"I am an Associate Professor of Biochemistry & Biology and an elected Fellow of the American Academy of Allergy, Asthma & Immunology (FAAAAI). My work sits at the intersection of environmental exposures, immunology, and respiratory health equity. I lead mentee-integrated projects that analyze how bioaerosols, indoor dust, and chemical/physical pollutants shape immune and physiological responses—work advanced through collaborations and funded studies spanning CDC-, NIH-, HUD-supported efforts and post-disaster research in Puerto Rico. I direct student-centered research via the Educational Biomarker Discovery Lab (EBDL) and the RIPLRT Institute, and I actively publish and present in exposure science, aerobiology, and immunology.

Across more than a decade in higher education, I’ve taught graduate and undergraduate courses including Biochemistry, Molecular Genetics, Immunology, Microbiology, Advanced Physiology, Biostatistics/Computational Biology–adjacent modules, and Science & Society. My training includes a Ph.D. in Microbiology (UPR–MSC), a postdoctoral fellowship in Environmental Health Sciences (Johns Hopkins), an ASM Science Teaching Fellowship, and extensive coursework in data science, genomics/bioinformatics, systems biology, and AI.

My teaching philosophy is to build inclusive, psychologically safe, and transformative learning environments where students feel seen, supported, and challenged. I normalize productive mistakes, promote values-driven mentorship, and help students venture beyond their comfort zones to master biochemistry, microbiology, immunology, genetics, computational methods, and public health with real-world relevance." less...