Título/Appointment: Assistant Professor
Departamento/Department: Department of Biology
Institución/Institution: University of Puerto Rico at Cayey
E-mail: Laura.vicente@upr.edu
Teléfono/Phone: (787) 738-2161, ext. 2177

Reseña/Biosketch:

My research background encompasses diverse experiences, which, in conjunction with my formal academic training, has equipped me with tools spanning multiple disciplines such as molecular biology, genetics, behavioral analysis in invertebrate models and rodents, as well as electrophysiology. My graduate work yielded the comprehensive characterization of the FMRF-gated Na+ channel (FaNaC) from Biomphalaria glabrata—the intermediate host in the life cycle of schistosome parasites. Employing varied techniques, including immunohistochemistry and in situ hybridization, I elucidated the effect of parasitic infection on the FMRF-amide dynamics within the central nervous system of the snail. After obtaining my PhD, I transitioned towards a research endeavor harmonizing more closely with my core interests—namely, the understanding of pathological pain. My current focus centers on a rat model of traumatic brain injury, where my primary objective resides in understanding the mechanisms through which concussive events impact neural circuits implicated in pain processing, ultimately leading to the manifestation of pathological pain states. Most of this project is being performed through a collaboration with Dr. Demetrio Sierra-Mercado, a distinguished investigator in the UPR Medical Sciences Campus. Dr. Sierra has expertise in Traumatic Brain Injury and anxiety and fear behaviors in rodent models.

Perfiles en línea/Online profiles: N/A

Preparación Académica/Education:

  • Ph.D. in Anatomy and Neurobiology, GPA 4.0
    University of Puerto Rico, Medical Sciences Campus
  • B.Sc. in Biology, GPA 3.78
    University of Puerto Rico at Cayey

Áreas de investigación/Research Interests:

  1. The Neurobiology of Pain
  2. The Role of Neuropeptides on the Efficiency of Parasitic Infections

Publicaciones/Publications:

  1. Vicente-Rodríguez, Laura C et al. “The FMRF-NH2 gated sodium channel of Biomphalaria glabrata: Localization and expression following infection by Schistosoma mansoni.” PLoS neglected tropical diseases 17,6 e0011249. 23 Jun. 2023, doi:10.1371/journal.pntd.0011249
  2. Rosa-Casillas, M., de Jesús, P. M., Vicente-Rodríguez, L., Habib, M. R., Croll, R. P., & Miller, M. W. (2021). Identification and localization of a gonadotropin-releasing hormone-related neuropeptide in Biomphalaria, an intermediate host for schistosomiasis. The Journal of comparative neurology, 529(9), 2347–2361.
  3. Mansour, T. A., Habib, M. R., Vicente-Rodríguez, L., Vázquez, A. H., Alers, J. M., Ghezzi, A., Croll, R. P., Brown, C. T., & Miller, M. W. (2017). Central nervous system transcriptome of Biomphalaria alexandrina, an intermediate host for schistosomiasis. BMC research notes, 10(1), 729. https://doi.org/10.1186/s13104-017-3018-6.
  4. Oki, K., Halievski, K., Vicente-Rodríguez, L., Xu, Y., Zeolla, D., Poort, J., Katsuno, M., Adachi, H., Sobue, G., Wiseman, R. W., Breedlove, S. M., & Jordan, C. L. (2015). Contractile dysfunction in muscle may underlie androgen-dependent motor dysfunction in spinal bulbar muscular atrophy. Journal of applied physiology (Bethesda, Md. : 1985), 118(7), 941–952.