RCMI Puerto Rico Medical Sciences Campus

First Annual Symposium of the Biomedical Research Infrastructure Networks (BRIN) in Puerto Rico

On October 11-12, 2002 the Biomedical Research Infrastructure Networks (BRIN) in Puerto Rico celebrated its First Annual Symposium at the Condado Plaza Hotel. The BRIN program is an innovative initiative of the National Center for Research Resources to provide a networking infrastructure to expand and sustain competitive biomedical research in Puerto Rico. The topic of this year’s meeting was "Biotechnology and Modern Medicine".

Dr. Fernando González, BRIN Program Director and Professor at the University of Puerto Rico Río Piedras Campus, welcomed the attendees to the meeting. Dr. William Arias from the Inter American University of Puerto Rico served as Master of Ceremonies.

Dr. Krishan Arora, Health Scientist Administrator for the Division of Research Infrastructure, National Center for Research Resources provided an excellent overview of the goals and objectives of this division entitled: "National Center for Research Resources: The Evolving Paradigm for Biomedical Research".

Two plenary conferences were presented by Dr. Stephen Brimijoin, Professor and Chair, Department of Molecular Pharmacology, Mayo Clinic on "Using Computers & Molecular Biology to Engineer a Protein that Destroys Cocaine", and by Dr. John Yates, Department of Cancer Genetics Roswell Park Cancer Institute, New York on "EBV and Other Viruses that Replicate as Latent Episomes: Implications for Medicine, Biotechnology, and Understanding How Chromosomes Replicate".

Concurrent conferences were also presented by Dr. José Rigau Pérez, Director Dengue Branch, Center for Disease Control and Prevention: "Bioterrorismo: Antrax, Peste, Viruela y Botulismo" ; Dr. Hinda Zlotnik, Program Director MARC Branch (Minority Access to Research Careers) National Institutes of Health, Washington, DC: "A Grant Writing Primer"; Dr. Oscar Moreno de Ayala , University of Puerto Rico Río Piedras Campus, Math and Computer Science Department: "The Retro Engineering Problems in Genetic Networks", and Dr. Angel L. Salamán, Wyeth Pharmaceutical and University of Puerto Rico Medical Sciences Campus: "SIVsmB7 Secrete SIV/sm Like Particles in Large Quantities".

Scientific poster sessions, research awards presentations, and panel discussions were also included in the program. Over 160 senior faculty, junior faculty, as well as graduate and undergraduate students participated in the symposium. The RCMI Program of the University of Puerto Rico Medical Sciences Campus was represented by its Director, Dr. Emma Fernández-Repollet.

Emma Fernández-Repollet, Ph.D.
RCMI Program

Emma Fernández-Repollet,Ph.D.

Program Director

RCMI Program

Room 621-A, 6th. floor

Main Building, Medical Sciences Campus

GPO Box 365067

San Juan, PR 00936-5067

Email: efernandez@rcm.upr.edu

Voice (787) 763-9401

FAX (787) 758-5206