Mission & Vision

Mission – JPS Lab’s mission is to continue thriving in the generation of high-quality empirical data and scientific knowledge involving microbial-host relationships with cancer & HIV aging co-morbidities to better aid prevention, treatment, and quality of life for people living with HIV, while providing an educational and formative experience for students pursuing a career within research or a medical field.

Vision – JPS Lab aspires to play a fundamental role in discerning preventive cancer methods for people living with HIV in Puerto Rico with a collaborative, innovative, inclusive, and multi-disciplinary approach to research, and develop leaders that will continue within related fields keeping our group’s tenets in mind: to be investigative, to be educational, and to pursue community engagement.

Josue Pérez Santiago, PHD

Principal investigator

Dr. Josué Pérez Santiago double majored in Computer Sciences and Mathematics at the University Puerto Rico, Rio Piedras Campus and later completed his Ph.D. in Bioinformatics & Systems Biology at the University of California San Diego (UCSD), where he studied the gut microbiome during HIV infection and its association with disease progression and antiretroviral treatment.

Currently, he is an Associate Investigator of Bioinformatics and Computational Biology at the University of Puerto Rico Comprehensive Cancer Center and an Assistant Professor of the University of Puerto Rico Medical Sciences Campus, School of Dental Medicine.

Fun fact: Dr. Josue's favorite Pokémon is Lapras!

Publications

Meet The Team

PHD.......

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Gabriel Borges Vélez, PhD

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Research Assistant & Study Coordinator

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Lic. Jeannette Salgado Montilla, MT MS

Jeannette is a Medical Technologist with a master's degree in Clinical Laboratory Sciences with experience in clinical laboratory and molecular laboratory research. She has worked as a Research Assistant in several fields, including Acute Promyelocytic Leukemia, Dengue virus vaccine development, exercise physiology and prostate cancer. At JPS’s Lab she performs initial sample processing, sample storing and shipping, manages cell lines culture, accomplishes administrative laboratory tasks, and enforces safety regulations, thus ensuring laboratory safety standards compliance.

Fun fact: She also loves cats (especially her own!).

Research Assistant

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Jurelis Torres Reyes, MS

From Juana Diaz, Puerto Rico, Jurelis has a bachelor’s degree in Biomedical sciences, UPR Ponce and currently pursuing a master’s degree in Biomedical Sciences at UAGM Carolina. Currently working at the Comprehensive Cancer Center of Puerto Rico with Dr. Perez Santiago at JPS Lab contributing her excellent administrative & laboratory skills.

Fun fact: she loves management & accounting but is not a fan of managing her own finances.

Study Coordinator Assistant

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Alvin A. Peralta Betancourt, BS

Chemical engineering sophomore at the Polytechnic University in San Juan, Puerto Rico with past research experience in molecular biology at the Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory in California. He has also done supply chain engineering work in Ecolab, St. Paul HQ and was a past mentor for the Saturday Research Academy program. He assists JPS' lab with recruitment efforts for our translational research projects.

Fun fact: His great-great-grandfather was a pirate throughout the eastern coast of the island and lesser Antilles.

Undergraduate Students

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Angel J. Amaral

Ángel is currently an undergraduate student at University of Puerto Rico, Río Piedras Campus and is actively pursuing a bachelor’s degree in Interdisciplinary Sciences. As part of his research experience, Ángel started working at the Comprehensive Cancer Center of Puerto Rico with Dr. Josué Pérez with the end goal of gaining experience in molecular and cell biology in the context of HIV and Cancer. His current project, in collaboration with Dr. Esther Peterson at UPRRP, is aimed at finding the effects of bacterial products and short chain fatty acids on oral cancer cells to investigate how these factors can contribute to oncogenesis in the oral cavity. He plans to pursue a medical degree in the future while continuing translational research.

Fun fact: Bad Bunny used Angel’s cell phone to film himself at his last concert in Puerto Rico!

Undergraduate Students

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Verónica Sánchez

Verónica is currently pursuing her bachelor’s degree in Nutrition and Dietetics at the University of Puerto Rico - Rio Piedras. Eventually, she hopes to enter graduate school focusing on immunology or virology. She has completed a summer internship in both Texas A&M and at the National Institute of Diabetes, Digestive and Kidney Diseases. She joined Dr. Josué Pérez's research group in September of 2021 to expand her research knowledge. As an Increasing Diversity in Genomics (IDGeNE) fellow, her project focuses on further understanding the role the microbiota plays in the development of cancer in people living with HIV and HPV in Puerto Rico.

Fun fact: She is also a triplet!

Undergraduate Students

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Liah M. Román Calderón

Interdisciplinary Sciences undergrad senior at the University of Puerto Rico - Río Piedras. Liah works with breast cancer

cell cultures at JPS’ Lab for one of our translational research projects, monitoring their development under various conditions for potential treatment routes. She also plans to go into pharmacy school after graduating.

FACT: Liah’s dog, Nala, is a cute pomeranian that only has one eye!

Undergraduate Students

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Luis E. Blanco Meléndez

I am currently a sophomore at San Diego Miramar College in California.

I hope to gain more experience in the microbiology field and finish my degree in Integrative Biology.

My mentorship with Dr. Perez-Santiago began when I met him through the 2021 IQ BIO REU at the University of Puerto Rico.

Through my internship, I gained a variety of bioinformatic skills as we worked together on a project focused on understanding what biological pathways are affected by a gut microbiota dysbiosis in people living with HIV.

Fun fact: Luis "KiKe" loves to make peaple laugh and always brings a smile to anyone at the lab!

Undergraduate Students

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Diego N. Bracero Sánchez

A Computer Science major at the University of Maryland – College Park, Diego is currently interning at JPS’ Lab as an undergrad researcher, focusing on bioinformatics under the mentorship of Dr. Josué Pérez-Santiago. His role involves utilizing

computational tools for metagenomics, sequence analysis, and assisting with the analysis and management of our datasets. He plans to pursue a master’s degree in bioinformatics in the future.

FUN FACT: Diego’s favorite football team is the Baltimore Ravens!

Undergraduate Students

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Ariana S. García López

From Caguas, Ariana is an undergraduate student from the University of Puerto Rico - Mayagüez majoring in Biology, and she joined JPS’ lab to gain a first hand experience in a translational research field. During the summer of ‘23, she worked within our cell team, cultivating cancerous cell lines and performing various assays to determine possible treatments that can reduce the oncogenic phenotypes of the cells.

FUN FACT: Ariana’s birthday is statistically the most common birthday in America!

Undergraduate Students

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Gabriel A. San Miguel

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Past Members

Study Coordinator

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Tatiana Hernández Santiago, BS

As a recent graduate of the University of Puerto Rico, Rio Piedras Campus with a bachelor’s degree in Cellular Molecular Biology, Tatiana is currently working as a Study Coordinator at the Comprehensive Cancer Center of Puerto Rico, with principal investigator, Dr. Pérez Santiago at JPS Lab. She works on scheduling participant’s appointments, collecting samples and data, as well as contributing her skills, such as critical thinking and effective communication, when recruiting and handling participants for various medical research efforts at JPS Lab. Her plans for the future include pursuing a career in medicine.

Fun fact: surprisingly enough she does not enjoy chocolate nor coffee

postbac trainee

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Yabdiel A. Ramos Valerio, BS

From Bayamón, Puerto Rico, Yabdiel has a bachelor’s degree in Industrial Biotechnology from the UPR Mayagüez and is currently a post-bac trainee at the JPS lab. Yabdiel transitioned into a study coordinator/lab technician role where he oversaw participant recruitment and assisted in sample collection & processing. He has developed an interest in how short-chain fatty acids in the oral cavity, such as butyrate, could exacerbate periodontal tissue damage and act as an oncometabolite that may lead to HPV-related oral carcinogenesis. This interest turned into the project for his diversity supplement that he is currently working on while applying for MD and Ph.D. programs this fall.

Fun fact: Surprisingly enough he listens to old-school reggaetón to go to sleep.

Undergraduate Students

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Antonio D. Morales

From Dorado, Puerto Rico, Antonio is currently in his senior year for his bachelor’s degree in Integrative Biology from the University of Puerto Rico - Río Piedras Campus. He aspires to pursue a career as a medical doctor and help improve the island’s health services and medical needs. Working at the Comprehensive Cancer Center of Puerto Rico alongside Dr. Josué Pérez, he has contributed to the lab with his organization and collaborative skills.

Fun fact: Antonio likes playing the guitar and reading.

Undergraduate Students

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Christopher

Native to Ciales, Christopher is in his 4th year for his bachelor’s degree in Cellular Molecular Biology at the University of Puerto Rico - Rio Piedras Campus. He hopes to become a medical doctor to help patients on the island not only improve their overall wellbeing but also educate them on how to take care of their health. He recently joined Dr. Josué Pérez's research group in January of 2023 hoping to get the most knowledge possible on immunology, lab processes, and data analysis.

Fun fact: Thanks to his knowledge in genetics (and a passion for herpetology) he used to breed ball pythons and predicted the morphs he desired; he also loves vintage cars!

CAPAC

Medical student

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Carlos A. Solá Morlá, BS

A Cellular and Molecular Biology graduate from the University of Puerto Rico - Río Piedras, Carlos started working at JPS’ Lab due to his interest in HIV and cancer research. As a member of the CAPAC program for summer 2023, he focused on studying the relationship between sociobiological risk factors and oral HPV infection among people living with HIV. Currently he is a second year med student at the Universidad Central del Caribe and plans to continue translational research after earning his medical degree.

FUN FACT: Carlos practices jiu-jitsu!

PHD Student

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Hannah Van Wyk, MS

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Mission & Vision

Josue Pérez Santiago, PHD

Meet The Team

Past Members

CAPAC