Mentored Clinical Research Training Program Scholar, Maria Soltero-Rivera, Builds Translational Research Career in Her First Year
***This article first appeared in the UC Davis Health Clinical and Translational Science Center Connections newsletter***
Over her first year as a Mentored Clinical Research Training Program (MCRTP) Scholar, Dr. Maria Soltero-Rivera, now Associate Professor of Dentistry and Oral Surgery at the William R. Pritchard Veterinary Medical Teaching Hospital, has built a remarkably productive and truly translational research portfolio at the intersection of oral immunology, microbiome science, and regenerative medicine.
Her work spans mechanistic studies, clinical trials, and meta-transcriptomic sequencing to better understand and treat chronic oral inflammatory diseases in companion animals—conditions that often mirror human oral mucosal and dental disorders. This year, she advanced multiple manuscripts to submission or publication, secured several intramural and foundation grants, and led ongoing clinical and translational studies in feline chronic gingivostomatitis and canine chronic ulcerative stomatitis, as well as in vitro work using PEG@miR-21 nano therapy and lactic acid bacteria–derived exosomes. Her research has also generated new frameworks for understanding immune exhaustion, microbial dysbiosis, and mitochondrial dysfunction in chronic oral disease, positioning the veterinary oral cavity as a powerful comparative model for human health.
Dr. Soltero-Rivera’s work has gained national and international visibility, including presentations at AAAS, the American Academy of Oral Medicine, the Keystone Symposia on host–microbe co-evolution, and the North American Veterinary Regenerative Medicine Association. She continues to expand her computational and molecular skillset through specialized training. She has built a collaborative, cross-disciplinary team spanning microbiology, immunology/virology, cellular and regenerative biology, oral pathology, and data science. The MCRTP has played a key role in supporting her transition toward a competitive translational research career by providing protected time, structured mentorship, and access to cross-campus scientific networks.
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