Eugenia Villa-Cuesta | Faculty Profiles

Diplomas/Degrees

Ph.D, Universidad Autónoma de Madrid, Spain (2004)

MS, Universidad Autónoma de Madrid, Spain (1999)

Personal Statement

From my perspective if you teach what you are passionate about, you are not only transferring knowledge but motivation. If knowledge is water, motivation makes the student thirsty. Besides, to share what you loved is in fact a pleasure for both, teacher and student.

Recent Courses

Biology Of Aging

Genetics

Genetics Project Lab

Guided Research Mitochondrial Metabolism

Guided Research Mitochondrial Physiology

Guided Research Regulation Of Metabolism

Guided Research: Capstone Experience Mitochondrial Disorders

Guided Research: Capstone Experience Mitochondrial Metabolism

Guided Research: Capstone Experience Regulation Of Metabolism

Thesis Research Behaviour And Memory

Thesis Research Regulation Of Metabolism

Research Interests

I am interested in how genes and environment influence aging and disease. I use <i>Drosophila melanogaster</i> and cultured cells to study the molecular mechanisms by which nutrition influences life span and health span.

International Experience

I was born in Spain and I obtained my doctorate in an Spanish institution
I did research during two summers at Cambridge University in the UK

Books

Dooley, J; Coombs J, Villa-Cuesta, E. (2013). Experimental techniques for concepts and methods in biology. Laboratory methods I. Linus Publications. ISBN: 1-60797-324-3..

Chapters

Villa-Cuesta, E (2011). Regulation of Gene Expression During Aging. In Michael T. Loback and Jennifer N. Trevino (Eds.). Encyclopedia of Genetics Research (3 Volume Set). (pp. 41-66). Nova Publisher.

Villa-Cuesta, E. (2009). Regulation of Gene Expression During Aging. In Nathan C. Kurzfield (Eds.). Developmental Gene Expression Regulation. (pp. 43-68). Nova Publisher.

Articles

Villa-Cuesta, E. and Hobbie, L. (2016), Genetics Research Project Laboratory: A Discovery-Based Undergraduate Research Course. Genetics Society of America Peer-Reviewed Education Portal (GSA PREP), 2016.003; doi: 10.1534/gsaprep.2016.003.

Villa-Cuesta,E; Rand,D (2015), Preparation of Mitochondrial Enriched Fractions for Metabolic Analysis in Drosophila. J. Vis. Exp., (103), e53149, doi:10.3791/53149.

Holmbeck, MA; Donner J; Villa-Cuesta, E and Rand, MD. (2015), A Drosophila model for mito-nuclear diseases generated by an incompatible tRNA-tRNA synthetase interaction. Dis. Model. Mech., doi:10.1242/dmm.019323.

Villa-Cuesta, E; Fan F and Rand, DM (2014), Rapamycin reduces Drosophila longevity under low nutrition. IOSR Journal Of Pharmacy., 4, 43-51.

Villa-Cuesta, E; Holmbeck MA and Rand DM. (2014), Rapamycin increases mitochondrial efficiency by mtDNA-dependent reprogramming of mitochondrial metabolism in Drosophila. J Cell Sci., 127, 2282-90.

Villa-Cuesta, E; Boylan JM; Tatar, M; Gruppuso PA (2011), Resveratrol inhibits protein translation in hepatic cells. PLoS ONE, 6(12): e29513 doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0029513.

Villa-Cuesta, E; Sage, B.T., Tatar, M (2010), A role for Drosophila dFoxO and dFoxO 5’UTR internal ribosomal entry sites during fasting. PloS ONE., Jul 9;5(7):e11521.

Flatt, T; Min, K.J. , D’Alterio, C; Villa-Cuesta, E; Cumbers, J; Lehmann, R; Jones D.L; Tatar, M (2008), Drosophila Germ Line Modulation of Insulin Signaling and Lifespan. Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. USA., 105(17), 6368-73.

Villa-Cuesta, E; González-Pérez, E; Modolell, J (2007), Apposition of iroquois expressing and non-expressing cells leads to cell sorting and fold formation in the Drosophila imaginal wing disc. BMC Developmental Biology, 7(106).

Villa-Cuesta, E; Modolell, J (2005), Mutual repression between msh and Iro-C is an essential component of the boundary between body wall and wing in Drosophila. Development, 132(18), 4087-96.

Villa-Cuesta, E; de Navascués, J., Ruiz-Gómez, M., Diez del Corral, R., Domínguez, M., de Celis, J.F., Modolell, J (2003), Tufted is a gain-of-function allele that promotes ectopic expression of the proneural gene amos in Drosophila. Genetics, 163, 1403-1412.

Invited Presentations

Eugenia Villa-Cuesta (2014, April). Modulation of protein translation and mitochondrial physiology by the anti-aging drugs Resveratrol and Rapamycin. University of Rhode Island, RI, USA, Kingston, RI.

Eugenia Villa-Cuesta (2013, February). The effect of the drug rapamycin in Drosophila. Adelphi Univerisy, Garden City, NY.

Grants

2018 Co-PI with Brian Stockman. Adelphi Faculty Development interdisciplinary Grant

2017 Frederick Bettelheim Research Award
2015-2018 National Institute Of General Medical Sciences of the National Institutes of Health
2015 Adelphi Faculty Development Grant
2013 Adelphi Faculty Development Grant
2004-2006 Postdoctoral fellowship “Fundación Severo Ochoa”
2000-2004 Predoctoral fellowship (F.P.I) Ministerio de Educación y Ciencia

Honors and Accomplishments

Teaching excellence award for untenured faculty, 2018

Outstanding Biology Professor 2014, 2015 and 2017

Biology Department Faculty Advisor of the year 2016
Postdoctoral fellowship “Fundación Severo Ochoa”, Spain (2004-2006).
Predoctoral fellowship (F.P.I) Ministerio de Educación y Ciencia, Spain (2000-2004)
Adelphi University research release 2013

Professional Activities

Associate member of the American Association for Cancer Research (AACR)

Member of the Society for Advancement of Chicanos and Native Americans in Science (SACNAS)

Member of the Genetic Association of America (GSA)

Science Fair in Madrid (2002 and 2005). Comunidad de Madrid, Consejería de Educación y Ciencia. Madrid, Spain.

Reviewer for Genes and Development journal (2006).

Reviewer for “Flat World Knowledge” textbooks editorial (2010).

Postdoctoral Advisory Panel. Brown University (2010).