About me
Visita mi biografía en español
I grew up in a rural, working-class community in Vega Alta, Puerto Rico, surrounded by nature. My childhood was spent catching lizards and exploring the natural environment of my home, where we even had a cow in our backyard. This early connection with nature sparked my fascination with biology and planted the seeds for what would become my scientific career.
I completed my undergraduate degree in human biology at the University of Puerto Rico in Bayamón. After graduation, I moved to Boston, Massachusetts, to work as a laboratory technician at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), and later pursued my doctorate in neurobiology at Harvard University. During my years in Boston, I confronted an important realization: I felt pressured to abandon my Puerto Rican identity to fit into the scientific world. This experience led me to develop a unique perspective—my culture was not a limitation but rather a strength that allowed me to connect with audiences traditionally excluded from the sciences.
I am a bilingual scientist-turned-communicator who integrates my professional training, personal background, and cultural identity to engage historically marginalized audiences, particularly Puerto Ricans and other Spanish-speakers, with science. I apply a cultural lens to science communication and storytelling to promote greater equity and inclusion in science.
Currently, I serve as Director of Public Engagement with Science for Ciencia Puerto Rico (CienciaPR), a nonprofit organization connecting over 18,000 scientists, students, educators, and allies committed to creating social impact in Puerto Rico. In this role, I lead various science communication initiatives, including collaborations with the Science and Opinion sections of El Nuevo Día newspaper and "Jueves de Ciencia Boricua" (Puerto Rican Science Thursdays), the only weekly science segment on AM radio in Puerto Rico, part of Radio Isla's "Puestos Pa' La Mañana" show. I direct projects such as "Aquí Nos Cuidamos" (Here We Take Care of Each Other), which promotes community well-being, and the "Laboratorio de Ciencia Comunitaria" (Community Science Laboratory), where we support local leaders in developing community science projects.
My work centers on culturally relevant science communication—utilizing elements of Puerto Rican culture to make science more accessible and comprehensible by connecting scientific concepts with examples, traditions, cultures, identities, and realities that people know and understand. Through filmmaking, article writing, and media engagement, I work to change stereotypes about scientists of color. I partner with leaders from marginalized communities to build their capacity to use science to address their needs and priorities. Through science communication training and mentoring, I support the professional development of minoritized scientists.
My work has been featured in Telemundo, El Nuevo Día, Latino USA, Scientific American, and Google Arts & Culture, among others. In 2024, El Nuevo Día named me one of 10 Women of the Year transforming Puerto Rico. I am a member of the National Academies of Science, Engineering and Medicine's Standing Committee on Advancing Science Communication, a fellow of the American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS), a 2020 Emerson Collective Fellow, a Fellow of the U.S.-Japan Leadership Program (2023-2024), and a Fellow of the California Academy of Sciences (2024).
What motivates me daily is putting scientific knowledge at the service of Puerto Rico and making science more inclusive. My goal is for people to see science as accessible, valuable, and relevant to their lives, demonstrating that one's origin and culture are not obstacles but valuable tools that can greatly enrich the scientific world.