Students
Rene Vinas, B.S., M.S.
Ph.D.
Advisor: Mahmoud S. Ahmed, Ph.D.
Raised in Mexico. Rene received his B.S. in Cell & Molecular Biology from Texas Tech University and later completed an M.Sc. in Environmental Toxicology from the same institution in the laboratory of Dr. Ernest Smith. He joined The Department of Pharmacology & Toxicology with advanced status under the guidance of Dr. Mahmoud Ahmed where he is focused on several mechanistic components that are involved in identifying the role of the human placenta as a functional barrier that protects the fetus from exposure to therapeutic agents by its drug disposition. Specifically, Rene is focused on elucidating the functional activity and expression of the ABC-Transporter system (i.e. BCRP & P-gp) found within the syncytiotrophoblast of the placental barrier as well as investigating their overall role in dictating xenobiotic transplacental transfer.
Rene is a NIDA Diversity Research Fellow.
Email: revinas@utmb.edu