Quiñones’ research interests focus on neurobiological mechanisms in cognitive and mental health outcomes across the life span. Specifically, she is interested in understanding the relationships among cognition, inflammation, and mental health symptoms (i.e., depression and PTSS) and the contributions of aging on these relationships. Her overall aim is to develop or identify interventions that effectively target these mechanisms to improve cognitive and mental health and quality of life across the lifespan. A key focus of Quiñones’ work is on mechanism-based intervention development and delivery aimed at reducing Latino health disparities. She implements systematic approaches to cultural adaptation of evidence-based interventions to fit the needs and characteristics of the Latino culture in order to improve access to and delivery of care, as well as health-related outcomes.
Quiñones earned her bachelor's from the University of Puerto Rico, Mayaguez campus, and an master's and PhD and in clinical psychology from the Ponce Sciences University in Ponce, Puerto Rico. Quiñones completed her clinical internship in the Psychiatry Department at the University of Rochester Medical Center. She completed her postdoctoral training in cognitive aging and psychoneuroimmunology at the University of Rochester School of Nursing.
Wang J., Cheng Z., Kim Y., Yu F., Heffner K., Quinones M.M., & Li Y. (2022). Pain and the Alzheimer's Disease and Related Dementia Spectrum in Community-Dwelling Older Americans: A Nationally Representative Study.Journal of Pain and Symptom Management. PMID: 35081442 PMCID: PMC9035327 DOI: 10.1016/j.jpainsymman.2022.01.012
Quinones, M.M., Gallegos, A.M., Lin, F.V. & Heffner, K. (2020). Dysregulation of inflammation, neurobiology, and cognitive function in PTSD: an integrative review.Cognitive, Affective and Behavioral Neuroscience. PMID: 32170605 PMCID: PMC7682894 DOI: 10.3758/s13415-020-00782-9
Quiñones, M.M., Lombard-Newell, J., Sharp, D., Way, V., & Cross, W. (2018). Case study of an adaptation and implementation of a Diabetes Prevention Program for individuals with serious mental illness.Translational Behavioral Medicine. PMID: 29346678 DOI: 10.1093/tbm/ibx064
Heffner, K.L., France, C.R., Ashrafioun, L., Quiñones, M., Walsh, P., Maloney, M.D., Giordano, B.D., & Pigeon, W.R. (2018). Clinical pain-related outcomes and inflammatory cytokine response to pain following insomnia improvement in adults With knee osteoarthritis.The Clinical Journal of Pain. PMID: 30134281 PMCID: PMC6219931 DOI: 10.1097/AJP.0000000000000644
Quiñones, M., Urrutia, R., Torres-Reverón, A., Vincent, K., & Flores I. (2015). Anxiety, coping skills and hypothalamus-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis in patients with endometriosis.Journal of Reproductive Biology and Health, 3 (1), 2. PMID: 26900480 PMCID: PMC4755521 DOI: 10.7243/2054-0841-3-2
Clinton, A., Quiñones, M.M., & Christo, C. (2011). Phonological awareness: Cross-linguistic comparisons with a focus on Spanish,Conciencia fonológica: Comparaciones lingüísticas cruzadas con un enfoque en el español.Interamerican Journal of Psychology, 45 (2), 263-270.