麻豆社区app

Originally from Puerto Rico, my passion for science began long before I entered a laboratory. Some of my earliest memories are of spending time in my grandmother's backyard, picking guava fruit from the trees, exploring the outdoors, and developing a deep appreciation for nature and the ocean. These experiences sparked a sense of wonder about the living world and inspired countless questions about how life works, laying the foundation for what would become a career in biomedical research.

As I pursued my scientific training, a deeply personal experience further strengthened my commitment to cancer research. After losing my grandfather to cancer, I moved to California to pursue a career in biomedical research at Loma Linda University. Motivated by both personal loss and scientific curiosity, I became dedicated to understanding the biological mechanisms that drive cancer and to contributing to research that could one day improve the lives of patients and their families.

Since 2015, I have worked as an oncobiologist, studying the molecular and cellular processes involved in cancer initiation, progression, and treatment response. My research has focused on advancing our understanding of cancer biology while connecting basic scientific discoveries with questions that have meaningful clinical applications.

To broaden my scientific training and gain deeper insight into translational cancer research, I completed a highly competitive NIH T32 Cancer Metabolism postdoctoral fellowship at City of Hope Comprehensive Cancer Center. This experience allowed me to work at the interface of basic and translational science, strengthening my ability to connect laboratory discoveries with approaches that may ultimately benefit patient care.

Throughout my journey, I have remained profoundly grateful to God for opening doors and placing me in opportunities that I never imagined possible as a child growing up in Puerto Rico. Looking back, I can see how each stage of my career has contributed not only to my growth as a scientist but also to my growth as an educator and mentor.

Today, I serve as an Assistant Professor at 麻豆社区app, where I am passionate about integrating research, teaching, mentorship, and faith. I am eager to leverage the knowledge, skills, and experiences I have gained throughout my career to train and inspire the next generation of thinkers, researchers, healthcare professionals, and servant leaders. By sharing both the successes and challenges of my own journey, I hope to encourage students to pursue their goals with curiosity, perseverance, integrity, and purpose. My mission is to equip them with the scientific knowledge, critical thinking skills, and confidence needed to make meaningful contributions to their communities, their professions, and our nation.

Whether in the classroom, the research laboratory, or through one-on-one mentorship, I remain driven by the same curiosity that began in my grandmother's backyard in Puerto Rico and by a commitment to use science and education in service to others.

-Anatomy and Physiology I (BIOL1530)
-Anatomy and Physiology I Lab (BIOL1530L)
-Bioethics (BIOL5370)
-Worldview (WLDV1210)
-Research in Biology (BIOL4900)

Biology, Anatomy and Physiology, Cancer Biology

-General Biology Undergraduate Course (BIOL203), Universidad Metropolitana (Ana G. Mendez University System), San Juan, PR
-Cancer Biology Graduate Course (PHYS555), Loma Linda University School of Medicine, CA
-Roberts Academy Advanced Biology Class, Advanced Summer Academy Class, City of Hope, Duarte, CA
-Roberts Academy Advanced Biology Class, Responsible Conduct of Research Class, City of Hope, Duarte, CA
-Master of Science in Medical Sciences (MSMS) Program mentor for the College of Health Sciences, Western University of Health Sciences, Pomona, CA
-M1 Spanish OSCE, California University of Science and Medicine, Colton, CA

Research: My research focuses on exploring and targeting malignant pathways leading to the development of prostate cancer and understanding the importance of racial and ethnic differences in clinical outcomes. Specifically, my current research program focuses on targeting IGF axis modulators in the context of prostate cancer aggressive and metastatic disease, including the role of matricellular proteins in the tumor microenvironment. My research has contributed to 1) defining the specificity of the human autoantibody response to the DFS70/LEDGFp75, and 2) delineating molecular pathways contributing to chemoresistant prostate cancer. I have served as a researcher, instructor, mentor, and advocate for cancer screening and treatment accessibility.

OH's! Lab at CBU Current Research Projects (updated FALL 2026):
1) Community Education and Cancer Prevention Program.
Goal: Develop and evaluate a prostate cancer educational workshop for the CBU community.

2) Prostate-Specific Antigen Screening Awareness and Participation Study
Goal: Examine barriers and perceptions surrounding PSA screening.

3) CCN1 Expression in Metastatic Prostate Cancer Cells
Goal: Characterize CCN1 expression in metastatic prostate cancer cell lines.

4) CRISPR Knockdown of CCN1
Goal: Generate a CCN1 knockdown metastatic prostate cancer model.

5) Development of an Osteocyte-Based Bone Metastasis Model
Goal: Establish protocols for osteocyte culture and assess CCN1 signaling in a bone microenvironment.

Presentations (2025-2026):
1) 鈥淒ynamic regulation and physical interaction of IGF1 and CYR61 in prostate cancer cells鈥�, American Association for Cancer Research (AACR) Annual Meeting 2026, San Diego, CA (April 20, 2026)

2) 鈥淢olecular Profiling of Cervical Cancer: A Comparative Study of Hispanic/Latino And Non-Hispanics Groups鈥�, Society of Gynecologic Oncology (SGO) Annual Meeting on Women's Cancer, San Juan, PR (April 12, 2026)

3) 鈥淭argeting the IGF1鈥揅YR61 Axis: A Novel Therapeutic Strategy for Aggressive Prostate Cancer鈥�, AACR Special Conference in Cancer Research: Innovations in Prostate Cancer Research and Treatment, poster, Boston, MA (Jan. 21, 2026)

4) 鈥淐CN1 expression is induced by IGF1 and promotes the proliferation of prostate cancer cells through the PI3/AKT signaling pathway鈥�, Inaugural ARBIOCOM World Conference and 13th Workshop On The CCN Family Of Genes, oral, Nice, France (December 16th, 2025)

5) 鈥淓lucidating the role of CYR61 in metastatic prostate cancer鈥�, U54 CARE-Investigator Mentorship Meeting with PSC, Invited Tak, City of Hope, Duarte, CA (March 4th, 2025)

Selected Publications:
1) Ortiz-Hernandez GL, Sanchez-Hernandez ES, Casiano CA (2019). Update on the DFS70 autoantibody/autoantigen system and current challenges in understanding its clinical and biological significance. In 鈥淧recision Medicine: Role of Autoantibodies in the Prediction and Care of Autoimmune Diseases.鈥� Autoantigens, Autoantibodies, and Autoimmunity, 12:32-44. PABST Science-Publishers. Conrad K, Andrade LEC, Chan EKL, Fritzler MJ, Prujin GJM, Shoenfeld Y, Steiner G (Eds)

2) Ortiz-Hernandez GL, Sanchez-Hernandez, ES, and Casiano CA (2020). Twenty years of research on the DFS70/LEDGF autoantibody-autoantigen system: many lessons learned but still many questions. Autoimmunity Highlights 11(1): 3. PMID: 32127038, DOI: https://doi.org/10.1186/s13317-020-0126-4

3) Almaguel FA, Sanchez TW, Ortiz-Hernandez GL and Casiano CA (2021). Alpha-Enolase: Emerging tumor-associated antigen, cancer biomarker, and oncotherapeutic target. Frontiers in Genetics 11, 1835. PMID: 33584813, DOI: https://doi.org/10.3389/fgene.2020.614726

4) Ortiz-Hernandez GL, Sanchez-Hernandez ES, Ochoa PT, Elix C, Alkashgari HR, McMullen JRW, Soto U, Martinez SR, Diaz-Osterman CJ, Mahler M, Sourav R, Casiano CA (2021). The LEDGFp75 integrase binding domain interactome contributes to the survival, clonogenicity, and tumorsphere formation of docetaxel-resistant prostate cancer cells. Cells 2021; 10, 2723. PMID: 34685704, DOI: https://doi.org/10.3390/cells10102723 (Selected as Cells 2021 Best Paper Awards for Anniversary Special Issue)

5) Guerrios-Rivera L, Ortiz-Hernandez GL, Cooper P, & Woods-Burnham L (2024, April 19). DIVERSITY Community-Based Interventions: A Powerful Tool Against Disparities and Inequities in Prostate Cancer. (S. Tanaka, L. Bresler, L. Guerrios-Rivera, & N. D. Grunewald, Eds.) Linthicum, MD, US: American Urological Association NEWS. Retrieved from https://auanews.net/issues/articles/2024/april-2024-extra/diversity-community-based-interventions-a-powerful-tool-against-disparities-and-inequities-in-prostate-cancer

6) Schenker A. & Ortiz-Hernandez, GL. CYR61 as a Potential Biomarker and Target in Cancer Prognosis and Therapies. Cells. 2025; 14(11): 761. PMID: 41009559, DOI: https://doi.org/10.3390/cells14110761

7) Ortiz-Hernandez GL, Patrick C, Hinz S, LaBarge MA, Li YR & Neuhausen SL. CYR61 Expression Is Induced by IGF1 and Promotes the Proliferation of Prostate Cancer Cells Through the PI3/AKT Signaling Pathway. International Journal of Molecular Sciences 2025, 26(18), 8991. PMID: 41009559, DOI: https://doi.org/10.3390/ijms26188991

8) Tran AB and Ortiz-Hernandez GL (2026). CCN1 as a compartment-specific biomarker of active microenvironmental remodeling: evidence from bone repair, aging, inflammation, and cancer. Front. Med. 13:1843283. DOI: https://doi.org/10.3389/fmed.2026.1843283

For a complete list of publications, please visit my NCBI Bibliography: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/myncbi/greisha.ortiz-hernandez.1/bibliography/public/

I am a member of The Mission Redlands Church in Redlands, CA. I am currently a Lead Team Member, and some of my roles are: social media content creation, coffee team member, and a member of our hospitality Connect Team.

麻豆社区app (2026)
-Advisor, The Vine- Women's Health Club group

City of Hope National Medical Center (2026)
-Coordinator, Cancer Education Community event. Coordinated resources for on-site education about the importance of cancer screening and prevention. In coordination with the VIDA program at the California University of Science and Medicine. Loma Linda Chinese Church, Loma Linda, CA (July 26th)
-Coordinator, Prostate Cancer Screening event, in coordination with the Office of Health Access and Community Enrichment at City of Hope. Coordinated resources for prostate cancer screening, on-site recruitment for screening, and provided education about prostate cancer. Friendship Baptist Church, Yorba Linda, CA (July 19th)
-Coordinator, Prostate Cancer Screening event, in coordination with the Office of Health Access and Community Enrichment at City of Hope. Coordinated resources for prostate cancer screening, on-site recruitment for screening, and provided education about prostate cancer. Greater Emmanuel Temple, Lynwood, CA (June 14th)
-Organizer, 鈥淗ow to Set and Achieve Financial Goals as a Postdoc鈥� Workshop. Coordinated speaker, organized resources and follow-up with participants. City of Hope, Duarte, CA (June 9th)
-Coordinator, 鈥淗ealth, Hope and Community Health Fair鈥�, in coordination with the Office of Health Access and Community Enrichment at City of Hope. Coordinated resources for prostate cancer screening, on-site recruitment for screening, and provided education about prostate cancer. Second Baptist Church, Monrovia, CA (February 22nd)

Extramural (2026)
-Chair Elect, Associate Member Council (AMC), American Association for Cancer Research (AACR)
-Judge, 76th Annual LA county Science and Engineering Fair, Los Angeles, CA (March 9)
-Volunteer and Organizer, American Cancer Society-Cancer Action Network (ACS-CAN) California Ambassador Summit (February 28th)
-Volunteer, Love Redlands Community Event (February 21st)

When I am not teaching or conducting research, I enjoy spending time enjoying God's creation, especially near the mountains or ocean, which reminds me of my roots in Puerto Rico and my appreciation for the beauty of the natural world. I love attending, serving, and building community at my church, The Mission Church in Redlands, CA. I enjoy practicing Barre, traveling with my husband and our two dogs, Sol茅 and Doppio, and spending quality time with family and friends. Lately, I have been painting more, and I am enjoying nourishing that skill. Whether it's a game night at home or exploring a new destination, I value opportunities to build relationships, create memories, and maintain a healthy balance between my professional and personal life.

"Trust in the LORD with all your heart, and do not lean on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make straight your paths." (Proverbs 3:5鈥�6)