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UF Health University of Florida
College of Dentistry UNIVERSITY of FLORIDA
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About Overview

Mercedes Rivera, M.S.

Mercedes Rivera, M.S.

Biological Scientist

Education

  • M.S., Immunology and Microbiology, Interdisciplinary Program: May 2010, University of Florida, Gainesville, Fla.
  • B.S., Biology (minors in Chemistry and Psychology): May 2002, University of Miami, Coral Gables, Fla.

Work History

  • 2009–Present: Biological Scientist, Department of Periodontology, University of Florida, College of Dentistry, Gainesville, Fla.
  • 2006–2009: Graduate Research Assistant, Department of Oral Biology, University of Florida, College of Dentistry, Gainesville, Fla.
  • 2004–2006: Laboratory Manager, Department of Physiological Sciences, University of Florida, College of Veterinary Medicine, Gainesville, Fla.

Publications

  • Rivera, M., J. Y. Lee, S. Chukkapalli, I. Velsko, I. Bhattacharyya, L. S. Holliday, and L. Kesavalu. A Bisphosphonate Derivative of Enoxacin Blocks Alveolar Bone Resorption Associated with Polymicrobial-induced Periodontal Disease in Rats. Journal of Dental Research. In Preparation.
  • Rivera, M., J.Y. Lee, B. Yehia, A. Lucas, and L. Kesavalu. Mouse model of polymicrobial infection, inflammation, immunity, and alveolar bone resorption in Periodontal disease. Infect. Immun. Under Submission.
  • Lamont, R. J. R. K. Verma, B. Bainbridge, D. R. Demuth, M. Kuboniwa, B. Yehia, C. L. Eastman, M. Rivera, I. Bhattacharyya, and L. Kesavalu. In vivo interaction of Porphyromonas gingivalis and Streptococcus gordonii in experimental periodontal disease. Infect. Immun. Under submission.
  • Nahid, M. A., M. Rivera, A. Lucas, E. Chan, and L. Kesavalu. Polymicrobial infection with periodontal pathogens specifically enhances miR-146a in ApoEnull mice during experimental periodontal disease. Infect. Immun. 2011 Apr;79(4):1597-605.
  • Bainbridge, B., R. K. Verma, C. Eastman, B. Yehia, M. Rivera, C. Moffatt, I. Bhattacharyya, R. J. Lamont, L. Kesavalu. Role of Porphyromonas gingivalis phosphoserine phosphatase enzyme SerB in inflammation, immune response and induction of alveolar bone resorption in rats. Infect. Immun. 2010 Nov;78(11):4560-9.
  • Phillips, J.A., Almeida, E.A., Hill, E.L., Aguirre, J.I., Rivera, M.F., Nachbandi, I., Wronski, T.J., van der Meulen M.C. and Globus, R.K. Role for β1 integrins in cortical osteocytes during acute musculoskeletal disuse. Matrix Biol. 2008 Sep;27(7):609-18.
  • Abranches, J., M. M. Nascimento, L. Zeng, C. M. Browngardt, Z. T. Wen, M. F. Rivera and R. A. Burne. CcpA regulates central metabolism and virulence gene expression in Streptococcus mutans. J Bacteriol. 2008 Apr;190(7):2340-9.
  • Aguirre, I., M. E Leal, M. F Rivera, S. M Vanegas, M. Jorgensen and T. J Wronski. Effects of basic fibroblast growth factor and a prostaglandin E2 receptor subtype 4 agonist on osteoblastogenesis and adipogenesis in aged ovariectomized rats. J Bone Miner Res. 2007 Jun;22(6):877-88.
  • Iwaniec, U. T., T. J. Wronski, J. Liu, M. F. Rivera, R. Arzaga, D. S. Rice, G. Hansen and B. Brommage. Parathyroid Hormone Stimulates Bone Formation in Mice Deficient in Lrp5. J Bone Miner Res. 2007 Mar;22(3):394-402.
  • Iwaniec, U. T., K. Moore, M. F. Rivera, S. E. Myers, S. M. Vanegas and T. J. Wronski. A comparative study of the bone-restorative efficacy of anabolic agents in aged ovariectomized rats. Osteoporos Int. 2007 Mar;18(3):351-62.

Posters Presented at Professional Conferences

  • 2012, International Association for Dental Research, 90th Annual Meeting in Iguaçu Falls, Brazil, June 20-23. M. Rivera, S. Chukkapalli, I. Velsko, H. Chen, J. Y. Lee, I. Bhattacharyya, A. Lucas, and L. Kesavalu. Fusobacterium nucleatum Infection-induced Periodontal Disease and Atherosclerosis in ApoEnull mice.
  • 2012, American Society for Microbiology, 19th Annual Meeting in San Mateo, California, June 14-17. I. Velsko, M. Rivera, S. Chukkapalli, J. Y. Lee, H. Chen, I. Bhattacharyya, A. Lucas, and L. Kesavalu. Tenneralla forsythia Infection-induced Periodontal Disease and Atherosclerosis in ApoEnull mice.
  • 2012, American Association of Dental Research, 41st Annual Meeting in Tampa, Florida, March 21-24. M. Rivera, J. Y. Lee, S. Chukkapalli, I. Velsko, I. Bhattacharyya, L. S. Holliday, and L. Kesavalu. Bis-enoxacin Inhibited Alveolar Bone Loss and Gingival Inflammation in Rats.
  • 2012, American Association of Dental Research, 41st Annual Meeting in Tampa, Florida, March 21-24. S. Chukkapalli, M. Rivera, I. Velsko, J. Y. Lee, H. Chen, I. Bhattacharyya, A. Lucas, and L. Kesavalu. Treponema denticola induced bacteremia, DNA detection, and atherosclerosis in Pro-atherogenic ApoEnull mice.
  • 2012, American Association of Dental Research, 41st Annual Meeting in Tampa, Florida, March 21-24. I. Velsko, M. Rivera, S. Chukkapalli, J. Y. Lee, H. Chen, I. Bhattacharyya, A. Lucas, and L. Kesavalu. Porphyromonas gingivalis induced bacteremia, DNA detection, and atherosclerosis in Pro-atherogenic ApoEnull mice.
  • 2010, Platform in the Laboratory Investigations Section, 61st AALAS (American Association of Laboratory Animal Science) national Meeting, Atlanta, GA, USA. October 10–14, 2010. Aguirre, J. I., J. Pingel, X. Xia, A. Williams, K. Edmonds, M. Rivera, M. Reinhard, A. Battles, D. Kimmel, L. Kesavalu, and T.J. Wronski. The Rice Rat (Oryzomys palustris) Model for Periodontal Disease: Characterization of the Lesions and Technical Features of the Model.
  • 2010, International Association of Dental Research, 88th General Session and Exhibition in Barcelona, Spain, July 14-17. Lamont, R. J. R. K. Verma, B. Bainbridge, D. R. Demuth, M. Kuboniwa, B. Yehia, C. L. Eastman, M. Rivera, I. Bhattacharyya, and L. Kesavalu. In vivo Interaction of P. gingivalis and S. gordonii in Rats.
  • 2010, Clinical and Translational Science Institute, University of Florida, Gainesville, Fl. USA. T. Beaver, M. Rivera, I. Aukhil, K. Karpinia, N. Staples, A. Lucas, A. Progulske-Fox, S. Wallet, C. Klodell, T. Martin, P. Hess, T. Huber, L. Kesavalu. Association between periodontal disease and cardiovascular disease.
  • 2010, American Association for Dental Research 39th Annual Meeting in Washington, D.C. USA. Eastman, C.L. R.K. Verma, B. Bainbridge, B. Yehia, M. Rivera, I. Bhattacharyya, R.J. Lamont, and L. Kesavalu. Porphyromonas gingivalis SerB, a Phosphoserine Phosphatase, role in Periodontal Disease.
  • 2006, American Society of Bone and Mineral Research 28th Annual Meeting in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA. Leal, M.E., M. F. Rivera, S. M. Vanegas, J. I. Aguirre, T. J. Wronski. Effects of bFGF and an EP4 Receptor Agonist on Cancellous Bone Turnover and Bone Gene Expression in Aged Ovariectomized Rats.
  • 2006, American Society of Bone and Mineral Research 28th Annual Meeting in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA. Aguirre, I., M. F. Rivera, S. M. Vanegas, M. E. Leal, T. J. Wronski. The Differential Bone Anabolic Effects Induced by Basic Fibroblast Growth Factor and a Prostaglandin E2 Receptor Subtype 4 Agonist Depends on Bone Marrow Composition
  • 2005, American Society of Bone and Mineral Research 27th Annual Meeting in Nashville, Tennessee, USA. Iwaniec, U. T., K. Moore., M. F.Rivera, S.M. Vanegas, N.N. Teoh, and T.J. Wronski. Prior Intra-Arterial Injection of Mesenchymal Stem Cells Does Not Enhance the Osteogenic Effects of Basis Fibroblast Growth Factor in Aged Ovariectomized Rats.