Researcher Shares Science en Espa ñol and Builds a Community

Dr. Marcos Ramos-Benítez. Credit: Courtesy of Dr. Ramos-Benítez. “For me, science is the perfect way to harmonize creative thinking and critical thinking,” says Marcos Ramos-Benítez, Ph.D., a fellow in the NIGMS Postdoctoral Research Associate Training (PRAT) program. Dr. Ramos-Benítez researches interactions between pathogens—such as the viruses that cause Ebola and COVID-19—and their hosts. He’s also the founder and president of Ciencia en tus Manos (“Science in Your Hands”), a nonprofit organization that presents scientific information in Spanish and aims to provide a community to support the next generation of scientists. Becoming a Scientist Growing up in a small town in Puerto Rico, Dr. Ramos-Benítez always did well in school, which led teachers and family to encourage him to pursue a career in medicine. He started by studying biology at the University of Puerto Rico, Humacao. There, he befriended people who were actively pursuing research careers. “By communicating with them, having them as a support system, and taking classes with them, I became involved in research opportunities,” Dr. Ramos-Benítez says. “And that’s where I fell in love with science.” Dr. Ramos-Benítez in graduate school. Credit: Courtesy of Dr. Ramos-Benítez. During his senior year, he began volunteering in the lab of Ana Espino, Ph.D., at the University of Puerto Rico, Medical Sciences Campus. Dr. Espino became Dr. Ramos-Benítez’s advisor ...
Source: Biomedical Beat Blog - National Institute of General Medical Sciences - Category: Research Authors: Tags: Being a Scientist COVID-19 Infectious Diseases Profiles Training Source Type: blogs