract: Not exceed 300 words, excluding title, authors, affiliations, IRB/IACUC approval number, and acknowledgments.
Use Arial 12 font size.
Keywords: 5 maximum
