Dr. Aguilera has extensive experience in immunology, cancer research, molecular and cell biology, and drug screening. As the director of the Research Infrastructure Core and the Cellular Characterization and Biorepository Facility of the Border Biomedical Research Center (BBRC), he oversees the research facilities that provide support to over 200 faculty, staff, and students. His research group has developed high-throughput assays for screening of chemical libraries on human cancer cells and pathogens. The research group has also focused on the effects of repurposed drugs with potential anticancer activities. One such drug is Pyronaridine, a anti-malarial drug that was found to have significant anticancer activity and act as a Topoisomerase inhibitor by the group (patent approved). The research group is attempting to establish Hispanic-derived cancer cell lines from various tissues to determine if new and commercial anti-cancer drugs have the same effect on cancer cell lines derived from Hispanics. Additionally, in collaboration with local MD at TTUHSC, the group determined that Hispanic patients with Triple Negative Breast Cancer have distinct genetic mutations from those seen among other ethnicities. As certain cancers are more prevalent and aggressive in Hispanics, it is important to not only find the causes for these disparities but also the therapies that may be most effective in Hispanics.