Eugenia Villa-Cuesta | Faculty Profiles

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.

Diplomas/Degrees

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

Lincenciatura , Universidad Autónoma de Madrid, Spain (1999)

Research Interests

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

Grants

2021-2024.-NIH R15 GM113156-02. “Rapamycin as a potential treatment for succinate dehydrogenase deficiency”. ($352,428)

2021-2026.-RCN_UBE (STEM)² Sustainable, Transformative Engagement across a Multi institution Multidisciplinary STEM (STEM)² network (Co-PI). NSF ($499,680)

2020-2021.-Adelphi Faculty Development Grant. ($5000)

2019-2020.-RCN_UBE Incubator. “Sustainable, Transformative Engagement across a Multi institution Multidisciplinary STEM (STEM)² network (Co-PI for Adelphi during the semester spring 2020) ($1000)

2019-2020.-Viret family Leadership fellow. Adelphi University ($5000)

2018-2019.- Teaching fellow at Adelphi University (teaching release)

2018-2019.-Adelphi Faculty Development Grant multidisciplinary ($2750)

2017-2018.-Frederick Bettelheim Research Award. Adelphi University. ($1200)

2015-2019.-NIH R15 GM113156-01. “Rapamycin as a potential treatment for succinate dehydrogenase deficiency”. ($242,687)

2015-2016.-Adelphi Faculty Development Grant. ($2300)

2013-2014.-Adelphi Faculty Development Grant. ($4957.21)

2004-2006.-Postdoctoral Fellowship “Fundación Severo Ochoa”, Spain. ($42000)

2000-2004.-Predoctoral Fellowship (F.P.I) Ministerio de Educación y Ciencia, Spain. ($91000)

Teaching Philosophy

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

Guided Research Mitochondrial Metabolism

Research Project Lab

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

Articles

Rajan S, Hofer P, Christiano A, Stevenson M, Ragolia L, Villa-Cuesta E, Fried SK, Lau R, Braithwaite C, Zechner R, Schwartz GJ, Hussain MM.(2022). Microsomal triglyceride transfer protein regulates intracellular lipolysis in adipocytes independent of its lipid transfer activity. Metabolism 2022 Oct 10:155331. doi: 10.1016/j.metabol.2022.155331. Epub ahead of print. PMID: 36228741.

Santangelo, J; Hobbie, L; Lee, J; Pullin, M; Villa-Cuesta, E and Hyslop, A. (2021). The (STEM)2 Network: A Multi-Institution, Multidisciplinary Approach to Transforming Undergraduate STEM Education. IJ STEM Ed 8, 3

Sejour R, Sanguino RA, Mikolajczak M, Ahmadi W, Villa-Cuesta, E (2020). Sirt4 Modulates Oxidative Metabolism and Sensitivity to Rapamycin Through Species-Dependent Phenotypes in Drosophila mtDNA Haplotypes. G3: GENES, GENOMES, GENETICS.10(5) 1599-1612. doi: 10.1534/g3.120.401174.

Fan, F; Sam, R; Ryan, E; Alvarado, K; and Villa-Cuesta, E. (2019), Rapamycin as a Potential Treatment for Succinate Dehydrogenase Deficiency. Heliyon, e01217. doi: 10.1016/j.heliyon.2019.e01217217

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.

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.

Invited Presentations

Eugenia Villa-Cuesta. (2022, March). What an anti-aging drug can tell us about the co-evolution between mitochondrial and nuclear DNAs. St. John’s University, Queens, NY.

Eugenia Villa-Cuesta (2021, May). Funny how that works: a biology professor explains how improve training rescued her in the classroom. IOTA SIGMA PI, the national Honor society for Women in Chemistry. Aurum Iodide Chapter (Chicago). Guess speaker for the initiation Ceremony.

Eugenia Villa-Cuesta. (2020, February). What an anti-aging drug can tell us about the co-evolution between mitochondrial and nuclear DNAs. Hofstra University, Hempstead, NY

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.

Other Work

Funny How That Works . A biology professor, explains how improv training rescued her in the classroom. Opinion paper by Eugenia Villa-Cuesta. Inside Higher Ed. October 21, 2020

Honors and Accomplishments

Viret family Leadership Fellow. Adelphi University, 2019

Teaching excellence award for untenured faculty, 2018

Outstanding Biology Professor 2014, 2015, 2017 and 2019

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).