Julio Pimentel, Ph.D., Miami Clinical & Translational Science Institute ’18, is nationally recognized for transforming patient care through innovative research in therapy-resistant cancers and raising cancer awareness among underserved populations.
Dr. Pimentel is a first-generation Mexican American, and his desire to serve as a liaison between the Hispanic community and the medical field began at an early age. He was a teenager when his volunteer experience at a local hospital inspired him to pursue a Ph.D. in cancer research. Most of the cancer patients were from underrepresented communities, and he recognized a disparity in their health care. He also questioned the effectiveness of certain treatments.
“I wanted to understand why some tumors were responsive to treatment and others were not,” said Dr. Pimentel, a postdoctoral fellow at the University of California San Diego. “I also felt a responsibility to help the underserved…”
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