Cosette M. Rivera-Cruz completed a Ph.D. in Basic Medical Sciences at Purdue University, focusing on strategies to enhance the therapeutic potential of mesenchymal stem/stromal cells for advanced prostate cancer treatment. She works as a Research Fellow at the Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center, studying cellular and molecular changes in the epithelium following HPV infection and their relevance to carcinogenesis. Her research mainly focuses on cancer and stem cell biology.