REU Site: Molecular Aspects of Pharmaceutical Sciences at UPR (UPR-MAPS)

University Of Puerto Rico Medical Sciences Campus, San Juan PR

Investigators

Abstract

This Research Experiences for Undergraduates (REU) site award to the University of Puerto Rico-Medical Sciences Campus, located in San Juan, PR, supports the training of 8 students for 9 weeks during the summers of 2022-2024. In this project, jointly funded by the Division of Chemistry and the Established Program to Stimulate Competitive Research (EPSCoR), participants will engage in collaborative STEM research that defines the interdisciplinary pharmaceutical sciences (non-clinical), with a focus on organic, analytical, solid-state, and (bio)chemistry, molecular biology, materials science, and chemical engineering. The UPR-MAPS program is also enriched with a variety of skill building activities designed to develop the participants professional abilities related to research project development, raising the awareness of societal and ethical responsibilities, and communication with a focus to prepare students to succeed in a STEM career. Participants are recruited nationally from 2- and 4-year institutions with an emphasis on students from underrepresented groups in STEM and limited research opportunities at their undergraduate campuses. The goal of this site is to train talented underrepresented scientists to capture their interests and awareness of the multidisciplinary nature of pharmaceutical science research. A diverse pool of experienced faculty members will mentor students in individual projects encompassing chemistry-centric projects that have an overall pharmaceutical sciences sub-theme. These projects focus on the entire value chain of chemical structures from discovery, to design, to synthesis, to purification, to formulation, and biochemical function. Learning and training activities in form of seminars, webinars, and workshops will be hosted to help students develop skills to succeed in their STEM careers. Ultimately, the program is expected contribute to the mentoring and matriculation of highly skilled, talented students on their way to becoming key members of the future STEM workforce for the nation. This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.