Professional Development

Certification

  • I received certification in animal training offered through the Animal Care Facility at LLU Health. (11/2016 - 2018)

Classes

  • Participated in the early investigator advancement program (EIAP) Grant seminar to learn effective strategies to prepare winning grant proposals. (03/2023 - Present)
  • I attended a workshop in Bethesda, Maryland to develop my grantsmanship skills to enhance my chances of successfully obtaining research funding in the area of complementary and alternative medicine. (06/2008)

Seminars and Conferences

  • Attended and presented a poster at the AACR Annual meeting in San Diego, CA The American Association for Cancer Research meeting is designed to host scientists from around the world dedicated to tackling cancer.  During this meeting, I had the opportunity to network and attend seminars and symposiums that enhanced my education of recent advances in cancer research.  LLU Pharmacy student (Gabriel Viteri) was able to present work on a project he initiated in my laboratory the prior summer entitled High levels of breast cancer stem cell marker alpha-6 integrin are associated with reduced fulvestrant efficacy in MCF-7 breast cancer cells. (04/2024)
  • Attended and presented a poster at the Annual American Association for Cancer Research meeting (04/2023)
  • I participated in professional advancement virtual engagement series (PAVES) seminars that discussed strategies to strengthen the mentor/mentee relationship, implementation of informatics technology, and developing a strong NIH grant application (03/2023)
  • Attended the Annual Biomedical Research Conference for Minoritized Scientists meeting and served as a judge for undergraduate posters and to attend special sessions designed to enhance my professional development. (11/2022)
  • American Association for Cancer Research Annual meeting 2021 (virtual) This meeting was hosted entirely using a virtual platform in two sections in April and then in May.  I attended several of the sessions to help me keep abreast of the advances in cancer research. (05/2021)
  • Attended the American Association for Cancer Research meeting offered virtually in 2021 During this conference, I had the opportunity to 'attend' seminars and workshops related to advances in cancer research.  While I did not formally present at this meeting, I learned a great deal and this will ultimately enable me to develop as a cancer researcher. (05/2021)
  • Annual American Association for Cancer Research meeting 2020 (virtual) This was a meeting that was originally designed for in person hosting that went virtual due to the pandemic.  We presented a poster virtually for this meeting entitled 'Plant Power: Plant isolate dibenzyl trisulfide induces death of triple-negative breast cancer cells derived from an African American patient.' (05/2020)
  • Presentation at the AACR Science of Cancer Health Disparities meeting We are due to present a poster at this meeting entitled 'Plant Isolate dibenzyl trisulfide potently inhibits cytochrome P4501 enzyme activity and teh growth of breast cancer cells derived from African American patients'. (11/2018)
  • Annual AACR meeting in Washington, DC. During this conference we presented a poster entitled 'Stemness Gene alpha 6-integrin mediates Tamoxifen Resistance in Estrogen Receptor Positive Breast Cancers' (04/2017)
  • 106th Annual American Association for Cancer Research meeting During this meeting we presented a poster entitled 'Aryl hydrocarbon receptor agonist 5F 203 induces oxidative stress triggering DNA damage and cytoglobin up-regulation in human breast cancer cells' (04/2015)
  • Center to Reduce Cancer Health Disparities Professional Development and Mock Review Workshop This two day workshop was designed to enhance my career development.  During the workshop, I attended specialized seminars that discussed funding opportunities through the National Cancer Institute (NCI) and the review process, intramural research career opportunities at NCI, translational cancer research, becoming an independent investigator and pathways to success in academia and beyond.  In addition, I served as a reviewer during the Mock Review session.  This workshop was very informative and invaluable to my development as a research scientist. (06/2014)
  • 2010 American Association for Cancer Research Annual meeting I presented a poster entitled ‘5F 203 modulates oxidative stress, induces single-strand break formation and promotes mitochondrial membrane potential loss in sensitive breast cancer cells’.  (04/2014)
  • Annual American Association for Cancer Research meeting I was a co-author on a poster presentation entitled ‘Aminoflavone exhibits in vivo efficacy on cancer stem cells in a spontaneous estrogen-dependent breast cancer murine model’.  (04/2014)
  • Annual American Association for Cancer Research meeting I presented a poster entitled 'Investigational agent 5F 203 modulates apoptotic regulatory gene expression and induces lysosomal membrane permeabilization in breast cancer cells'.  (04/2013)
  • Grant Writers Seminar and Workshop and one-on-one consultation After attending a one-day workshop on grantwriting, I received grantsmanship assistance from the workshop director in the ensuing months.   (08/2012 - 06/2013)
  • Annual American Association for Cancer Research meeting I presented a late-breaking poster during this meeting entitled ‘Aryl hydrocarbon receptor agonist Aminoflavone disrupts mammosphere formation via alpha 6 integrin inhibition’.  (04/2012)
  • I attended the Association of American Medical Colleges (AAMC) Minority Faculty Development Workshop. This three day workshop addressed issues pertinent to minority junior faculty which included tips on negotiation skills, family-work life balance, grantsmanship, and promotion and tenure.  Discussion was made regarding the value of mentorship and keys that are needed to successfully acquire a promotion in academic medicine. (09/2009)
  • I attended the American Association for Cancer Research conference on the Science of health disparities in racial/ethnic minorities and the medically underserved.   During this conference a poster was presented for which I was a co-author.  I benefited from the network opportunities that were available to me during this meeting. (02/2009)
  • I attended and presented a poster at the 99th Annual American Association for Cancer Research meeting in San Diego, CA.   At this meeting I also served as a mentor at a round table discussion on the topic choosing the right mentor.  (04/2008)
  • In November 2007, I attended and presented a poster at the Cancer Health Disparities meeting hosted by the American Association for Cancer Research.  While attending the meeting I had the opportunity to establish research collaborations and learn about advances in health disparities.  At this meeting I was able to become familiar with the impact of health policy on health disparities. This conference enabled me to interact with other investigators with similar interests related to Cancer Health Disparities and make critical contacts for career advancement.  The interaction between genes and the environment were extensively discussed. (11/2007)
  • I attended a Health Disparities Summit in Bethesda, Maryland which enabled me to learn more about research funding opportunties in the area of health disparities. (07/2007)
  • I attended the American Association for Cancer Research meeting in the Los Angeles convention center. At this meeting I had the opportunity to network and attend poster and oral presentations describing breakthroughs in cancer research (04/2007 - 02/2007)
  • I attended the American Association for Cancer Research meeting in Anaheim, California. At this meeting, I had a chance to meet with collaborators and attend poster and oral presentations that described recent advances in cancer research. We also were able to present a poster. (04/2006)
  • I attended a special conference sponsored by the American Association for Cancer Research entitled, Drugging the Cancer Genome: Developing Rational Combination Therapies for Multigene Cancers. During this meeting, I became better acquainted with recent advances in experimental cancer therapeutics. (01/2006)