Roberto Aponte Rivera Email & Phone Number

San Juan, Puerto Rico

Instructor and Laboratory Course CoordinatorCourses taught: BIOL-3365 Molecular Biotechnology LaboratoryCurrently teaching & coordinating: BIOL-4036 Molecular & Cellular Biology LaboratoryAchievements: - Update didactic materials for BIOL-3365 to current biotechnology industry standards.- Taught 2 sections of 16 students (32 total) for BIOL-3365- Coordinated BIOL-3365 (4 sections, 16 students each) to ensure equal coverage across course content in all sections.- Prepared lab course materials for experiments across 4 sections.

San Juan, Puerto Rico

Research Assistant @Laboy-Juarez Lab, Independent Contractor

Puerto Rico

The main mission of research consulting services is to meet the client's needs. Main functions include confidential research manuscript editing, and writing on commission. Other services include presenting the client with research solutions as requested. Furthermore, services can be extended to small-scale field specimen sampling and small-scale viability experiments.

Bethesda, Maryland, United States

I worked on my Master's thesis at the lab of Dr. Katie S. Kindt investigating how subcellular signals shape hair cell development, and how these signals are required for proper physiological function. My work focused on investigating the mechanism that activates and silences hair cell synapses throughout development, using the zebrafish lateral line. By leveraging genetic techniques, pharmacology, and confocal microscopy, I imaged hair cell synaptic activity using GCaMP in tandem with pharmacology to elucidate the molecular mechanisms driving hair cell recruitment. Moreover, I selectively ablated hair cells while imaging hair cells or supporting cells to understand the cellular mechanisms driving hair cell recruitment. The techniques used in my work were published as a methods chapter. Furthermore, I programmed an automated behavioral protocol to measure startle response in wild-type and mutant zebrafish. Data were extracted and analyzed using Python. This work is part of a collaboration and is in the process of being published.

Bethesda, Maryland, United States

I worked in the lab of Mario A. Penzo on dissecting the neural circuits underlying affective and motivated behaviors. The lab uses a multidisciplinary approach that includes behavioral assays, genetic tools, and other emerging technologies for monitoring and manipulation of neural activity. My main research project was to dissect the origin and behavioral contributions of serotonergic afferents to the paraventricular nucleus of the thalamus (PVT). As such, I performed anterograde and retrograde neural tracing experiments by injecting the dorsal raphe nucleus and PVT, respectively, via stereotactic surgery. Furthermore, I prepared and processed PFA-fixed brains for immunohistochemistry and subsequent confocal imaging. Lastly, I prepared subjects for in vivo fiber photometry imaging during fear conditioning experiments.

Bethesda, Maryland, United States

I worked in the lab of Dr. Michael J. Krashes on dissecting the neural wiring that controls hunger. To study this, the lab employs novel genetic tools and techniques to dissect conserved feeding circuits. At the lab, I learned how to perform deep stereotactic injections into the arcuate nucleus of the hypothalamus. Furthermore, I supervised behavioral feeding experiments and conspecific intruder experiments. I also measured weight changes due to an ad libitum regular diet, high-fat diet, or calorie-restricted high-fat diet. Lastly, I measured body fat percentage via X-ray densitometric methods.

Providence, Rhode Island, United States

I worked in the lab of Dr. Kevin G. Bath. The research focus was to understand how early life adverse experiences alter the trajectory of neural and behavioral development, the sex difference sensitivity to those signals, and the genetic mechanisms driving those changes. As part of the lab, I learned to dissect and isolate neural tissue from different brain regions for processing via qPCR to quantify gene expression changes in response to early life adverse experiences. I also learned to dissect whole brain regions for brain volumetry to measure neurodevelopmental changes induced by early life adverse experiences. Lastly, I operated fear conditioning experiments to assess changes in memory formation, consolidation, and retention in response to early life adverse experiences.

Providence, Rhode Island, United States

I worked in the lab of Dr. Christopher I. Moore on the study of neocortical brain dynamics. The main focus of the lab is investigating the origins and computational value of neocortical oscillations, and the role of brain vasculature on information processing. During my rotation, I learned how to use computational tools (i.e. Matlab) to analyze brain vasculature activity imaged using differential fluorescent dyes. Furthermore, I learned how to perform craniotomies on mice to install chronic cranial windows for the longitudinal imaging of brain vasculature and neocortex.

San Juan, Puerto Rico

I worked in the lab of Cristina Velazquez-Marrero on studying the effects of molecular and cellular ethanol tolerance on behavioral alcohol consumption. Initially, I developed a protocol to induce persistent molecular ethanol tolerance. I later assayed behavioral ethanol tolerance and drinking escalation via a Drinking in the Dark paradigm and 2-Bottle Choice Intermittent Access. Furthermore, I took blood samples from subjects to measure blood ethanol concentration after drinking. Throughout my tenure at this lab, I became a Neuro-ID (BP-ENDURE) trainee, which allowed me to present my work at Society for Neuroscience and attend numerous STEM career-building seminars and workshops. Also, the lab allowed me to establish a collaborative project with the Nestler lab for a summer internship. Lastly, I assisted in the processing of cell cultures for Western Blot analysis to study differences in protein expression induced by ethanol exposure.

New York City Metropolitan Area

I worked in the lab of Dr. Eric J. Nestler on studying the molecular mechanisms of drug addiction and depression in animal models. My research work was based on an established collaboration between the Nestler and Velazquez-Marrero labs. The main focus of my work was to investigate whether the global knockdown of beta-Catenin within the nucleus accumbens (NAc) would reduce ethanol tolerance and ethanol drinking escalation. I learned to perform stereotactic injections within the NAc and ventral tegmental area for my work and others. I designed and performed a 2-Bottle Choice Intermittent Access protocol to assay ethanol drinking and escalation. I assisted in the measurement of a variety of behavioral experiments: sucrose preference, novelty-suppressed feeding, social defeat, and tail suspension. I assisted in mouse genotyping. I scored grooming experiments. I isolated and processed neural tissue for qPCR. Lastly, I also processed tissue for immunohistochemistry.

San Juan, Puerto Rico

I worked in the lab of Dr. José L. Agosto Rivera on how circadian rhythms interact to regulate homeostasis, physiology, and mental states in health and disease. I learned how to dissect fruit fly brains for PFA-fixed whole-brain immunohistochemistry. I also learned how to operate a confocal microscope for imaging immunohistochemically processed tissue.

Master Of Science - Ms, Neuroscience

Bachelor Of Science - Bs, Cell/Cellular And Molecular Biology