Wilfredo Gabriel Gonzalez Rivera

Profile

Profile

I am a first-generation, low-income, underrepresented graduate student born and raised in Vega Baja Puerto Rico, pursuing a Ph.D. in Biomedical Informatics at the University of California, San Diego. I hold a Bachelor’s degree in Computer Science Engineering and another Bachelor’s degree in Industrial Biotechnology from the University of Puerto Rico, Mayaguez. My current research, conducted in the precision medicine laboratory under the guidance of Dr. Melissa Gymrek, focuses on combining genetics, genomics, and social science to understand the underlying sources of large health disparities among individuals from underrepresented racial and ethnic groups living in the United States. Ultimately, as a Hispanic/Latinx from Puerto Rico, I would like to increase the recognition of the importance of including underrepresented racial and ethnic groups in genomic research to improve the accuracy and generalizability of precision medicine for all. I am committed in outreach programs in the academic environment through mentoring and supporting undergraduate students in UC San Diego programs like Summer Training Academy for Research (STARS) and PATHways to STEM (PATHS) aimed at increasing the number, persistence, and success of underrepresented students in higher education. For fun, I like to travel and explore places with the goal of finding their best coffee shop in the area.