• Texas A&M University-CC Undergraduate Research Grant, recipient, 2003
• NASA Means Business Student Competition, Semi-Finalist, 2003
• Texas A&M University -CC Undergraduate Research Symposium, 1st place, 2003
• Texas Assoc. of Advisors for The Health Professions, Junior Kaplan Award, 2004
• Truman Graves Blocker, Jr. Scholar, Blocker Foundation 2006
• James W. McLaughlin Travel Award 2008
• NSRF Sealy Center for Vaccine Development Award for the Best Poster in Vaccine Related Research 2008
• NSRF UTMB Immunology Best Poster Presentation Award 2008
• McLaughlin Scholar 2009-2010
  

Traineeships:

• NSF sponsored undergraduate research, Texas A&M University-Corpus Christi, Antibacterial properties of common herbal remedies of the southwest, 8/02-5/04
• Summer Undergraduate Research Internship, National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine, National Institutes of Health, Placebo endocrinology clinical research, 6/04-8/04
• F31 fellowship: Mechanisms of Monophosporyl Lipid A Immuno-Modulation in Septic Shock, National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, 9/09-9/11
  

Publications & Presentations:

Research papers:
Romero CD, Varma TK, Sherwood ER. Monophosphoryl Lipid A Immunomodulation attenuates inflammation and improves bacterial clearance by recruiting a mixed myeloid population to the site of infection. Infection and Immunity. In revision.

Romero CR, Herzig DS, Etogo A, Nunez J, Mahmoudizad R, Fang G, Murphey ED, Toliver-Kinsky T, Sherwood ER. The role of interferon-γ in the pathogenesis of acute intra-abdominal sepsis. J Leukoc Biol. 2010 Oct;88(4):725-35. Epub 2010 Jul 13.

Romero CD, Chopin SF, Buck G, Martinez E, Garcia M, Bixby L. Antibacterial properties of common herbal remedies of the southwest. J Ethnopharmacol. 99(2):253-7. 2005

Abstracts:
Romero CD, Varma TK, Sherwood ER, Monophosphoryl Lipid A facilitates leukocyte recruitment and resistance to peritoneal infection. Keystone Symposia, NK and NKT Cell Biology & Innate Immunity, February 2008. NSRF symposium, April 2008. Mclaughlin Endowment Annual Research Colloquium on Infection and Immunity, April 2008.

Romero CD, Varma TK, Sherwood ER. Immuno-modulation with the toll 4 agonist Monophosphoryl lipid A improves resistance to bacterial peritonitis. Keystone SymposiaPattern recognition Molecules and Immune Sensors of Pathogens. March 2009.