1. University of Puerto Rico - Cayey
Department of Natural Sciences
New Year, New People
Juan Enrique Maldonado Weng
RISE Program
Prof. Diaz & Prof. Gonzalez

2. This past semester I had the opportunity to have a course in biomedical techniques thanks
to the RISE program. This course would, sadly, be the last course I take with RISE because of
the new incoming students for next year. Although I might be slightly jealous, I will never
forget the wonderful experience I have had during the year. During this course, I had the
pleasure of meeting more professors and students from different universities which helped me
establish relationships. The seminars that were offered were also interesting and very enjoyable.
In the near end of the year, I also had the opportunity to work with a great student mentor, Dr.
Héctor Maldonado, who taught me valuable skills for In Sillico Research. This semester was
long, demanding, and tough. The semester is finally over and summer is round the corner but I
will not forget what I have learned during this semester nor will I forget those who have helped
me.
Similarly to the fall semester, this course was every Friday at 2:00 to 6:00 which is very
rough for students but it was part of the new challenge. Even for some days, a workshop
demanded a Saturday to be able to complete it which was even harder. Although these
complications made it difficult, I will never regret participating because the time was used
valuably for learning. During one workshop, I was able to meet two graduate students that were
helping us understand DNA and proteins in more helpful simple ways. They were great because
they showed what their university would offer for new graduate students. It was a great
opportunity to see what they are doing and how the university plays a role. They were good
people and fun to meet.
I also had a great time when I meet the people for the Neuroscience workshop. This was
incredibly fun because it is one of my favorite subjects in science. I hope to one day meet them
as a professional in a similar field of science. They brought new and complex concepts in a very

3. simple and easy to understand steps. I was also excited when, as a group, assigned to form a
human-sized neuron which was entertaining and cool. They also helped us understand many
different conditions that affect the human brain which was very interesting.
Another great moment I had this semester was working with Dr. Maldonado because he
is in charge of the In Sillico team. His team explores biological problems through computer
simulations. As an observer, I saw his technique confronting viruses and trying to find a way to
inhibit them with different compounds. If the compound had a stronger attraction than the
necessary components for the virus, then the necessary component would not have space to
occupy. His research was incredible and in result, a compound was found for the Dengue Virus.
This made for an excellent project and it was all thanks to the In Sillico team.
In conclusion, this semester has been fun, exciting, tiring and demanding, but worth the
effort. I experienced many fun workshops and met many wonderful people. I hope to stay in
contact and see them again next year.Thanks to this course, I was able to meet a great mentor and
learn about new ways to confront medical problems. I also hope to become a member of this
team so I can dive in this exciting field of research and become a better student in the process.
I’m glad I was a part of the RISE program because of all my wonderful experiences including
this one.