RAFAEL E. FLORES-OBANDO

Talented Postdoctoral Associate with over six years of research experience eager to advance field knowledge of lipid-related mechanisms of pulmonary diseases. Resourceful and adaptable individual with expertise in implementing isolation, culture, and genetic manipulation of primary rodent brain cells. Strong track record in designing, executing, and publishing intricate research projects, utilizing a diverse range of cellular and molecular biology tools, including confocal microscopy.

• New York Academy of Sciences (NYAS)
• Society for Advancement of Chicanos and Native Americans in Science (SACNAS)
• Society for Neuroscience (SfN)

• Trainee Professional Development Award (TPDA) / Society for Neuroscience, August 2023.
• Annual Research Day Poster Full Travel Award. SUNY Downstate Medical Center. Title: The role of mutations in Cx47 in myelinating cells of the central nervous system, May 2017.
• Dean's Day Award at the 33rd Annual Honors Convocation of the University of Pittsburgh for the research project: Smoking, Chromosome Damage and an Abnormal DNA Damage Response (DDR) in Head and Neck Cancer (SCCHN), 2009.
• Fulbright Scholarship Award, Department of Human Genetics, Graduate School of Public Health, University of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, 2006-2008.
• BARSA Scholarship Award. Department of Human Genetics, Graduate School of Public Health, University of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, 2006-2008.
• Hugo Arechiga Fellowship. Ricardo Miledi Neuroscience Training Program. Neurobiology Institute, Universidad Nacional Autonoma de Mexico (UNAM), Campus Queretaro, Mexico, Summer 2005.

• KIBRA anchoring the action of PKMζ maintains the persistence of memory, Tsokas P†, Hsieh C†, Flores-Obando RE†, Bernabo M, Tcherepanov A, Hernández AI, Thomas C, Bergold PJ, Cottrell JE, Kremerskothen5, Shouval HZ, Nader K, Fenton AA, Sacktor TC, Science Advances, In Press, 2024-06 († Co-first authors).
• Activation of the unfolded protein response by Connexin47 mutations associated with Pelizaeus-Merzbacher-like disease, Flores-Obando RE, Freidin MM, Hernández AI, Abrams CK, Mol Cell Neurosci, 120, 103716, 2022-05, 10.1016/j.mcn.2022 103716.
• Persistent increases of PKMζ in memory-activated neurons trace LTP maintenance during spatial long-term memory storage, Hsieh C, Tsokas P, Grau-Perales A, Lesburguères E, Bukai J, Khanna K, Chorny J, Chung A, Jou C, Burghardt NS, Denny CA, Flores-Obando RE, Hartley BR, Rodríguez Valencia LM, Hernández AI, Bergold PJ, Cottrell JE, Alarcon JM, Fenton AA, Sacktor TC, Eur J Neurosci, 54, 8, 6795-6814, 2021-10, 10.1111/ejn 15137.
• Investigating oligodendrocyte connexins: Heteromeric interactions between Cx32 and mutant or wild-type forms of Cx47 do not contribute to or modulate gap junction function, Abrams CK, Flores-Obando RE, Dungan GD, Cherepanova E, Freidin MM, Glia, 69, 8, 1882-1896, 2021-08, 10.1002/glia.23999.
• Interactive effect of TLR SNPs and exposure to sexually transmitted infections on prostate cancer risk in Jamaican men, Dubey B, Jackson M, Zeigler-Johnson C, Devarajan K, Flores-Obando RE, McFarlane-Anderson N, Tulloch-Reid M, Aiken W, Kimbro K, Reed D, Kidd LR, Gibbs D, Kumar S, Ragin C, Prostate, 80, 15, 1365-1372, 2020-11, 10.1002/pros.24067.
• Proceedings from the Albert Charitable Trust Inaugural Workshop on white matter and cognition in aging, Sorond FA, Whitehead S, Arai K, Arnold D, Carmichael ST, De Carli C, Duering M, Fornage M, Flores-Obando RE, Graff-Radford J, Hamel E, Hess DC, Ihara M, Jensen MK, Markus HS, Montagne A, Rosenberg G, Shih AY, Smith EE, Thiel A, Tse KH, Wilcock D, Barone F, Geroscience, 42, 1, 81-96, 2020-02, 10.1007/s11357-019-00141-8.
• Rapid and Specific Immunomagnetic Isolation of Mouse Primary Oligodendrocytes, Flores-Obando RE, Freidin MM, Abrams CK, J Vis Exp, 135, 10.3791/57543, 2018-05-21.
• Interactive effect of TLR SNPs and exposure to sexually transmitted infections on prostate cancer risk in Jamaican men, Dubey B, Jackson MD, Zeigler-Johnson C, Devarajan K, Flores-Obando RE, McFarlane-Anderson N, Tulloch-Reid MK, Aiken W, Kimbro K, Jones DZ, Kidd LR, Ragin C, Gene, 636, 96-102, 2017-12-15, 10.1016/j.gene.2017.09.034.
• A new mutation in GJC2 associated with subclinical leukodystrophy, Abrams CK, Flores-Obando RE, Dungan GD, Cherepanova E, Freidin MM, J Neurol, 261, 10, 1929-1938, 2014-10, 10.1007/s00415-014-7432-7.
• Melatonin and the Charlson Comorbidity Index (CCI): the Treviso Longeva (Trelong) study, Gallucci M, Flores-Obando R, Mazzuco S, Ongaro F, Di Giorgi E, Boldrini P, Durante E, Frigato A, Albani D, Forloni G, Zanardo A, Siculi M, Caberlotto L, Taioli E, Int J Biol Markers, 2014-02-13.
• HPV-associated lung cancers: an international pooled analysis, Ragin C, Obikoya-Malomo M, Kim S, Chen Z, Flores-Obando R, Gibbs D, Koriyama C, Aguayo F, Koshiol J, Caporaso NE, Carpagnano GE, Ciotti M, Dosaka-Akita H, Fukayama M, Goto A, Spandidos DA, Gorgoulis V, Heideman DA, van Boerdonk RA, Hiroshima K, Iwakawa R, Kastrinakis NG, Kinoshita I, Akiba S, Landi MT, Eugene Liu H, Wang JL, Mehra R, Khuri FR, Lim WT, Owonikoko TK, Ramalingam S, Sarchianaki E, Syrjanen K, Tsao MS, Sykes J, Hee SW, Yokota J, Zaravinos A, Taioli E, Carcinogenesis, 2014-02-26.
• The impact of genetic variants in inflammatory-related genes on prostate cancer risk among men of African Descent: a case control study, Jones DZ, Ragin C, Kidd NC, Flores-Obando RE, Jackson M, McFarlane-Anderson N, Tulloch-Reid M, Kimbro KS, Kidd LR, Hered Cancer Clin Pract, 11, 1, 19, 2013-12-23, 10.1186/1897-4287-11-19.
• Polymorphisms in CYP17 and CYP3A4 and prostate cancer in men of African descent, Taioli E, Sears V, Watson A, Flores-Obando RE, Jackson M, Ukoli FA, de Syllos Cólus IM, Fernandez P, McFarlane-Anderson N, Ostrander EA, Rodrigues IS, Stanford JL, Taylor JA, Tulloch-Reid M, Ragin CC, Prostate, 73, 6, 668-676, 2013-05, 10.1002/pros.22619.
• Multi-institutional prostate cancer study of genetic susceptibility in populations of African descent, Taioli E, Flores-Obando RE, Agalliu I, Blanchet P, Bunker CH, Ferrell RE, Jackson M, Kidd LC, Kolb S, Lavender NA, McFarlane-Anderson N, Morrison SS, Multigner L, Ostrande EA, Park JY, Patrick AL, Rebbeck TR, Romana M, Stanford JL, Ukoli F, Vancleave TT, Zeigler-Johnson CM, Mutetwa B, Ragin C, Carcinogenesis, 32, 9, 1361-1365, 2011-09, 10.1093/carcin/bgr135.
• Polymorphisms in DNA damage response genes and head and neck cancer risk, Flores-Obando RE, Gollin SM, Ragin CC, Biomarkers, 15, 5, 379-399, 2010-08, 10.3109/1354750X.2010.494051.
• The human promyelocytic leukemia protein is a tumor suppressor for murine skin carcinogenesis, Virador VM, Flores-Obando RE, Berry A, Patel R, Zakhari J, Lo YC, Strain K, Anders J, Cataisson C, Hansen LA, Yuspa SH, Mol Carcinog, 48, 7, 599-609, 2009-07, 10.1002/mc.20507.
• Genomic and proteomic approaches for Chagas' disease: critical analysis of diagnostic methods, Huete-Pérez JA, Flores-Obando RE, Ghedin E, Caffrey CR, Expert Rev Mol Diagn, 5, 4, 521-530, 2005-07, 10.1586/14737159.5.4.521.
• Allele frequencies for markers CSF1PO, TPOX, TH01, F13A01, FESFPS, vWA, D16S539, D7S820, D13S317 in the general population of Nicaragua, Flores-Obando RE, Budowle B, Huete-Pérez JA, J Forensic Sci, 49, 2, 416-417, 2004-03.

• Todd C. Sacktor, MD, Distinguished Professor Physiology and Pharmacology Neurology, SUNY Downstate Medical Center, 450 Clarkson Avenue, Brooklyn, NY, 11203, (718) 270-3933, todd.sacktor@downstate.edu
• Alejandro Ivan Hernandez, Ph.D., Assistant Professor of Pathology, SUNY Downstate Medical Center, 450 Clarkson Ave, Rm 4-109, Box 25, Brooklyn, NY, 11203, (718) 270-4561, ivan.hernandez@downstate.edu
• Frank C. Barone, Ph.D., Professor of Neurology, Professor of Physiology & Pharmacology Director of Basic Research, Cerebrovascular Division, SUNY Downstate Medical Center, 450 Clarkson Avenue, Brooklyn, NY, 11203, (718) 221-5745, frank.barone@downstate.edu
• Charles K. Abrams MD, Ph.D., Professor, Department of Neurology and Rehabilitation, University of Illinois at Chicago, (312) 355-5859, cabrams1@uic.edu

• Photography
• Running
• Guitar