Dr. Marisol E. Lopez is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Pharmacology, Physiology and Biophysics at Boston University Chobanian & Avedisian School of Medicine. She teaches Physiology to dental, medical, and graduate students. Her scholarly research interests include the barriers students from underrepresented groups face entering and persisting in higher education, the importance of sense of belonging on student retention, the effects of pathway programs developed to increase diversity, and investigating the contribution of legislation to racial disparities in higher education. Dr. Lopez is committed to increasing the diversity in STEM and healthcare professions through her teaching, scholarly work, and community involvement. She is an inclusive educator and strives to provide a learning environment that is equitable and accessible to students of diverse backgrounds. She contributes to diversity, equity, inclusion, and accessibility (DEIA) work in her department, institution, professional societies, and the community.
Diversity, Equity, Inclusion and Accessibility
I was born and raised in Lima, Peru. During my teen age years, I moved to the Netherlands with my family. This was a life experience that opened my eyes for the first time to the diversity of the world. I quickly realized that I enjoyed interacting with diverse people and learning about their countries, cultures, customs, and religions. After completing my undergraduate degree in Lima, I was fortunate to attend graduate school in the United States. Having all the resources needed to perform scientific research that I did not have access to in my country, taking graduate level courses in a foreign language, and being part of an underrepresented minority group brought into mind issues of equity and inclusion.
After completing my doctoral studies and starting a career in academia in STEM I soon realized there were very few Latinas like me. In fact, Latinas made 3% of all assistant professors in the United States in 2020. The percentage of STEM professionals and those in health care careers coming from underrepresented groups does not match the national demographics. My research interests include learning more about the barriers students from underrepresented groups face entering and persisting in higher education, the importance of sense of belonging on student retention, the effects of pathway programs developed to increase the diversity in these fields and investigating the contribution of legislation to these disparities.
I am committed to increasing the diversity in STEM and the healthcare professions through my teaching, scholarly work, and community involvement. I am an inclusive educator and strive to provide an equitable environment for learning and accessible to students of different backgrounds. I regularly seek professional development opportunities to grow in these areas and others that I may not be as knowledgeable. I am involved in the DEIA work at my institution, professional societies, and the community.
Community Roles Promoting Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Belonging:
2011-2022 Healthcare Spanish Interpreter, Dane County Medical Interpreter Coalition
4/2018 Center for the Integration of Research, Teaching and Learning (CIRTL) Includes Panel, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI, Role: Panelist
7/2021 “Club de Ciencias del Verano”, Edgewood College Summer Science Camp for Latinx Elementary School Students, Role: Instructor
10/2021 “Latinx Women in STEM”, The Institute for the Empowerment of Latinx Women, Edgewood College, Madison, WI, Role: Presenter
Institutional Roles Promoting Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Belonging:
2019-2020 Higher Education Faculty Teaching and Learning for Equity and Inclusion Program, Edgewood College, Madison, WI, Role: Participant
2021-2022 STEM Teaching Brown Bag Series, Edgewood College, Madison, WI, Role: Leader
2023- Diversity and Inclusion Advisory Committee, Boston University Chobanian and Avedisian School of Medicine, Boston, MA, Role: Member
2023- Diversity, Equity, Inclusion & Accessibility Committee, Department of Pharmacology, Physiology & Biophysics, Role: Member
11/2023 “Inclusivity in Medicine and Biomedical Pathway and Bridge Programs: Considerations Beyond Race”, Office of Diversity & Inclusion, Chobanian & Avedisian
School of Medicine, Boston University
Role: Panelist
2024- Diversity, Equity, Inclusion & Accessibility Committee, Department of Pharmacology, Physiology & Biophysics, Role: Chair
National Roles Promoting Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Belonging:
5/2018 “Anatomy Language Learners (ALLs): Introducing the language of anatomy through best practices used to support language development in English Language Learners (ELLs)”, Human
Anatomy & Physiology Annual Meeting, Columbus, Ohio, Role: Workshop presenter
2018-present Member, Human Anatomy and Physiology Society (HAPS)
2020-present Member, Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) Committee, Human Anatomy and Physiology Society (HAPS)
5/2020 “The Potential Life Experiences of a Second-Generation Latina in STEM”, Synapse HAPS! Inclusive Education in Anatomy and Physiology, Human Anatomy & Physiology Annual Meeting,
Virtual Conference, Role: Presenter
11/2020 Academic Sense of Belonging-What is it and why does it matter? Human Anatomy & Physiology Society, Diversity Equity, and Inclusion Committee Webinar, Role: Co-presenter
5/2021 “Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) in the Classroom Part 1: Faculty Perspective Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) in the Classroom Part 2:
Student Perspective”, Human Anatomy &
Physiology Annual Meeting, Virtual Conference, Role: Workshop co-presenter
7/2022 AAMC Pathway, pipeline, and Bridge Programs (PPB) 1st Annual Meeting, Role: Participant
2022-present Pathway Programs and Bridges (PPB), Southern Group on Educational Affairs (SGEA), American Association of Medical Colleges (AAMC), Role:
Member
2023 Association of STEMM Pathway and Bridge Programs (ASPBP), Justice, Equity, Diversity, Inclusion (JEDI) Committee, Role: Member
2023 “Assessing multiple-choice questions based on language precision and best practices to promote equity in the Dental Physiology course”, American
Physiological Society Summit, Role: Presenter
10/2023 “Factors that contribute to the diversity and success of pathway programs”, Association of STEMM Pathway and Bridge Programs (ASPBP) 2023 Annual
Conference
Role: Roundtable Presenter
“The PATHway for URMs to Medical School: Highlighting the Challenges We Face”, Association of STEMM Pathway and Bridge Programs (ASPBP) 2023 Annual
Conference
Role: Student Panel Facilitator
04/06/2024 Session organizer and Co-Chair, A Call to Action: Assessing and Addressing the Needs of Underrepresented Students in Medicine and Higher Education with
Equity-Minded and Data-Driven Approaches, American Physiological Society Summit
Publications listed below are automatically derived from MEDLINE/PubMed and other
sources, which might result in incorrect or missing publications. Faculty can
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to make corrections and additions.
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McKiernan SH, Colman RJ, Lopez M, Beasley TM, Aiken JM, Anderson RM, Weindruch R. Caloric restriction delays aging-induced cellular phenotypes in rhesus monkey skeletal muscle. Exp Gerontol. 2011 Jan; 46(1):23-9. PMID: 20883771; PMCID: PMC2998549; DOI: 10.1016/j.exger.2010.09.011;
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McKiernan SH, Colman R, Lopez M, Beasley TM, Weindruch R, Aiken JM. Longitudinal analysis of early stage sarcopenia in aging rhesus monkeys. Exp Gerontol. 2009 Mar; 44(3):170-6. PMID: 18983905; PMCID: PMC2693938; DOI: 10.1016/j.exger.2008.09.014;
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Porter TE, Lopez ME, Mike R, Huberty AF. The increase in prolactin-secreting cells in incubating chicken hens can be mimicked by extended treatment of pituitary cells in vitro with vasoactive intestinal polypeptide (VIP). Domest Anim Endocrinol. 2006 Feb; 30(2):126-34. PMID: 16140492; DOI: 10.1016/j.domaniend.2005.08.001;
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Kishi T, Aschkenasi CJ, Choi BJ, Lopez ME, Lee CE, Liu H, Hollenberg AN, Friedman JM, Elmquist JK. Neuropeptide Y Y1 receptor mRNA in rodent brain: distribution and colocalization with melanocortin-4 receptor. J Comp Neurol. 2005 Feb 14; 482(3):217-43.View Related Profiles. PMID: 15690487; DOI: 10.1002/cne.20432;
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Yamamoto H, Lee CE, Marcus JN, Williams TD, Overton JM, Lopez ME, Hollenberg AN, Baggio L, Saper CB, Drucker DJ, Elmquist JK. Glucagon-like peptide-1 receptor stimulation increases blood pressure and heart rate and activates autonomic regulatory neurons. J Clin Invest. 2002 Jul; 110(1):43-52.View Related Profiles. PMID: 12093887; PMCID: PMC151031; DOI: 10.1172/JCI15595;
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Aiken J, Bua E, Cao Z, Lopez M, Wanagat J, McKenzie D, McKiernan S. Mitochondrial DNA deletion mutations and sarcopenia. Ann N Y Acad Sci. 2002 Apr; 959:412-23. PMID: 11976214; DOI: 10.1111/j.1749-6632.2002.tb02111.x;
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Wanagat, J, Lopez, ME, and Aiken, JM. Handbook of the Biology of Aging Ed. by E.J. Masoro, S.N. Austad. Alterations of the Mitochondrial Genome. Academic Press. San Diego. 2001; 114-139.
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Lopez ME, Van Zeeland NL, Dahl DB, Weindruch R, Aiken JM. Cellular phenotypes of age-associated skeletal muscle mitochondrial abnormalities in rhesus monkeys. Mutat Res. 2000 Jul 20; 452(1):123-38. PMID: 10894897; DOI: 10.1016/s0027-5107(00)00059-2;
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Lopez, ME, Zainal, TA, Chung, SS, Aiken, JM and Weindruch, R. . Handbook of Oxidants and Antioxidants in Exercise, Ed. by C.K. Sen, L. Packer, and O. Hanninen. Oxidative stress and the pathogenesis of sarcopenia. Elsevier. Amsterdam. 2000; 831-880.
Showing 10 of 14 results.
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VanZeeland, NL, Wanagat, J, Lopez, ME, and Aiken, JM. Segmental nature of age-associated, skeletal muscle mitochondrial abnormalities necessitates three-dimensional analyses. J. Anti-Aging Med. 1. 1999; 3(2):231-241.
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Lee CM, Lopez ME, Weindruch R, Aiken JM. Association of age-related mitochondrial abnormalities with skeletal muscle fiber atrophy. Free Radic Biol Med. 1998 Nov 15; 25(8):964-72. PMID: 9840742; DOI: 10.1016/s0891-5849(98)00185-3;
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Lopez ME, Gregory CC, Porter TE. Cellular basis for elevated prolactin secretion during incubation behavior in Bantam chickens: analysis by reverse hemolytic plaque assay. Biol Reprod. 1996 Apr; 54(4):826-33. PMID: 8924502; DOI: 10.1095/biolreprod54.4.826;
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Lopez ME, Hargis BM, Dean CE, Porter TE. Uneven regional distributions of prolactin- and growth hormone-secreting cells and sexually dimorphic proportions of prolactin secretors in the adenohypophysis of adult chickens. Gen Comp Endocrinol. 1995 Nov; 100(2):246-54. PMID: 8582606; DOI: 10.1006/gcen.1995.1154;
This graph shows the total number of publications by year, by first, middle/unknown,
or last author.
Year | Publications |
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1995 | 1 |
1996 | 1 |
1998 | 1 |
1999 | 1 |
2000 | 2 |
2001 | 1 |
2002 | 2 |
2005 | 2 |
2008 | 1 |
2009 | 1 |
2010 | 1 |
2023 American Physiological Society:
Teaching of Physiology Section Research Recognition Award
2018 Human Anatomy and Physiology Society:
HAPS Robert B. Anthony Scholarship
2001 American Thyroid Association:
Travel Award
2001 The Endocrine Society:
Travel Grant
1999 American Aging Association:
Annual Walter R. Nicolai Prize in Biomedical Gerontology for pre-doctoral award
1998 American Federation for Aging Research :
Glenn/AFAR Scholarship for Research in the Biology of Aging
1996 Texas A&M University Association of Former Students:
Distinguished Graduate Student Master’s Research Award
1994 Texas A&M University, College Station, TX:
Nominated to Gamma Sigma Delta (Honor Society of Agriculture)
1994 Texas A&M University, College Station, TX:
Departmental Graduate Student Award
I am a mentor for the American Physiological Society Effective Physiology Teaching Course. In my role as an education mentor I can provide guidance on teaching skills, developing a teaching portfolio, and curriculum development. I can work with postdoctoral fellows preparing for a teaching position, early career faculty or faculty transitioning to an educator role.
I enjoy serving as a diversity mentor to undergraduate and graduate students as well as postdoctoral research fellows from underrepresented backgrounds. My background as a Hispanic woman in STEM, speaking English as a Second Language, and first generation graduate student, provides me with insight on what students with similar backgrounds may be going through.
Available to Mentor as: (Review Mentor Role Definitions):
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Diversity Mentor
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Education Mentor