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The Current Fellows are:
Vicente M. Reyes Ph.D. (Chemistry/Molecular Biology), California Institute of Technology, E-mail: vreyes@sdsc.edu My doctoral and post-doctoral research experience includes molecular biology, molecular virology of HIV/AIDS, structural enzymology and structure-based drug design (both utilizing x-ray crystallography), and bioinformatics. My research interests encompass the areas of computational, structural, mathematical and theoretical biology. I am currently involved in structural bioinformatics research in the laboratory of Dr. P. Bourne, devising algorithms for structure-based assignment of function to novel proteins of known - experimentally or predicted - three-dimensional structure. My plans for the foreseeable future include establishing my own research group in an academic setting, and carrying on research involving the use of machine learning to unearth the "rules" governing the precise assembly of protein secondary structures into functional tertiary structures, computer simulations of experimentally-unaddressable biological processes, and mathematical modeling of biological systems. I plan to include an experimental arm to my future laboratory in order to pursue x-ray crystallogaphic studies of biological molecules. back to top Leonel Villa Caballero, M.D., National Polytechnic Institute (Mexico City) Internship, National Autonomous University Ph.D., National Polytechnic Institute (to be awarded in 2005) E-mail: lvillaca@ucsd.edu I am an IRACDA Postdoctoral Fellow in the Department Family and Preventive Medicine, School of Medicine, UCSD, working under the supervision of Lawrence Palinkas, Ph.D. I obtained my M.D. degree from the School of Medicine, National Polytechnic Institute and Internal Medicine Specialty from the National Autonomous University in Mexico City. I also hold a Masters Degree in Medical Sciences and Ph.D. studies on the Epidemiology of diabetes, obesity and metabolic complications. I have completed a Research Fellowship in Endocrinology at UCSD. My current research interests are focused on the interrelationship among sociocultural conditions, health disparities in minority groups and the prevalence of chronic conditions such as obesity, diabetes and cardiovascular disease, particularly in Latinos living in the United States and along the US-Mexico Border. I have recently been one of the organizers of the bi-lingual conference, Taking Control of Your Diabetes (10th annual), in San Diego. back to top
Miguel T. Robinson Ph.D., Biological Anthropology, University of California, Los Angeles Post-Doctoral Fellow, Department of Medicine, UCSD; supervisor: Daniel O'Connor, M.D. E-mail: mtrobinson@ucsd.edu My research focus is the population and molecular genetics of cardiovascular disease and hypertension in humans. I am interested in identifying genes that elevate risk for these chronic diseases and quantifying the evolutionary forces that are responsible for significant differences in disease rates among various ethnic groups. With regard to population and statistical genetics, is exploring the use of twin and association studies to determine which genes contribute to elevated risk for disease. In terms of laboratory methodology, I am developing molecular biology protocols for the isolation and characterization of DNA from various human tissues including blood, plasma, saliva, and urine. back to top
Edgar Gutierrez Ph.D. (Bioengineering), UCSD E-mail: edgutier@ucsd.edu I am focusing my postdoctoral studies on developing microfluidic devices for cellular and biomolecular applications, working in the lab of Alexander Groisman, Department of Physics. Microfluidics can be defined as construction and testing of devices and arrangements where liquids flow through systems of microscopic channels, usually 1-100 microns thick and 10-1000 microns wide. Prototype microfluidic devices in our lab are built with PDMS, which is a rubber-like transparent silicon elastomer, using soft microlithography techniques. The elasticity of the silicon rubber and its good adhesion to glass allow for a fast and inexpensive fabrication process. The optical transparency of the silicon allows for direct observation of the microchannels through a microscope. Flow in the microchannels is always laminar, allowing for well-controlled conditions of flow and chemical composition of the flowing medium. Currently, I am developing a device to measure the adhesion strength of cells on physiologically relevant substrata. The scale, geometry and laminar flow conditions will allow for simultaneous measurements at high shear stress over a wide range. I am also working on the development of a cell-free plasmid DNA screening device that will allow for isolation and amplification of single circular DNA molecules by using a device with closed chamber arrays and isothermal rolling circle amplification. Future work will include development of a cell separation device that will employ flowing density gradients in laminar streams that will allow for rapid separation of different cell types from small samples without the need for cell labeling or extensive handling. Similarly, future work will also include the development of a microfluidic peptide sequencer, making use of a flowing organic solvent gradient to simultaneously generate a reverse phase chromatography amino acid elution profile. Back to the Top
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