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Mentor: Demetrio Sierra Mercado, Ph.D.
Affiliation: University of Puerto Rico Medical Sciences Campus
Project title: Effects of Repeated Mild Traumatic Brain Injury on Chronic Pain
Project Description: My research focuses on understanding the mechanisms that mediate long-term pain following mild traumatic brain injury. I aim to investigate how brain alterations influence the modulation of pain and behavior. Additionally, I plan to incorporate the study of the gut–brain axis and its role in pain processing, with the goal of identifying neurobiological pathways that contribute to persistent pain and maladaptive behavioral outcomes after injury.
Published work and presentations
Poster Presentation:
Society for Neuroscience 2024 (Chicago, IL) Dissociating the Interpretation of Either Decreased Anxiety or Increased Risk-Taking Behavior in the Open Field After Brain Injury in Rats
31st Puerto Rico Neuroscience Conference (Bayamón, PR) Effects of Closed Head Injury on Pain-Related Behaviors in Female Rats
NEURAL Conference 2023 (Birmingham, AL) Influence of Closed Head Injury on Negative Emotional States
13th Annual Title V Symposium (San Juan, PR) Academic Experiences and Pilot Project Training in Clinical and Translational Research
I enjoy reading and going on road trips.