RCMI
PHSU Specialized Center in Health Disparities
Over the past 33 years, funding through the RCMI Program at PHSU has been instrumental in the establishment and development of advanced infrastructure. The RCMI has been a key part in PHSU’s transformation from an essentially graduate education institution to a vigorous scientific research center. The Program’s contribution has helped PHSU’s faculty to increase the number and quality of publications in high-prestige indexed scientific journals in high-visibility forums both locally, nationally, and internationally. This, in turn, has impacted the positioning of the institution at a level of competitiveness that has allowed it to receive multiple grants for research and training from new biomedical scientists.
“We are extremely honored that our RCMI Program has been renewed. Certainly, in a current landscape of so much competitiveness in receiving federal funds for scientific research, this success is clear evidence of the unconditional commitment of our faculty and the quality of the work they do every day. The renovation will allow us to establish and develop a Specialized Center on Health Disparities in the southern part of Puerto Rico.
“We are extremely honored that our RCMI Program has been renewed. Certainly, in a current landscape of so much competitiveness in receiving federal funds for scientific research, this success is clear evidence of the unconditional commitment of our faculty and the quality of the work they do every day. The renovation will allow us to establish and develop a Specialized Center on Health Disparities in the southern part of Puerto Rico.
The main purpose of this Center is to promote transnational research (which brings research results directly to quality medical/patient care) with a particular emphasis on the area of health disparities at the local and international level,” said Dr. Jose A.Torres-Ruiz, PHSU Rector and Principal Investigator of the Program.
The term “health disparities” is used to refer to any preventable differences in health in vulnerable populations in terms of the distribution of certain diseases, causes of death, risk factors, and other health-related aspects. “Because we are a predominantly Hispanic population residing on an island, we have a greater burden of some conditions such as cancer, diabetes, neurological conditions, among others,” said Dr. Torres-Ruíz.
The term “health disparities” is used to refer to any preventable differences in health in vulnerable populations in terms of the distribution of certain diseases, causes of death, risk factors, and other health-related aspects. “Because we are a predominantly Hispanic population residing on an island, we have a greater burden of some conditions such as cancer, diabetes, neurological conditions, among others,” said Dr. Torres-Ruíz.
About Us
This Center proposes to offer a variety of scientific services and activities including the establishment of modern physical facilities and technologies impacting the evolution of scientific projects, the implementation of innovative strategies aimed at cultivating the young faculty and turning them into highly competent researchers. This Center will also support the implementation and development of three high-caliber scientific projects that have been designed to understand more broadly the problems in health disparities in substance addiction, the effect of stress on cancer proliferation, and on the neurological consequences of pediatric patients who were exposed to ZIKA infection during pregnancy. The results emanating from these studies sponsored by the Specialized Center for Health Disparities will provide key information to understand and respond more forcefully to the factors that contribute to health disparities that predominantly affect the Puerto Rican community.
Our Goals
The major goal of the proposed Center is to elevate the capacity of the institution, through competitive research activities, in contributing to the improvement of minority health and in preventing and eliminating health disparities.
Specific Aims
- Enhance the capacity of the Ponce Health Sciences University (PHSU) to conduct competitive mainstream basic, biomedical, behavioral, and clinical research.
- Establish and expand sustainable partnerships between PHSU and Community-Based organizations.
- Enhance the capacity of PHSU investigators to become more successful in securing external funding, from federal and non-federal agencies, to pursue productive research on diseases and conditions that disproportionately impact minority and health disparity communities.
- Promote an institutional environment conducive to the development of early stage investigators (post-doctoral fellows and junior faculty).
- Enhance the institutional capability for the conduct and dissemination of research for improving minority health and preventing and eliminating health disparities.
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Administration Core
Center for Research Resources (CRR)
Vanessa Rivera-Amill, PhD
Professor, Director of CRR, Associate Dean of Biomedical Sciences
vrivera@psm.edu
vrivera@psm.edu
Mary S. Rodriguez Rabassa, PsyD
Co-Investigator of the POPZE II, Co-Investigator of the CRR
marodriguez@psm.edu
marodriguez@psm.edu
James Porter, PhD
Professor, RISE Program Associate Director, Co-Director of CRR.
jporter@psm.edu
jporter@psm.edu
Community Engagement Core (CEC)
Julio Jiménez Chávez, MD
Core Leader, Community Engagement Core, Psychiatrist, Professor
jckimenez@psm.eduMelissa Marzan Rodriguez, DrPH
Administrative and Outreach support of all CEC’s activities
mmarzan@psm.eduEida Castro, PsyD, MS
Associate Professor in the School of Behavioral and Brain Sciences
ecastro@psm.eduLuisa M Morales Torres, DrPH
Co-Investigator Community Health Education Component (HEC)
lmorales@psm.eduAxel Ramos, PhD
Assistant Professor, Clinical Psychologist
axelramos@psm.edu
axelramos@psm.edu
Fernando J. Rosario Maldonado, MPH
Community Engagement Core Coordinator, U54 Coodinator for PHSU
frosario@psm.eduStrategic Academic Research Training Core (START)
Recruitment Core
Margarita Bonilla Claudio, DMD, PhD
Assistant Research Professor at Ponce Health Sciences University
mbonilla@psm.eduMelissa Marzan-Rodriguez, DrPH
Administrative and Outreach support of all CEC’s activities
mmarzan@psm.edu
mmarzan@psm.edu
Wilfredo De Jesús Rojas, MD, FAAP, MSc
Assistant Professor - Respiratory Physiology
Marcos J. Ramos Benitez, Ph.D.
Assistant Professor - Basic Sciences
Normarie Torres-Blasco
Assistant Research Professor, School of Behavior and Brain Sciences
normarietorres@psm.edu
normarietorres@psm.edu
Research Full Projects
James Porter, PhD
Professor, RISE Program Associate Director, Co-Director of CRR.
jporter@psm.edu
jporter@psm.edu
Anixa Hernandez
Laboratory Supervisor
Eida Castro, PsyD, MS
Associate Professor in the School of Behavioral and Brain Sciences.
ecastro@psm.eduIdhaliz Flores Caldera, PhD
Professor of Basic Sciences
iflores@psm.edu
iflores@psm.edu
Vanessa Rivera-Amill, PhD
Professor, Director of CRR, Associate Dean of Biomedical Sciences
vrivera@psm.edu