Grants and Initiatives
Active Grants
Title:
Conference: BRIDGE: Building Research Initiatives and Developmental Growth for Excellence
Goal:
The goal of the conference is to equip faculty, staff, and administrators from participating institutions with the knowledge and skills necessary to effectively develop and submit competitive proposals to the National Science Foundation, thereby strengthening research excellence and external funding acquisition in Puerto Rico.
Funding:
National Sciences Foundation
Total Cost:
$53,000
Role:
Principal Investigator
Managing entity
Universidad de Puerto Rico at Aguadilla
Period of support:
August 2024-July 2025
Title:
Strengthening Teaching and Advancing Research Partnerships
Goal:
Building a Pipeline of Hispanic Students to Support the STEM Workforce
Funding:
National Sciences Foundation
Total Cost:
$800,000
Role:
Principal Investigator
Managing entity
University of Puerto Rico at Aguadilla
Period of support:
January 2022- December 2027
Title:
Hippocampal astrocytic Kir4.1 channel function in Type 2 diabetic mice: impact on neuronal hyperexcitability.
Goal:
Understand how hyperglycemia affects astrocytic homeostatic functions leading to neuronal hyperexcitability.
Funding:
National institute of Health – National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke
Total Cost:
$364,000
Role:
Principal Investigator
Managing entity
University of Puerto Rico at Aguadilla
Period of support:
January 2022- December 2024
Title:
Alpha-7 receptor-mediateProject Pilot- Facultyd activity of hypothalamic Mc4R neurons in obese mice.
Goal:
Understand the role of Alpha-7 receptor-mediated activity of hypothalamic Mc4R neurons in obese mice.
Funding:
Project Pilot- Faculty
Total Cost:
$18,000
Role:
Co-PI
Managing entity
Universidad Central del Caribe , School of Medicine
Period of support:
February 1, 2024-September 1, 2025
Completed Grants
Title:
The role of neuroinflammation in diabetes-induces neuronal epileptiform activity.
Goal:
Study how diabetic induced neuroinflammation results in neuronal epileptiform activity and provide supplemental funding to support and enhance the training of a post-doctoral fellow in Dr. Méndez-González laboratory and study.
Funding:
National institute of Health – National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke
Total Cost:
$156,000
Role:
Principal Investigator
Managing Entity
University of Puerto Rico at Aguadilla
Period of support:
July 2022- June 2024
Title:
Role of glyoxylase in astrocytic supportive function under hyperglycemic conditions.
Goal:
Elucidate the role of the glyoxalase system on the supportive functions of astrocytes when grown in hyperglycemic conditions
Funding:
National institute of Health - National Institute of General Medicine
Total Cost:
$100,000
Role:
Principal Investigator
Managing Entity
Universidad Central del Caribe , School of Medicine
Period of support:
January 2018 - June 2021
Title:
Polyamines effect on C. elegance aging
Goal:
Determine the role of polyamines on C. elegance aging
Funding:
National Science Foundation
Total Cost:
$2,000
Role:
Undergraduate students’ mentor
Managing Entity
University of Puerto Rico at Aguadilla
Period of support:
August 2018 - May 2019
Title:
Diabetes and Astrocytes: impact on normal astrocyte function and its consequences.
Goal:
Identify a potential candidate that has a great possibility to explain the regulation of Kir4.1 potassium channel in astrocytes under high glucose conditions.
Funding:
National Institute of Health - National Institute of General Medicine
Total Cost:
$50,000
Role:
Consultant
Managing Entity
Universidad Central del Caribe , School of Medicine
Period of support:
July 2022 – June 2023
Title:
Interactive Neurophysiology Workshop to Promote Neuroscience Research in Undergraduate Colleges in Puerto Rico Project
Goal:
Provide a workshop that will provide software, equipment and laboratory exercises in the field of neurophysiology to faculty from UPR system.
Funding:
Grass Foundation
Total Cost:
$32,996
Role:
Co-Investigator
Managing Entity
University of Puerto Rico at Aguadilla
Period of support:
January 2021- December 2021
Title:
Polyamine depletion in C. elegance
Goal:
Study how the absence of polyamines will affect C. elegance to study other plant-parasitic nematodes that are part of a lot of the loses in agricultural goods.
Funding:
United Stated Department of Agriculture
Total Cost:
$700
Role:
Undergraduate students’ mentor
Managing Entity
University of Puerto Rico at Aguadilla
Period of support:
August 2018 - May 2019