COBRE – COBRE Center for Neuroplasticity at the University of Puerto Rico

Dr. Kevin De Leon and Dr. Bruno Marie recently published an article in the prestigious journal Genetics: “Autophagy, the ubiquitin proteasome system, and the MAPK pathway control the temperature dependence of synaptic growth”. Congratulations Dr. De Leon and Dr. Marie!

News, Recent NewsBy COBRE September 10, 2026

This study shows that developmental temperature does not affect all synapses equally. Using the Drosophila larval neuromuscular junction, we find that higher temperature selectively increases bouton number at phasic 1s motor terminals, while tonic 1b terminals remain stable. We identify neuronal autophagy and the Hiw-Wnd/P38b pathway as key regulators of this temperature-dependent structural remodeling. These…

Dr. Roberto Rodríguez Morales, COBRE II Pilot Project Leader, published an article in Animal Behaviour

News, Recent NewsBy COBRE September 7, 2026

Dr. Roberto Rodríguez Morales, COBRE II Pilot Project Leader, published an article in Animal Behaviour: Navarro-Pagan J, Figueroa-Colon P, Figueroa-Negron A, Perez-Fabregat L, Morales-Cintrón A, Mendoza-Anduce J, Ortiz-Franco A, Kozol RA, Rodriguez-Morales R. The resident effect dominates over previous winner/loser experience in surface fish of the Mexican tetra. Anim Behav. 2026 Aug;238:123636. doi: 10.1016/j.anbehav.2026.123636. Epub…

Dr. José A. Lasalde, COBRE Center for Neuroplasticity Program Director, and Dr. Mark W. Miller, Administrative Core Director, attended the 10th Biennial National IDEA Symposium of Biomedical Research Excellence (NISBRE)

News, Recent NewsBy COBRE June 17, 2026

June 14-17, 2026. Shown here with Dr. Filipa Godoy, COBRE Center for Microbiome Sciences, and Dr. Abel Baerga, COBRE Center for the Promotion of Cancer Health Research.

Students from the Puerto Rico IDeA Network of Biomedical Research Excellence (PR-INBRE) Undergraduate Summer Internship Program (USIP) visited labs affiliated with the COBRE Center for Neuroplasticity.

NewsBy COBRE June 3, 2026

Students from the Puerto Rico IDeA Network of Biomedical Research Excellence (PR-INBRE) Undergraduate Summer Internship Program (USIP) visited labs affiliated with the COBRE Center for Neuroplasticity. The students learned about neuroscience research conducted at the UPR Molecular Sciences Research Center.

The COBRE Center for Neuroplasticity co-sponsored a seminar by Dr. Abhilash Lakshman, Department of Biology and Gill Institute of Neuroscience, University of Indiana Bloomington.

NewsBy COBRE June 1, 2026

The COBRE Center for Neuroplasticity co-sponsored a seminar by Dr. Abhilash Lakshman, Department of Biology and Gill Institute of Neuroscience, University of Indiana Bloomington. The seminar was entitled: Below the Surface: The Hidden Architecture of Sleep in Drosophila melanogaster.

Dr. Walter I Silva Ortíz, Center for Neuroplasticity Research Projects Core Director, participated in the 3rd External Advisory Committee Meeting of the COBRE Center for Promotion of Cancer Health Research (CePCHe)

NewsBy COBRE May 28, 2026

Dr. Walter I Silva Ortíz, Center for Neuroplasticity Research Projects Core Director, participated in the 3rd External Advisory Committee Meeting of the COBRE Center for Promotion of Cancer Health Research (CePCHe). Dr. Silva Ortíz directs the CePCHe Administrative Core.

The COBRE Center for Neuroplasticity co-sponsored a seminar by Dr. Camille Rullán Buxó, Department of Neurobiology, Harvard University.

NewsBy COBRE May 28, 2026

The COBRE Center for Neuroplasticity co-sponsored a seminar by Dr. Camille Rullán Buxó, Department of Neurobiology, Harvard University. The seminar was entitled: Uncertainty and the Brain: A Computational Approach.

The COBRE Center for Neuroplasticity co-sponsored a seminar by COBRE Pilot Project awardee Dr. Keven Laboy.

NewsBy COBRE May 27, 2026

The COBRE Center for Neuroplasticity co-sponsored a seminar by COBRE Pilot Project awardee Dr. Keven Laboy. The seminar was entitled: Dissecting Neural Circuits of Effort-Based Decision-Making Through Naturalistic Running Behavior.

The COBRE Center for Neuroplasticity co-sponsored a seminar by COBRE Phase 2 Pilot Project awardee Dr. Stefanie Hampel.

NewsBy COBRE May 26, 2026

The COBRE Center for Neuroplasticity co-sponsored a seminar by COBRE Phase 2 Pilot Project awardee Dr. Stefanie Hampel. The seminar was entitled: From Touch to Action: Connectome-guided Circuit Mechanisms of Movement Selection and Repetitive Behavior.

COBRE Center for Neuroplasticity Research Projects Core Director, and Dr. Abel Baerga, COBRE Center for Promotion of Cancer Health Research Program Director, provided an orientation session on the newly implemented NIH and UPR Research Security Training (RST) and Domestic-only Research policies.

News, Upcoming EventsBy COBRE May 22, 2026

COBRE Center for Neuroplasticity Research Projects Core Director, and Dr. Abel Baerga, COBRE Center for Promotion of Cancer Health Research Program Director, provided an orientation session on the newly implemented NIH and UPR Research Security Training (RST) and Domestic-only Research policies. The session was shared with all UPR COBRE programs and participants.

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