I was born in Argentina and completed my BS and MS degrees in biology at the Universidad Nacional de Mar del Plata. I moved to the United States to work on my PhD studying isoform-specific roles of PKC signaling in cancer (University of Pennsylvania). For my postdoctoral training I focused on understanding the role of mitochondria in cancer (The Wistar Institute). I am an Associate Professor of Pharmacology at UC-AMC, where my lab aims to understand the role of mitochondrial function for therapeutic gain in lethal cancer. In addition to doing research, I am actively involved in campus activities to enhance mentoring, DEI and wellness. ***See “Phylosophy” tab for details on my formal training in mentoring, well being, equity and management.

I received my B.S in Biological Sciences specializing in neuroscience at Rowan University in 2016. During my undergraduate degree I spent time researching how hypoxic transcription factors influenced cellular fitness using S. cerevisiae as a model organism. I joined the Pharmacology program in 2018 where I am now studying how novel mitochondrial signaling pathways contribute to metastatic dissemination of cancer cells.

Funding: NIH NCI-F31 , NIGMS T32 (PHARM)

I received my B.S. in Biochemistry and Molecular Biology from McMaster University (Canada). I moved to Philadelphia where I pursued my PhD in Physiology focusing on purinergic receptors signaling in neutrophils. I completed 2 postdocs in cell signaling studying protein kinases and G protein coupled receptors in cancer and immune cells (UPenn and CHOP). In the Caino Lab, I am studying the integrated stress response in metastatic cancer.

I received my B.S. in Molecular Biology from the University of Denver in 2016. After completing my undergraduate education, I went straight into industry. I have worked as an Organic Chemist, I held a position as a Microbiologist, and most recently as a Molecular Biologist for a biotech company. After spending more than half a decade in industry I returned to academia in pursuit of a PhD through the Molecular Biology program at CU Anschutz. I joined the Caino Lab in July 2023 to conduct my thesis research.

Funding: NIGMS T32 (MOLB)

I received my B.S. In Biological Sciences with a concentration in Physiology and a minor in Chemistry from San Jose State University in 2024. As an undergrad, I worked in an atmospheric chemistry lab, investigating the possible impact of chemical alterations in aerosols on climate cooling. As a physiology major, I was eager to learn more about the molecular mechanisms underlying diseases such as cancer, which led me to participate in the 2023 Stanford Summer Research program, where I conducted single-cell analysis of Myelodysplastic syndromes and myelofibrosis in hopes of finding a therapeutic target. Currently, I am pursuing my PhD in Pharmacology and Molecular Medicine at CU-AMC, aiming to study the mitochondrial mechanism in cancer metastasis at the Caino lab!

I am currently pursuing a B.S. in Cellular and Molecular Biology with a minor in Women’s and Gender Studies at the University of Puerto Rico, Río Piedras Campus. My research began in environmental microbiology and later expanded to biochemistry during a summer REU at The Ohio State University, where I was first introduced to stress response mechanisms. During the academic year, my work focuses on understanding the evolutionary origins of transcriptional regulation by investigating conserved gene families. This summer, through the ACS-DICR program, I am conducting research in Dr. Caino’s lab on the role of the stress-response kinase GCN2 in prostate cancer metastasis. This project marks an important step in my development as a researcher, sparking new questions and deepening my interest in how cells respond to stress, particularly in the context of cancer. I look forward to continuing this work throughout the summer as I expand my skills and scientific perspective.

A gift from Ceci’s parents when she started the lab, Scooter has since been a charm for grant and fellowship writing. Its Latin name is Pollum defensorius fiscalis, and its common name Scooter was given by the first NIH awardee in the lab (Dillon).