INVESTIGATOR SPOTLIGHT
Dr. Yaritza Inostroza-Nieves Receives Research Award
Advancing research on stress, sleep, and early cardiovascular risk in Puerto Rican children.
Dr. Yaritza Inostroza-Nieves
Associate Professor and Research Center Co-director
San Juan Bautista School of Medicine
We are pleased to share that Dr. Yaritza Inostroza-Nieves, Associate Professor and Research Center Co-director at San Juan Bautista School of Medicine, has received an award from Component II of the Postdoctoral master’s in Clinical and Translational Research of the HCTRECD program (NIH-NIMHD Grant R25MD007607) for the project:
AWARDED PROJECT
“Epigenetic Regulation of Endothelin-1 and Stress-Response Genes Linking Stress, Sleep, and Early Cardiovascular Risk in Trauma-Exposed Puerto Rican Children.”
Building on Alliance-Supported Research
This project expands on the biomarker results obtained from the pilot project with co-investigators, Dr. Linda Perez-Laras and Dr. Linda Laras, “Endothelin-1 as a Biomarker of Cardiovascular Risk in Minors,” funded by the Hispanic Alliance for Clinical and Translational Research (NIGMS U54GM133807) and conducted at the Centro Salud Justicia de Puerto Rico and San Juan Bautista School of Medicine.
In this study, they evaluated cardiovascular risk factors, psychosocial stress, sleep, and trauma in children aged 8 to 15 years. Dr. Inostroza-Nieves led the processing, storage, and laboratory analysis of all biospecimens, and her laboratory stores the plasma and peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) from all participants.
The pilot study showed that psychological stress and poor sleep are associated with higher plasma endothelin-1 levels in this population, raising important questions about the underlying biological mechanisms.
Understanding the Biological Connection
The proposed project is a natural and necessary next step. By examining DNA methylation and gene expression of endothelial and stress-response genes, together with the balance between endothelin-1 and nitric oxide, Dr. Inostroza-Nieves will address how stress and poor sleep may become biologically embedded in the vasculature during childhood.
Advancing Cardiovascular Health in Puerto Rico
This work addresses cardiovascular health disparities in a vulnerable and understudied pediatric population in Puerto Rico. We are confident that Dr. Inostroza-Nieves has the expertise and commitment to complete this project successfully, and that its results will provide a strong foundation for future NIH funding.
