NEUROBRIDGES:
Connecting Brains and boricuas
About
NeuroBridges is a collaboration between the UC Irvine Center for the Neurobiology of Learning and Memory (CNLM) and Neuroboricuas a Puerto Rico a non-profit organization that focuses in empowering young Puerto Ricans to engage in science and helps schools in Puerto Rico perform scientific research.
Questions? Contact NeuroBridges founder Gimarie Irizarry-Martinez at girizarr@uci.edu.
Mission & Vision
Mission: To provide educational and experiential opportunities in neuroscience for students in Puerto Rico and to engage students from Puerto Rico in topics related to current areas of neuroscience research.
- Education
- Provide educational opportunities in neuroscience to students and prospective students living in Puerto Rico.
- Experience
- Engage students in the discovery of their own academic and career interests through interactions with current graduate students, neuroscientists, postdocs, and professors.
- Mentorship
- Guide students through navigating their academic, research, and career exploration by utilizing existing mentoring structures at UCI and UPR campuses.
- Networking
- Create an environment that fosters personal and professional relations in a setting that places priorities on equity, justice, and inclusivity.
Vision: to foster an inclusive neuroscience community in Puerto Rico, where Puerto Rican students are contributing to our understanding the brain for the betterment of society.
Seminar Series
Neuroscience Talks:
- Talks will be grounded in basic neuroscientific topics as a method of introducing students from a variety of academic disciplines. Each talk will introduce an active area of neuroscience research to a broad audience and allow for conversation and questions with presenters.
- Each seminar will be conducted by faculty, post-docs, or graduate students and will include an introduction to the speaker, a 40-minute presentation by the presenter, and 15 minutes for questions.
Graduate School Talks:
- Lectures will be centered around understanding and applying to graduate schools in neuroscience. These are intended to demystify the process and experiences of graduate school training while encouraging diversity in graduate school programs.
Benefits of participating:
- Certificate of participation
Past Meetings
Travel Awardees 2024 CNLM Spring Meeting
Through NeuroBridges, two Puerto Rican undergraduate students received a CNLM Travel Award to attend the 2024 Spring Meeting, an annual 2-day conference at UC Irvine that attracts leading learning and memory researchers to present and discuss on emerging research topics. Recipients include:
Pamela Perez-Vazquez
Undergraduate in the Chemistry program (4th year)
University of Puerto Rico, Mayaguez Campus
Alison Santos-Marquez
Undergraduate in the Cell and Molecular Biology program Minor in Computer Sciences (3rd year)
University of Puerto Rico, Rio Piedras Campus
"Participating in the 2024 Spring Conference of the UCI Center for the Neurobiology of Learning and Memory was an enriching experience. Engaging with experts in the field and exploring cutting-edge research broadened my understanding of neuroscience. Moreover, being honored with the NeuroBridges travel award not only provided me with the opportunity to participate but also facilitated my complete immersion in the conference's enlightening discussions, fostering meaningful connections that will undoubtedly shape my future endeavors in the field. I am genuinely grateful for the support and opportunity that enabled this amazing experience."
-Pamela Perez-Vazquez
Travel Award Recipient
"Attending the CNLM 2024 Spring Conference was an enriching experience that exceeded my expectations. The conference was excellently organized, with short, theme-specific talks and well-timed breaks that kept the audience engaged and fostered meaningful discussions. I was captivated by the vibrant atmosphere and the opportunity to connect with peers and experts alike. Particularly memorable was the dinner discussion about the future of graduate neuroscience education, which offered specific insights and valuable career advice. Presenting my poster and exploring UCI’s beautiful campus were definite highlights, reinforcing my desire to pursue graduate studies at CNLM, where I can envision thriving in a dynamic academic environment. Overall, the conference left a lasting impression, inspiring me both professionally and
Academically."
-Alison Santos-Marquez
Travel Award Recipient
Team
Manuella Oliveira Yassa, PhD
Director of Outreach and Education
UCI Center for the Neurobiology of Learning and Memory
Christian Bravo-Rivera, PhD
Assistant Professor of Psychiatry, Anatomy, and Neurobiology
University of Puerto Rico
Gimarie Irizarry-Martinez
NeuroBridges Founder
PhD Student
University of California, Irvine
Raymond D. Villareal, Ed.S., NCSP
Outreach and Education Assistant
UCI Center for the Neurobiology of Learning and Memory
Morgan Coburn, PhD
Neuroscience Outreach & Education Fellow
UCI Center for the Neurobiology of Learning and Memory
In the News
BUILDING (NEURO)BRIDGES Gimarie Irizarry Martinez Receives Director’s Excellence Award for Establishing NeuroBridges Gimarie Irizarry Martinez, a UC Irvine graduate student, has been awarded the prestigious Center for the Neurobiology of…