Featured Grantees

Quick Facts

  • Name: Dr. Wilfredo De Jesús Rojas, MD, FAAP
  • Comes from: Aibonito, Puerto Rico
  • Lives in: San Juan, Puerto Rico
  • Leisure time activities: Running, Snorkeling, Traveling, Fitness, Public speaking
  • Likes: Music, Teaching, Breathing, Mentoring
  • Unsuspected talent: Empower people to be their best
  • Currently reading: On Doctoring by Richard Reynolds, MD and John Stone, MD

 In a nutshell

  • My research matters because… we find answers to our patient’s questions.
  • One of the inspirations for my research has been… my previous mentors who motivated me to think beyond what is already written in the books.
  • The best thing about my job is… the collaboration with an international research network with different perspectives but a strong passion for science.
  • My career highlight so far has been… the development of the CILIA4PR Research Team as the first research laboratory focused on ciliary dyskinesia on the island. Implement a novel research technique called High-Speed Video Microscopy Analysis (HSMA) to study ciliopathies affecting the respiratory epithelium.
  • My advice to aspiring researchers is… be perseverant and never give up!

Interview:

I became a researcher to find new answers to questions nobody ever thought of before for the benefit of our community and patients.

Our laboratory called CILIA4PR is focused on understanding the ciliary defects associated with rare congenital diseases, infectious pathogens, and environmental exposures that alter the function of the ciliated respiratory epithelium.

The main interesting development in our field includes:

The validation of the presence of a genetic founder mutation RSPH4A [c.921 + 3_6delAAGT] in native Puerto Ricans with a rare congenital disorder called Primary Ciliary Dyskinesia (PCD).

We described the European ancestry of the RSPH4A [c.921 + 3_6delAAGT] founder mutation creating an ancestral haplotype analysis.

The implementation and validation of a novel research tool to measure nasal Nitric Oxide (nNO) in patients with PCD, for the first time in Puerto Rico, with the goal to become the first PCD center in Puerto Rico and the Caribbean.

The most enjoyable aspect of my job is to inspire future research students to become leaders in research and move forward the science in Puerto Rico and worldwide.

Our findings aim to improve the diagnosis of rare ciliopathies like PCD in our community. An earlier diagnosis will help us to avoid further comorbidities associated with chronic respiratory diseases like PCD. For instance, a better quality of life and decreased morbidity is achieved.

If I’m not doing research, you can find me running a 5K or snorkeling, at the gym improving my mental and body fitness, or preparing my next public speaking on TV, radio, or the news.