Student Profiles

Mercedez Gonzalez
Undergraduate in Biology & Molecular Biology/Microbiology

Mercedes Gonzalez was born in West New York, New Jersey, where she began her undergraduate career as a Biology Major at Rutgers University. After two and a half years she moved to Florida and joined the University of Central Florida as a double major in Biology as well as Molecular Biology/Microbiology. "Research is crucially important because it opens the doors to a whole new world in which no one has previously ventured. It is only with the aid of breakthrough research that we as a society can continue to discover the world in which we live." Her research in the past has consisted of the behavioral and neuro-chemical responses of juvenile vs. adult rats in novel vs. familiar environments. Her current interest consists of stem cell research at the University of Central Florida where she cultures stem cells for the purpose of gaining a better understanding of motor neuron morphology and function. She currently works at the NanoScience Technology Center as an Undergraduate Research Assistant under the mentorship of Drs. Peter Molnar and Xiufang Guo. Ms. Gonzalez is also a recipient of the Greater Orlando GK-12 Fellowship, funded by NSF, as an Undergraduate Fellow who "learns and teaches science through inquiry." She is also a recipient of the Research and Mentoring Program (RAMP) Scholarship as well as the Ronald E. McNair Post-Baccalaureate Scholarship. Ms. Gonzalez plans on pursuing a M.D./Ph.D. in Neuroscience so that she can conduct research as well as teach (her second passion) for a prominent Medical University. Mercedes enjoys playing volleyball, swimming, taking in a good movie, and above all spending time with her family and friends.