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Since its
inception in 1985, the RCMI Program has been instrumental in shifting
its parent institution, the Ponce School of Medicine (PSM), from being a
traditional teaching school to being a vigorous research center. The
institution has experienced substantial development, both of its human
and its physical infrastructure. Along these lines, through the auspices
of the RCMI Program, PSM has been able to acquire the state-of-the-art
facilities and equipment as well as other resources that enable
investigators to pursue competitive basic, clinical, and behavioral
research. Retrovirology, HIV/AIDS, Molecular Biology, Human and
Bacterial Genetics, Protein Chemistry and Enzymology, Immunology, Cancer
Biology, and Epidemiology number among the new research areas that have
arisen with the support of the RCMI Program.
Along with the direct improvements to the institution, faculty members
are enhancing its and their reputations by increasing the number and
quality of publications in peer-reviewed journals, the number of
scientific presentations at competitive forums at the national and
international levels, and the number of funded research and training
initiatives.
During the current cycle (2008 to 2013), the RCMI Program will continue
to improve its human and physical infrastructure so that the institution
will be able accomplish the major goals and carry out the objectives
contained in the Institutional Strategic Plan for Research. Particular
emphasis will be placed on the development of both translational and
health disparities research in Puerto Rico. The Program comprises four
Core activities (Administration, AIDS Research Infrastructure Program,
Molecular Biology, and Behavioral Neuroscience) and five Research Pilot
Projects. The primary goals and objectives of the present competitive
continuation application are:
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