Welcome to the Department of Biochemistry & Pharmacology of the San Juan Bautista School of Medicine. Here you will find Faculty and Staff that is available to all students to help them maximize their academic achievement through courses and cooperative learning activities.
Our faculty is specialized in different areas of biochemistry and pharmacology contributing to the enrichment and diversity of our department.
We currently offer two courses:
Biochemistry & Genetics in Medicine
Through the Biochemistry & Genetic in Medicine Course the faculty strives to convey updated information in this fast-changing and dynamic field of study that applies fundamental techniques to understanding the structures and reactions of living organisms. This course integrates the understanding at the cellular and molecular level of the biological pathways that control the functioning of the human body and how these processes are altered by the diseases. In addition, this course introduces the basic genetic processes and mechanisms which determine the inheritance and expression of genetic disorders in man. Fundamental principles of diagnosis and treatment of genetic diseases, abnormalities of chromosome and gene structure, applications of molecular biology, introduction to prenatal diagnosis and genetic screening, genetics of cancer, and technological advances in the study of the human genome will also be discussed as relevant to medical practice. The teaching methodology comprises lectures, problem-solving exercises, case analysis and discussion. All these concepts are discussed focused to the medical practice/clinical approach. This stimulates critical thinking skills and their application to the practice of modern medicine.Pharmacology & Therapeutics
The Pharmacology and Therapeutics Course is designed to provide an understanding of drug action in the framework of human physiology, biochemistry, microbiology and pathophysiology and thus, to familiarize with the fundamental principles of drug action and disposition, adverse effects, drug-drug interactions, and contraindications in the context of drug classes so as to perform well on the Step 1-2 Board exam and to obtain a foundation for future clinical decision-making with respect to medical therapies. Students will learn pharmacology in a conceptual framework that fosters mechanism-based learning rather than rote memorization, and that allows for ready incorporation of new drugs and drug classes into the student's fund of knowledge current information on drugs and their mechanisms of action to medical students through core and other activities. The teaching strategies are designed to integrate the acquired knowledge in Pharmacology to medical practice. The didactic activities establish a bridge between the theoretical aspects of basic Pharmacology and the application of pharmacological intervention in the treatment of diseases.Since the San Juan Bautista School of Medicine is a community-based school, all courses offer applications to the medical field and are complemented by community based activities that integrate all the principles learned to the day to day activities of a physician.
In our department we have three faculty members in the Research Track. They are actively involved in conducting research in our facilities at the SJB Core-Lab, and also establishing extramural collaborations here in PR and in USA. Research areas within the department include anticancer therapies, nanomedicine, drug delivery systems, cardiovascular diseases, neurological diseases and inflammation pathways.
Faculty
Chief Department Assistant Professor
Yamixa Delgado, PhD
ydelgado@sanjuanbautista.edu
(787) 743-3038 Ext: 3220
Academic Dean Associate Professor
Irvin Maldonado, PhD
imaldonado@sanjuanbautista.edu
(787) 743-3038 Ext. 254
Director SJBSM Research Center Professor
Estela S. Estapé MT, PhD, DHL
e_estape@sanjuanbautista.edu
Associate Professor
Luis C. Mejía, MD/PhD
lmejia@sanjuanbautista.edu
(787) 743-3038 Ext. 245
Assistant Professor/Co-Director - SJBSM Research Center
Yaritza Inostroza-Nieves, Ph.D.
yinostroza@sanjuanbautista.edu
(787) 743-3038 Ext. 242
Ad-honorem
Jose Manautou, PhD
Jose Rodriguez-Orengo, PhD
Sylvette Ayala, PhD
Sylvia Rabionet, EdD
