Natividad Roberto Fuentes Jr., Ph.D.
Department of Cancer Biology, Division of Discovery Science
Present Title & Affiliation
Primary Appointment
Assistant Professor, Cancer Biology, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, Texas
Dual/Joint/Adjunct Appointment
Assistant Professor, Cancer Biology, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, Texas
Education & Training
Degree-Granting Education
| 2017 | Texas A&M University, College Station, Texas, US, Toxicology, Ph.D |
| 2012 | Texas A&M University - Corpus Christi, Corpus Christi, Texas, US, Cell/Molecular Biology, B.S |
| 2011 | Del Mar College, Corpus Christi, Texas, US, Biology, A.S |
| 2011 | Del Mar College, Corpus Christi, Texas, US, Biotechnology, Certificate |
Postgraduate Training
| 2020-2023 | Postdoctoral Research Fellow, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, Texas |
| 2017-2019 | Postdoctoral Research Fellow, Texas A&M University, College Station, Texas |
| 2013-2017 | Graduate Student, Texas A&M University, College Station, Texas |
Experience & Service
Administrative Appointments/Responsibilities
Co-Director, Cancer Biology Professional Mentoring (CB-PROMENT) Program Development, Department of Cancer Biology, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, Texas, 2026 - Present
Other Professional Positions
External Member, Center for Nanoscale Imaging Sciences, Rice University, Houston, Texas, 2025 - Present
Grant Panel Scientific Officer, American Institute for Cancer Research, Washington, District of Columbia, 2021
Honors & Awards
| 2026 - Present | V Scholar, V Foundation for Cancer Research |
| 2019 | 1st Place Postdoc Poster, Texas A&M University CVM Trainee Research Symposium |
| 2019 | 1st Place Flash Talk, Texas A&M University CVM Trainee Research Symposium |
| 2019 | People's Choice Flash Talk, Texas A&M University CVM Trainee Research Symposium |
| 2019 | 2nd Place Poster Presentation, Lone Star Regional Chapter of the Society of Toxicology |
| 2019 | 1st Place Postdoc Poster, Texas A&M University Toxicology Regulatory Science Symposium |
| 2018 | New Investigator Award, International Society for the Study of Fatty Acids and Lipids |
| 2018 | 1st Place Poster Presentation, Texas A&M University 2018 Toxicology Science Symposium |
| 2018 | 2nd Place Distinguished Poster, Texas A&M University 3rd Annual Postdoctoral Symposium |
| 2017 | Best Poster Presentation Winner (1 of 2), Texas A&M Quantitative Bioimaging Conference 2017 |
| 2017 | 1st Place Platform Presentation, Lone Star Regional Chapter of the Society of Toxicology |
| 2017 | 2nd Place, Texas A&M University 3-Minute Thesis |
| 2016 | 1st Place Platform Presentation, Texas A&M University Toxicology Forum |
| 2016 | 1st Place Platform Presentation, Texas A&M University Nutrition Research Symposium |
| 2016 | 1st Place Platform Presentation-Graduate (Biology, Microbiology, Molecular Biology, Biochemistry, Biophysics), Texas A&M University Student Research Week |
| 2016 | 2nd Place Poster Presentation, Texas A&M University Imaging Science Spotlight Series |
| 2016 | 1st Place Doctoral Poster Presentation, Texas A&M Pathways Symposium |
| 2016 | 1st Place PechaKucha Platform Presentation, Texas Alliance for Graduate Education and the Professoriate (AGEP) Conference |
| 2015 | Mini Grant Award, Texas Alliance for Graduate Education and the Professoriate (AGEP) |
| 2014 | 2nd Place Platform Presentation, Lone Star Regional Chapter of the Society of Toxicology |
| 2013 | 1st Place Doctoral Poster Presentation, Texas A&M Pathways Symposium |
| 2012 | Top 1% Poster Presentation, Texas A&M Pathways Symposium |
| 2011 | Top 1% Superior Poster Presentation, Texas A&M Pathways Symposium |
| 2011 | 1st Place Poster Presentation, LSAMP Seventh Annual Symposium |
| 2010 | 2nd Place Poster Presentation, LSAMP Symposium |
Professional Memberships
Selected Presentations & Talks
Local Presentations
- 2026. A Blood-Based Biophysical Window into Leukemia and Antileukemia Immunity. Invited. Cancer Biology and Leukemia Departmental Collaborative Meeting. Houston, Texas, US.
- 2026. Harnessing membrane dynamics to enhance antitumor immunity. Invited. UT MD Anderson & Princess Margaret Cancer Centre Joint Research Symposium. Houston, Texas, US.
- 2026. Deciphering the Proteolipid Code of Antitumor Immunity. Invited. Department of Genetics: Research Exchange Lecture Series. Houston, Texas, US.
- 2025. Membrane dynamics in the immunosuppressive tumor microenvironment. Invited. Energy Balance Research Seminar, Center for Energy Balance in Cancer Prevention and Survivorship. Houston, Texas, US.
- 2024. Membrane dynamics in the hypoxic tumor microenvironment. Invited. CCSG Cancer Biology and Metastasis Program 2024 Retreat and Workshop. Houston, Texas, US.
- 2023. Targeting membrane dynamics for cancer immune therapy. Invited. The Center for Energy Balance in Cancer Prevention and Survivorship 10th Anniversary Day of Science Symposium. Houston, Texas, US.
- 2023. Targeting membrane dynamics for cancer immune therapy. Invited. Department of Cancer Biology Seminar Series. Houston, Texas, US.
- 2023. Lipidomic remodeling based therapeutic resistance mechanisms in the tumor microenvironment. Invited. Inaugural Annual MIMIG Symposium. Houston, Texas, US.
- 2023. Membrane spatial dynamics in the tumor microenvironment. Invited. Research Town Hall. Houston, Texas, US.
- 2023. HIF2 in Cancer Associated Fibroblast Creates an Immunosuppressive Tumor Microenvironment in Pancreatic Cancer. Invited. Research Town Hall. Houston, Texas, US.
Regional Presentations
- 2023. Delivered Keynote Address. Invited. Summer Commencement. Corpus Christi, Texas, US.
- 2019. Delivered Keynote Address. Invited. Texas A&M Pathways Symposium. Laredo, Texas, US.
International Presentations
- 2024. Membrane dynamics in the hypoxic tumor microenvironment. Invited. 2nd Annual MD Anderson-Princess Margaret Joint Symposium on Cancer Research. Toronto, US.
Grant & Contract Support
| Date: | 2027 - 2029 |
| Title: | Three-Dimensional Mapping of T-cell Membrane Biophysics in the Tumor Immune Microenvironment |
| Funding Source: | National Institutes of Health |
| Role: | PI |
| Date: | 2026 - 2029 |
| Title: | Plasma Membrane Lipid Homeostasis as a Targetable Regulator of T-Cell Dysfunction in Pancreatic Cancer |
| Funding Source: | CANCER PREVENTION RESEARCH INST OF TX |
| Role: | PI |
| ID: | RP270584 |
| Date: | 2026 - 2028 |
| Title: | Biophysical Calibration of Spatial Metabolomic and Lipidomic Signatures of CD8 T-Cell Dysfunction |
| Funding Source: | The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center |
| Role: | Co-PI |
| Date: | 2026 - Present |
| Title: | Harnessing membrane dynamics to enhance antitumor immunity |
| Funding Source: | V Foundation |
| Role: | PI |
| ID: | FP00029637 , RCTS# 66610 |
| Date: | 2024 - 2025 |
| Title: | UT Rising STARS |
| Funding Source: | University of Texas at MD Anderson |
| Role: | PI |
| Date: | 2020 - 2022 |
| Title: | CPRIT TRIUMPH Postdoctoral Research Fellowship Program |
| Funding Source: | CPRIT |
| Role: | Key |
| ID: | RP210028 |
| Date: | 2020 - 2022 |
| Title: | NCI Research Supplements to Promote Diversity in Health-Related Research |
| Funding Source: | NIH |
| Role: | Key |
| ID: | R01CA227517-02S1 |
| Date: | 2018 - 2019 |
| Title: | Postdoctoral Training Grant - Regulatory Science in Environmental Health and Toxicology |
| Funding Source: | NIH |
| Role: | Key |
| ID: | T32 ES026568 |
| Date: | 2015 - 2017 |
| Title: | PhRMA Foundation Predoctoral Fellowship in Pharmacology/Toxicology |
| Funding Source: | PhRMA Foundation |
| Role: | Key |
| Date: | 2013 - 2015 |
| Title: | Texas A&M University System Louis Stokes Alliance for Minority Participation (TAMUS LSAMP) Bridge to the Doctorate Fellowship |
| Funding Source: | National Science Foundation |
| Role: | Key |
| ID: | HRD-1249272 |
Selected Publications
Peer-Reviewed Articles
- Kim E, Erazo-Oliveras A, Munoz-Vega M, Fuentes NR, Salinas ML, George MJ, Zoh RS, Hensel ME, Patil BS, Ivanov I, Turner ND, Chapkin RS. Diet therapy abates mutant APC and KRas effects by reshaping plasma membrane cholesterol nanodomains. Biophys J 124(3):508-527, 2025. e-Pub 2025. PMID: 39709523.
- Garcia Garcia CJ, Huang Y, Fuentes NR, Turner MC, Monberg ME, Lin D, Nguyen ND, Fujimoto TN, Zhao J, Lee JJ, Bernard V, Yu M, Delahoussaye AM, Jimenez Sacarello I, Caggiano EG, Phan JL, Deorukhkar A, Molkentine JM, Saur D, Maitra A, Taniguchi CM. Stromal HIF2 Regulates Immune Suppression in the Pancreatic Cancer Microenvironment. Gastroenterology 162(7):2018-2031, 2022. e-Pub 2022. PMID: 35216965.
- Fuentes NR, Mlih M, Wang X, Webster G, Cortes-Acosta S, Salinas ML, Corbin IR, Karpac J, Chapkin RS. Membrane therapy using DHA suppresses epidermal growth factor receptor signaling by disrupting nanocluster formation. J Lipid Res 62:100026, 2021. e-Pub 2021. PMID: 33515553.
- Salinas ML, Fuentes NR, Choate R, Wright RC, McMurray DN, Chapkin RS. AdipoRon Attenuates Wnt Signaling by Reducing Cholesterol-Dependent Plasma Membrane Rigidity. Biophys J 118(4):885-897, 2020. e-Pub 2020. PMID: 31630812.
- Fuentes NR, Mlih M, Barhoumi R, Fan YY, Hardin P, Steele TJ, Behmer S, Prior IA, Karpac J, Chapkin RS. Long-Chain n-3 Fatty Acids Attenuate Oncogenic KRas-Driven Proliferation by Altering Plasma Membrane Nanoscale Proteolipid Composition. Cancer Res 78(14):3899-3912, 2018. e-Pub 2018. PMID: 29769200.
- Fan YY, Fuentes NR, Hou TY, Barhoumi R, Li XC, Deutz NEP, Engelen MPKJ, McMurray DN, Chapkin RS. Remodelling of primary human CD4+ T cell plasma membrane order by n-3 PUFA. Br J Nutr 119(2):163-175, 2018. e-Pub 2018. PMID: 29249211.
Review Articles
- Fuentes NR, Phan J, Huang Y, Lin D, Taniguchi CM. Resolving the HIF paradox in pancreatic cancer. Cancer Lett 489:50-55, 2020. e-Pub 2020. PMID: 32512024.
- Fuentes NR, Kim E, Fan YY, Chapkin RS. Omega-3 fatty acids, membrane remodeling and cancer prevention. Mol Aspects Med 64:79-91, 2018. e-Pub 2018. PMID: 29627343.
- Erazo-Oliveras A, Fuentes NR, Wright RC, Chapkin RS. Functional link between plasma membrane spatiotemporal dynamics, cancer biology, and dietary membrane-altering agents. Cancer Metastasis Rev 37(2-3):519-544, 2018. e-Pub 2018. PMID: 29860560.
- Fuentes NR, Salinas ML, Kim E, Chapkin RS. Emerging role of chemoprotective agents in the dynamic shaping of plasma membrane organization. Biochim Biophys Acta Biomembr 1859(9 Pt B):1668-1678, 2017. e-Pub 2017. PMID: 28342710.
- Hou TY, Davidson LA, Kim E, Fan YY, Fuentes NR, Triff K, Chapkin RS. Nutrient-Gene Interaction in Colon Cancer, from the Membrane to Cellular Physiology. Annu Rev Nutr 36:543-70, 2016. e-Pub 2016. PMID: 27431370.
- Chapkin RS, DeClercq V, Kim E, Fuentes NR, Fan YY. Mechanisms by Which Pleiotropic Amphiphilic n-3 PUFA Reduce Colon Cancer Risk. Curr Colorectal Cancer Rep 10(4):442-452, 2014. e-Pub 2014. PMID: 25400530.
Editorials
- Fuentes NR, Taniguchi CM. Turning Down Oxygen to Turn Up Inflammation in CAFs. Cancer Res 83(10):1560-1562, 2023. PMID: 37183657.
Book Chapters
- Fuentes NR, Salinas ML, Wang X, Fan YY, Chapkin RS. Assessment of Plasma Membrane Fatty Acid Composition and Fluidity Using Imaging Flow Cytometry. In: Methods Mol Biol, 251-258, 2021.
Patient Reviews
CV information above last modified August 05, 2026