Adriana Nicolle Vélez-Avilés, BS

Adriana N. Vélez-Avilés was born and raised in Isabela, Puerto Rico. In 2020, she graduated as a MARC Scholar from the University of Puerto Rico in Río Piedras with a major in Cell and Molecular Biology. During her undergraduate studies, she conducted research in Dr. Gregory Quirk’s laboratory, focusing on neural circuits involved in decision-making. Her interest in genetics and developmental biology deepened after her research in Dr. Mariana Wolfner’s lab at Cornell University, where she investigated the key pathways involved in Drosophila egg activation, a critical process for egg development.

Adriana is currently a fifth-year MD-PhD student in the UPR School of Medicine and the Yale Cooperative MD-PhD Program. Her clinical and research interests center on reproductive medicine and women’s health. After completing three years of medical school, she joined Dr. Berna Sozen’s lab in early 2024 to pursue her PhD, studying the mechanisms of infertility related to embryo implantation and uterine receptivity in the context of endometriosis.

In addition to her academic pursuits, Adriana is actively involved in clinical work, serving in the Reproductive Department at the HAVEN Free Clinic and the Neighborhood Health Project. She prioritizes providing care to underserved communities. Adriana is also a dedicated mentor in the Yale Program to Advance Training in Health & Sciences (PATHS) Program and Women in Science at Yale (WISAY). She is also committed to increasing diversity in the sciences and serves as a Yale BBS Diversity and Inclusion Collective (YBDIC) Engagement Fellow.

In her free time, she enjoys traveling, exercising outdoors, and spending quality time with her family.