Full Professor of Microbiology and Immunology
Proteomics Facility Director
Executive Board Member of the SEASR/Association of Biomolecular Research Facilities
Department of Microbiology and Immunology, School of Medicine, Universidad Central del Caribe, Bayamón, PR.
Email: nawal.boukli@uccaribe.edu
Complete list of publications: www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/?term=nawal+boukli
Boukli is a Full Professor in the Department of Microbiology and Immunology at the Universidad Central del Caribe. She obtained her Ph.D. in Molecular Biology from the University of Geneva, Switzerland, with support from the Swiss National Science Foundation. Her early research focused on molecular signaling, specifically the type III secretion system in microbes. During her postdoctoral fellowship at the University of Missouri, she developed expertise in biomarker detection in symbiotic and nitrogen-fixing bacteria. At UCC, she is recognized for her pioneering work in proteomics, particularly in employing triple MS3 stage quantitative proteomics multiplexing to identify biomarkers and molecular signatures relevant to cancer, HIV, and substance abuse. Dr. Boukli specializes in endoplasmic reticulum (ER) stress responses and cell fate decisions, studying their roles in apoptotic and survival signaling. She investigates the Gp12O ER Stress Response and chemotherapy resistance in glioblastoma, as well as the therapeutic and clinical applications of natural compounds for cancer and HIV treatment. In 2019, she was elected to the Executive Board of the Association of Biomolecular Resource Facilities (ABRF) and initiated the first annual speed mentoring event in 2020, which has become a tradition. Dr. Boukli is also known for her innovative teaching methods and commitment to mentoring, having graduated over 17 master’s and 6 Ph.D. students. Additionally, she serves as a reviewer for the National Institutes of Health (NIH) Center for Scientific Review in the Cancer Therapeutics study section, where members are selected based on their demonstrated competence and significant scientific contributions.