Ph.D. Michigan State University, 1986

Annual GK-12 program-NSF, Media Award, Washington, D.C. March 2009
ACS National Chemluminary Award "Outstanding Continuing Public Relations Program of a Local Section", Boston, MA August 2007
Member of the Puerto Rico Academy of Arts and Sciences October 2005
ACS-PR Award in Chemical Education (ACS-Puerto Rico Section) November 2003
Alumni Distinguish Professor, University of Puerto Rico at Mayagüez. September 2001
USA Presidential Award for Excellence in Science, Mathematics, Engineering Mentoring (PAESMEM) March 2000
Igaravídez Award-ACS in Research and Public Service (ACS-Puerto Rico) November 2000

Implementation of a coherent link between graduate and undergraduate research, educational curriculum and cultures to enhance university students' didactic multiplicity and knowledge to pursue PhD in the areas of biomedical sciences and biomedical engineering. Support and establish pre-college education and university interactions (K-20⁺ Outreach University Programs), through, for example, Science Shows, the Global Learning and Observation in Benefit of the Environment (GLOBE) and the Graduate and Undergraduate Students Enhancing Science and Technology (STEM) in K-12 Schools (GUEST K-12) programs, that help to prepare the next generations of university students and professionals.

Structure and function relationships in hemeproteins, like the unique hemoglobin I from Lucina pectinata. For example, using "site directed mutagenesis" we tailor the structure of this hemoglobin. Its chemical structure is then studied by Fourier Transform infrared, resonance Raman vibrational analysis, and NMR spectroscopies. This is followed by the kinetic study of the reaction between hemoglobin and ligands (for example, O₂, CO, NO, and H₂S) using time - resolved (pump and probe) infrared and resonance Raman techniques. Ultrafast geminate chemical dynamics are studied also in our laboratory using time - resolved (pump and probe) picosecond and femtosecond spectroscopy.

1. Rosario-Alomar, M. F., Quiñones-Ruiz, T., Kurouski, D., Sereda, V., DeBarros-Ferreira, E., De Jesús-Kim, L., Hernández-Rivera, S., López-Garriga, J., and Lednev , I. K. Hydrogen Sulfide Inhibits Amyloid Formation, Journal of Physical Chemistry 2015 (Accepted for publication)
    
2. Ríos-González, B., Elddie M. Román-Morales, Ruth Pietri, Juan López-Garriga. Hydrogen Sulfide Activation in Hemeproteins: The Sulfheme Scenario, J. Inor. Biochem. (2014) 133, 78-86. PMID: 24513534
    
3. Ramos-Alvarez, C., Byung-Kuk Yoo, Ruth Pietri, Isabelle Lamarre, Jean-Louis Martin, Juan López-Garriga, and Michel Negrerie. Reactivity and dynamics of H₂S, NO and O₂ interacting with hemoglobins from Lucina pectinata, Biochemistry (2013) 52, 2007-2021, PMID: 24040745
    
4. Román-Morales, E., Pietri, R., Ramos, B., Vinogradov, S,N., López-Garriga, J. Structural determinants for the formation of sulfhemeprotein complexes. Biochemical and Biophysical Research Communications, 2010, 400, 489-492. PMID: 20732304, PMCID:PM29992849
    
5. Pietri, R., Lewis, A., Leon, R., Casabona, G., Kiger, L., Syun-Ru Yeh, Fernández-Alberti, S., Marden, M., Cadilla, C.L., López-Garriga, J.; Factors Controlling the Reactivity of Hydrogen Sulfide with Hemeproteins, Biochemistry 2009, 48, 4881-4894. PMID:19368335 PMCID:PM2715280