Team:Panama/Team/instructor

My education was in mechanical engineering (course 2) at MIT. I then lived in Tokyo for three years, getting a Masters degree in mechanical engineering from the Tokyo Institute of Technology. I spent my career in software development in quantitative finance and consumer web sites.

I have lived in Panama for a year. I read about the iGEM contest in February. When I learned that in addition to world famous universities some small schools participate, I thought "I am going to try to organize a team from Panama!"

I did my PhD at Imperial College London and the Natural History Museum, London in Molecular systematics and evolution of insects. I came back to Panama at the beginning of 2010 to apply all the techniques and methodologies I learned in the UK.

I was very pleased when Oris Sanjur and members of SENACYT (Panamanian Institute of Science, Technology and Innovation) invited me to be one of the instructors of the first Panamanian team to participate in iGEM. I trust this is a great opportunity for young panamanian students to develop and improve their skills and learn from colleagues from all around the world.

I obtained my doctoral degree in Molecular Biology and Biochemistry in Spain. After living in beautiful Andalucía I moved to Florida for my first postdoc position and then moved on to the Walter Reed Army Institute of Research in the Washington, DC area for a much longer second postdoctoral position. I moved back to my country two years ago and when SENACYT asked for my institution, INDICASAT, to help the team, I was asked if I could take charge of the team work in our lab. It has been great to see the independent thinking, great enthusiasm, and pride the students have shown facing the fact that they will be making it possible for our country, Panama, to be in the iGEM contest for the first time in our incipient scientific history.

I obtained a doctoral degree in Cell and Developmental Biology from Rutgers University, New Jersey. After I got my degree, I returned to my home country Panama, for a two-year postdoct at the Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute (STRI), using molecular tools to infer relationship among domesticated and wild squashes. In 2000, I accepted a position at STRI as Manager of the Laboratory of Molecular Biology and Evolution. Recently, I was appointed Associate Director for Science Administration at STRI. I got involved with iGEM when I was invited by SENACYT to participate as one of the instructors for the Panama team. It has been a wonderful experience to have the opportunity to collaborate and share ideas with a group of very bright and enthusiastic Panamanian students that have embrace the challenge of representing Panama in the iGEM contest.