Idhaliz Flores, PhD,

Idhaliz Flores is a molecular biologist with 20 years of experience in research on Women’s health, specifically in endometriosis and pelvic pain. Dr. Flores is Professor of Basic Sciences and Ob-Gyn at Ponce Health Sciences University (PHSU), in Ponce, Puerto Rico. She has been involved in endometriosis research since 2001, specifically looking at molecular biomarkers and genetic/epigenetic factors associated with this disease. She currently directs the Endometriosis Research Program (ERP), which consists of students-in-training, collaborating experts and a biorepository. Research at ERP has helped establish the prevalence of endometriosis in Puerto Rico, discover potential diagnostic markers and immunological correlates, and identify genetic variants associated with endometriosis and/or infertility. More recently, her team has conducted studies on the impact of endometriosis on life, health and work productivity, and on health system utilization trends and costs. Her collaborative work with a team of physiologists and neuroscientists has led to the first demonstration of the negative impact of stress on disease presentation using the rat model of endometriosis, and on the alleviation that results from stress management techniques. She is currently the PI on a project to translate and test the efficacy of an environmental enrichment intervention for endometriosis (1R21HD098481). She is co-founder of Sur180 Therapeutics a start-up that develops novel endometriosis therapies. Dr. Flores is member of the Board of Directors of ENDOPR (Fundación Puertorriqueña de Pacientes con Endometriosis) (www.endometriosispr.com), a patient advocacy foundation in Puerto Rico that provides support and education to patients and their relatives since 2005. ENDOPR Facebook page has >9,000 followers and the Facebook group >4,000 members.