San Juan Bautista School of Medicine selected as the only Hispanic-Serving Institution in the national ASCEND initiative

First row, starting from second from left: Dr. Lisa McBride, associate dean of the Geisel School of Medicine at Dartmouth; Dr. Grisel Burgos, director of San Juan Bautista Community Program; Dr. Yocasta Brugal, president of San Juan Bautista School of Medicine.

By THE STAR STAFF

San Juan Bautista School of Medicine (SJBSM) in Caguas has been selected to participate in ASCEND, a national initiative led by the Geisel School of Medicine at Dartmouth College in New Hampshire and funded by Genentech to promote interdisciplinary collaboration, strengthen research capacity, and expand representation in medical education and biomedical research.

Among the institutions selected, SJBSM is the only Hispanic-Serving Institution, positioning Puerto Rico as an essential collaborator in this national effort.

Through ASCEND, SJBSM faculty and students will collaborate with colleagues from the Geisel School of Medicine and two new medical schools affiliated with Historically Black Colleges and Universities. Together, the participating institutions will conduct research focused on the prevention, early detection, diagnosis, and treatment of cancer, as well as diabetes and its impact on medically underserved communities in Puerto Rico.

“This collaboration represents an extraordinary opportunity to strengthen Puerto Rico’s research capacity and create meaningful pathways for our students and faculty to contribute to scientific discovery,” said Dr. Yocasta Brugal, president of San Juan Bautista School of Medicine. “As the only Hispanic-Serving Institution participating in ASCEND, we bring an essential perspective grounded in the experiences, strengths, and health priorities of the communities we serve.”

The initiative will provide resources to support student and faculty stipends, research-related travel, scientific publications, and other academic and professional development activities. ASCEND will also expand opportunities for future physicians and researchers to develop specialized expertise in cancer, diabetes, community health, and the reduction of health disparities.

Dr. Lisa McBride, associate dean of the Geisel School of Medicine, emphasized the importance of collaboration among institutions serving different communities and the potential of these partnerships to strengthen research, medical education and scientific innovation. By integrating complementary expertise, institutional perspectives and community experiences, she said, the participating organizations will work to ensure that research questions, evidence and solutions better reflect the populations most affected by cancer, diabetes and other chronic diseases.

“This goes beyond our participation in research projects,” Brugal added. “It is about ensuring that communities experiencing significant health disparities are represented in the questions we ask, the evidence we generate, and the solutions we create.” Through ASCEND, SJBSM reaffirms its commitment to more representative biomedical research, preparing the next generation of physicians and scientists, and positioning Puerto Rico as an emerging center of biomedical innovation.