Dr. Patricia Becerra received her Ph.D. in Biochemistry from the University of Navarra in 1979 studying lipid-protein interactions of liver mitochondria enzymes. She received postdoctoral research training with Dr. Samuel H. Wilson at the NCI studying enzymology of DNA polymerases and exonucleases, followed by training under the late Dr. James A. Rose at NIAID in molecular virology of AAV. She then returned to Dr. Wilson’s lab as an expert to study structure-function relationships of HIV reverse transcriptase. She joined NEI as a Visiting Scientist in 1991, became an Investigator in 1994, and was promoted to Principal Investigator in 2001 to study the biochemistry of PEDF, a neurotrophic and antiangiogenic factor for the retina. The interests of her section are in protein structure as it relates to function, with a focus on the interactions of components involved in cell differentiation, survival and maintenance. Her research at NEI has applied these interests to systems in the retina.