Dr. Socorro is a Research Assistant Professor in the Department of Oral and Craniofacial Sciences at the University of Pittsburgh School of Dental Medicine. She is a dentist-scientist originally from Venezuela, with a PhD in Physiological Sciences. She joined the University of Pittsburgh School of Dental Medicine in 2018, where she gained postdoctoral research experience working on determining the role of mineralization-regulating transcription factors in susceptibility to dental caries and on defining novel interactions between transcription factors that are crucial for bone and dental tissue mineralization. Her research interest focuses on advancing our understanding of the fundamental molecular mechanisms involved in the formation and mineralization of skeletal and dental tissues. These studies will result in opportunities to develop better options for effective prevention and treatment of diseases that affect mineralized tissues, as well as for more assertive dental caries risk assessment and identification of high caries-risk groups. In addition, these studies will open an entirely new area of exploration into the fundamentals of the regulation of dentin formation and its impact on the quality of enamel and dental caries risk. Dr. Socorro’s research interest also focuses on understanding the development of temporomandibular joint disorders and the onset and progression of pain. She has a strong background in clinical and population research related to dental caries and dental fluorosis in pediatric patients in Venezuela. She has 7 years of postdoctoral experience and was awarded the Ruth L. Kirschstein National Research Service Award (NRSA) Individual Postdoctoral Fellowship in 2020. Her career goal is to become an independent researcher in the field of tissue mineralization, as well as a tenured professor in dentistry. She enjoys teaching and her passion is doing research and being a mom.