Bio
Dr.ÌýÌýhas a long and successful career in and outside of academia as a mathematical biologist, researcher, educator,ÌýmentorÌýand advocate for racial and gender equity. Camacho isÌýÌýof theÌýÌýand professorÌýin The University of Texas at San Antonio (UTSA)’s mathematics and neuroscience, developmental and regenerative biology departments.Ìý Camacho was aÌýÌý2022-2023. From 2019-2022 Camacho had three impressive years of work at the National Science Foundation (NSF) as Program Director co-Lead of theÌýÌýand Program Director of theÌýÌýand theÌýÌýPrograms.
Camacho’s research includes using mathematical modeling to understand physiological processes, in particular mathematical ophthalmology. Her work is reported in more than 30 peer-reviewed publications. Currently her work is expanding from dynamic mathematical and computational multi-scale models of cellular and molecular processes to include experimental work that complements current retina degeneration research.Ìý Her work to-date includes mathematical models of key metabolic pathways in cones (particularly aerobic glycolysis) and glutathione redox system, photoreceptors and RPE interactions, and treatments to slow photoreceptor degeneration. Her research investigates both the healthy and diseased retinas at the cellular and molecular levels and disruptions in the photoreceptors’ metabolic processes resulting from nutrient deprivation, increased oxidative stress, and oxygen imbalance. Camacho published the first set of mechanistic models addressing photoreceptor degeneration and established a new framework toÌýhelpÌýmitigate blindness.Ìý In her earliest retina publication, her work predicted the existence of a necessary mechanism experimentally discovered a year later - the rod-derived cone viability factor (RdCVF) and proposed equations describing the dynamics of the rod and cone outer segments and the RPE cells.
Camacho’s leadership, research, scholarship, andÌýmentoringÌýhave won her numerous national and regional recognitions including theÌý, theÌýÌýaward from the White House, aÌý, theÌýÌý, theÌý, theÌý, theÌýÌý, theÌý, theÌý, andÌý, among many other national awards and honors. She was aÌý.ÌýMost recently, Camacho was named aÌýÌý and aÌýÌý in January 2024.