Miranda Cecilia Sifuentes

Miranda Cecilia Sifuentes is an aspiring PhD student from Mission, Texas, currently completing her Bachelor's of Science in Biology at The University of Texas Rio Grande Valley, with an expected graduation in 2027. She is a Yale School of Medicine PATHS Scholar and an advocate for Alzheimer’s disease and related dementias (ADRD), with a strong commitment to advancing biomedical research that connects metabolic dysfunction to neurodegenerative disorders. Her research experience spans both biomedical and agricultural systems. At UTRGV, she has worked in a cancer biology laboratory studying FOXO transcription factors and their role in glioblastoma models using C2C12 myoblasts. She is also a student assistant with an Institutional Review Board, supporting ethical oversight and compliance for human subjects research. In addition, she currently works with the University of Arkansas Division of Agriculture, where she studies differential feeding rates of soybean looper and fall armyworm, helping to contribute to ongoing research in plant pathology and entomology. Her technical skill set includes statistical data analysis, RStudio, plant pathology methods, and human subjects research protocols. Beyond the laboratory, Miranda is actively involved in science communication and community engagement. She serves in leadership roles with Alzheimer’s advocacy organizations, where she helps coordinate volunteer initiatives and develop educational outreach focused on brain health and dementia awareness. She is also a participant in citizen science projects involving neural imaging and data annotation aligned with large-scale neuroscience research initiatives. Through these combined experiences in research, compliance, and advocacy, she is building a foundation for a future doctoral career focused on Alzheimer’s disease and neurodegeneration.