Deputy Executive Director
Associate Investigator & Director Division of Shared Resources and Scientific Operations
Dr. Elba V. Caraballo Rivera is the Deputy Executive Director of the University of Puerto Rico Comprehensive Cancer Center and Director of its Shared Resources and Scientific Operations Division, where she oversees seven specialized facilities that provide support for the development of translational and basic cancer research. As an Associate Investigator and leader of the Immuno-Oncology Core (IOC) and Research Biobank, she integrates laboratory research with clinical and translational applications.
Dr. Caraballo earned her PhD in Microbiology and Medical Zoology from the University of Puerto Rico Medical Sciences Campus, followed by a Postdoctoral Master of Science in Clinical and Translational Research. She serves as a co-investigator for the Puerto Rico Familial Colorectal Cancer Registry (PURIFICAR), which has collected more than 3,000 gastrointestinal biospecimens from Hispanic/Latinos individuals in Puerto Rico.
Her research is dedicated to the discovery and validation of blood-based biomarkers for early colorectal cancer (CRC) detection. Her work places a particular emphasis on biomarker discovery, IGF axis, screening strategies, immune profiling, and the integration of multi-omics approaches to identify molecular pathways unique to Hispanic/Latino populations. By focusing on minimally invasive screening strategies, her research aims to improve clinical outcomes tailored to the Hispanic/Latino populations.
Beyond biomarker discovery, Dr. Caraballo explores the role of viral infections and the microbiome in CRC pathogenesis and progression. She brings multidisciplinary expertise in microbiology, virology, and molecular immunology to the cancer research community, driven by a passion for advancing precision oncology and cancer prevention for Hispanic/Latino populations.