Ricardo Chiesa

I am a Full Professor in the Department of Biology at the University of Puerto Rico at Cayey, specializing in neurobiology, psychopharmacology, and cellular-molecular biology. I hold a master's degree in pharmacology and a PhD in neurobiology from UPR Río Piedras, where my doctoral research focused on the cellular and genetic mechanisms of emotional learning within the amygdala. My current research investigates the capacity of natural products isolated from Puerto Rican coastal algae to mitigate anxiety-related behavior—a project that has been previously funded by PR-INBRE and the Puerto Rico Science, Technology and Research Trust, with findings published in prominent journals including the International Journal of Molecular Sciences (2026). My project is interdisciplinary in its nature, integrating behavioral neuroscience, chemistry and proteomics, and fosters undergraduate research, involving about 15-20 students per academic year.

You can view our project in Instagram @chiesalab and also in our Google Sites page:

sites.google.com/upr.edu/chiesalab/home?authuser=0

October 2026