Chiesa, Ricardo
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Chiesa, Ricardo

Faculty Member

Positions

  • Full Professor, Introductory and specialized courses (Neurobiology; Cellular/Molecular Biology) University of Puerto Rico, Cayey campus Cayey, Puerto Rico, 00736 2012-PRESENT Comité Evaluador de Procesos de Investigación Administración Central de la Universidad de Puerto Rico December 2022 – PRESENT AssociateProfessor, Introductory and specialized courses (Neurobiology; Cellular/Molecular Biology) University of Puerto Rico, Cayey campus Cayey, Puerto Rico, 00736 2008-2011 Assistant Professor, Introductory and specialized courses (Neurobiology; Cellular/Molecular Biology) University of Puerto Rico, Cayey campus Cayey, Puerto Rico, 00736 1998-2007 Instructor, Introductory courses University of Puerto Rico, Cayey campus Cayey, Puerto Rico, 00736 1990-1997 Department Chair of the Biology Department University of Puerto Rico (July 2012-January 2014) Cayey campus Project Manager of the Howard Hughes Medical Institute Program of the Cayey campus of the University of Puerto Rico. 2005-2007 Member of the Academic Senate of the Cayey campus of the University of Puerto Rico. 2005-2007 Puerto Rico Math and Science Partnership. Editor and Capacitator. 2004-2007) Department Chair of the Biology Department University of Puerto Rico (2003-2005) Cayey campus , University of Puerto Rico - Cayey

overview

  • Dr. Ricardo Chiesa completed his B.S. in Biology at the Río Piedras Campus of the University of Puerto Rico. He immediately began a master’s degree in biology with emphasis in Pharmacology at the same campus, characterizing the opioid receptors in a ciliate model. Once he finished his master's degree, he began his teaching career in the Biology Department of the UPR-Cayey.

    In 1998 he obtained a study leave for the Rio Piedras campus of the UPR, where she completed a doctoral degree, which he concluded in 2002 in Biology with emphasis in Neurobiology, specifically in the field of learning, memory, and emotions. His doctoral research focused on genetic and cellular aspects of the mechanisms of emotional associative learning in the cerebral amygdala.

    In 2002, he returned to his professorship in the Department of Biology at the University of Puerto Rico at Cayey.

    In his 33 years of teaching experience at the University of Puerto Rico at Cayey, Dr. Chiesa has served as an academic senator, has been a member of the Administrative Board and has headed the Biology Department on two occasions. Dr. Chiesa holds the rank of Professor and offers specialized courses in Cellular-Molecular Biology and Neurobiology. Since 2014 he has been working on a new research project in neurobiology and anxiety. Several of his national and international papers and publications stand out in the topics of molecular aspects of learning processes, memory and emotions, acquisition and consolidation of emotional memory, molecular model of learning and emotional modulation, biotechnology and modern medicine, among other related topics. Dr. Chiesa has extensive experience in offering professional development and continuing education courses related to mental health, learning and memory.

    In 2021, Dr. Chiesa received a two-year CATALYZER GRANT research grant from the Puerto Rico Science, Technology, and Research Trust for the project entitled: Discovery and Development of Anxiolytic Agents from Tropical Marine Macroalgae, which he directs with the collaboration of Dr. Eduardo Caro (CO-PI), School of Pharmacy of the Medical Sciences Campus. In June 2023, Dr. Ricardo Chiesa submitted an R15 AREA AWARD proposal to the National Center for Comprehensive and Integrative Health (NCCIH) of NIF, which is currently in the evaluation process.

     

research overview

  • Neuroscience (mental health,behavior, learning, , drug discovery, memory, neuropharmacology)

full name

  • Ricardo Chiesa

primary email

  • ricardo.chiesa@upr.edu

phone

  • (787) 738-2161, ext. 3036
  • Contact Info
  • (787) 738-2161, ext. 3036