PDC Spotlight Corner
Dr. Marian Sepúlveda & Dr. Kathryn Reissner, Mentor-Mentee Teams Program awardees 2021-2023
The Mentor-Mentee team composed by Dr. Marian Sepúlveda, mentee and Assistant Professor in the Department of Basic Sciences at Ponce Health Sciences University/Ponce Research Institute (PHSU/PRI) and Dr. Kathryn Reissner, mentor and Associate Professor in the Department of Psychology and Neuroscience at UNC-Chapel Hill recently completed the Mentor-Mentee Teams Program sponsored by the Hispanic Alliance for Clinical and Translational Research (The Alliance) Professional Development Core. The program is designed to assist new investigators in developing partnerships, skills, and tools to be successful in scientific productivity and obtaining external funding to support their goal of performing independent research. The Mentor-Mentee Teams Program provides the opportunity to participate in a structured mentored/guidance program designed to coach talented researchers and their mentors and research collaborators.
During the program, Dr. Sepúlveda was able to submit several applications for intramural grants, and received funding for two (2) of them (PR-INBRE Developmental Research Project Program P20-GM103475-19 “Effects of exercise on fear- and cocaine-induced changes in the nucleus accumbens” 01/01/2022-06/30/2023 | RCMI-Supplement Project NMHHD 3U54MD007579-37S1 “The Role of Midbrain to Prelimbic Cortex Glutamatergic projections in Stress-induced Drug Seeking” 03/01/2022-02/28/2024). Dr. Sepúlveda has also submitted a new proposal through the RCMI program, which is currently under revision. Additionally, Dr. Sepúlveda co-authored the article titled “Aerobic exercise as a promising nonpharmacological therapy for the treatment of substance use disorders” and has four (4) other manuscripts in preparation. She was very active in presenting her results orally and via poster in scientific forums in Puerto Rico and the United States, including the American College of Neuropsychopharmacology Conference (ACNP). Other areas of career development she was interested in improving were her skills in communication, grant writing, and laboratory research. To enhance them, Dr. Sepúlveda took many trainings, workshops, and courses at local and national levels, including the “Scientific Communication in Clinical and Translational Research” course offered by The Alliance, the “Interactive Mentoring to Enhance Research Skills (IMERS) workshop at the University of Kentucky and a training in “Transgenic Mouse use for research at Jackson Laboratories” in Maine. Dr. Sepúlveda’s plans aim to apply for external funding opportunities. In addition, she is working to obtain an academic promotion at Ponce Health Sciences University. We wish Dr. Sepúlveda the best in her future endeavors and feel proud of her accomplishments while receiving support and training from The Alliance.
