Dr. Diara Santiago Gonzalez

Biography

Diara joined the Department of Pathology as the Electron Microscopy Manager for the Renal Pathology Laboratory. In this role, she oversees the clinical renal pathology team, leveraging extensive expertise in electron microscopy to support and advance diagnostic capabilities. Diara has a strong background in neuroscience and pharmacology, with significant contributions to advancing treatments for neurological disorders. Her experience includes leading innovative research initiatives and collaborating with multidisciplinary teams. She pioneered work in understanding myelin and glial cell biology and has advanced methodologies in molecular biology, neuroscience, histology, pharmacology, and microscopy. Born and raised in Puerto Rico, Diara earned a bachelor’s degree in Chemistry from the University of Puerto Rico, Río Piedras Campus. She completed her Ph.D. in Pharmacology at the University at Buffalo, focusing her research on therapeutic strategies for demyelinating diseases in the central nervous system, such as Multiple Sclerosis. Following her doctorate, she completed a postdoctoral fellowship at the Institute for Myelin and Glia Exploration, further expanding her research on the central and peripheral nervous systems. Prior to joining Yale, Diara served as a Senior Scientist at Convelo Therapeutics, Inc., a biotechnology company based in Cleveland, OH, where she led efforts on biology, efficacy, and histology teams, closely collaborating with the pharmacology group on developing and testing novel small-molecule therapeutics aimed at promoting remyelination in animal models of demyelination.

Research Interests

Experience