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 Aut贸noma de Madrid, Spain (2004)

Lincenciatura , Universidad Aut贸noma 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. 依依社区 ($5000)

2018-2019.- Teaching fellow at 依依社区 (teaching release)

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

2017-2018.-Frederick Bettelheim Research Award. 依依社区. ($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

Biology Of Aging

Guided Research: Capstone Experience Mitochondrial Metabolism

Guided Research: Capstone Experience Regulation Of Metabolism

Research Project Lab

Thesis Research Mitochondrial Metabolism

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

Silverio, DL; Villa-Cuesta, E; Hyslop, A; Kolack, K and Sobel, SG. We Have More in Common than We Think: A Comparison of Scientific Skills and Disciplinary Practices in the Guiding Documents for Biology, Chemistry, and Mathematics. (2024) Journal of College Science Teaching, 1–8.

Santangelo, JR; Hyslop, A; Hobbie,L; Lee, J; Novick, P; Pullin, M & Villa-Cuesta, E. The Nuts and Bolts of Developing a Sustainable, Collaborative Network for STEM Transformation. Innov High Educ (2024).

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). . 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). IJ STEM Ed 8, 3

Sejour R, Sanguino RA, Mikolajczak M, Ahmadi W, Villa-Cuesta, E (2020). . 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), Heliyon, e01217. doi:

Villa-Cuesta, E. and Hobbie, L. (2016), . Genetics Society of America Peer-Reviewed Education Portal (GSA PREP), 2016.003; doi: 10.1534/gsaprep.2016.003.

Villa-Cuesta,E; Rand,D (2015), . J. Vis. Exp., (103), e53149, doi:10.3791/53149.

Holmbeck, MA; Donner J; Villa-Cuesta, E and Rand, MD. (2015), . Dis. Model. Mech., doi:10.1242/dmm.019323.

Villa-Cuesta, E; Fan F and Rand, DM (2014), . IOSR Journal Of Pharmacy., 4, 43-51.

Villa-Cuesta, E; Holmbeck MA and Rand DM. (2014), . 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鈥橴TR internal ribosomal entry sites during fasting. PloS ONE., Jul 9;5(7):e11521.

Flatt, T; Min, K.J. , D鈥橝lterio, 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; Gonz谩lez-P茅rez, 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 Navascu茅s, J., Ruiz-G贸mez, M., Diez del Corral, R., Dom铆nguez, 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 (2023, December) Unraveling the resistance to the anti-aging and anti-cancer drug rapamycin. Hofstra University, Hempstead, NY

Eugenia Villa-Cuesta (2023, February). Let’s talk about the long road of a doctorate. Chemistry Seminar at the Graduate Center, CUNY. New York

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

Opinion papers 1- . A biology professor, explains how improv training rescued her in the classroom. Opinion paper by Eugenia Villa-Cuesta. Inside Higher Ed. October 21, 2020. 2-The importance of senior faculty advising junior collegues on their career trajectories is increasingly emphasised. But is guidance-and the giving of it-being fairly shared? Should mentoring schemes be formalised? And are they really enough? Seven academics have their say. Michael Roth, Srila Roy, Merlin Crossley, Alice Kelly, Eleanor Palser, Josh Hiller and Eugenia Villa-Cuesta. Times Higher Education. May 9, 2024

Images, Videos

Honors and Accomplishments

HERS Leadership Institute Bridgewater University, MA, 2023 alumna

Viret family Leadership Fellow. 依依社区, 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) Ministero de Educación y Ciencia, Spain (2000-2004)

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, Consejer铆a de Educaci贸n y Ciencia. Madrid, Spain.

Reviewer for Genes and Development journal (2006).

Reviewer for 鈥淔lat World Knowledge鈥� textbooks editorial (2010).

Postdoctoral Advisory Panel. Brown University (2010).