School of Medicine - Department of Public Health
Wellman Antonio
RIBÓN GÓMEZ
Representative of professors on the Council of School of Medicine
CONTACT
Information
wribon@uis.edu.co
+57 (607) 634 4000
Extension: 3161
GENERAL
Description
He has over 30 years of experience in scientific research and professional work in the field of public health. He has been recognized for his research productivity through PRODEIN (Program to Support Researchers), aimed at strengthening research infrastructure and development at UIS, and has been designated as a senior researcher in several calls by Colombia’s Ministry of Science, Technology and Innovation.
He served as coordinator of the Mycobacteria Research Group at the National Institute of Health of Colombia and was part of the scientific team that led the Colombian Center of Excellence in Tuberculosis Research (CCITB), where significant contributions were made to the guidelines of the National Tuberculosis Prevention and Control Program. Professor Ribón is a member of specialized scientific societies in mycobacteria research—EUROLATB and SLAMTB—which promote scientific investigation and the training of human talent to help control devastating diseases caused by mycobacteria. He also led the Tuberculosis Study Group of Santander, created through Resolution No. 08296 by the Government of Santander, with the purpose of advising the department on tuberculosis control.
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He was appointed Director of the School of Bacteriology at UIS, and during his tenure, the name of this Academic and Administrative Unit was successfully changed to the School of Microbiology, a title that reflects the broad and impactful areas in which the Unit has achieved major accomplishments, especially in the field of bioanalysis. His leadership also saw the completion of the approval process for the Master’s Program in Microbiology by the Ministry of Education.
Professor Ribón also served as Director of the Laboratory of Immunology and Molecular Biology at UIS, where the HLA test accreditation was maintained—an essential component of UIS’s social commitment to supporting organ transplant recipient selection in Eastern Colombia.
He was awarded the “Lorencita Villegas de Santos Founder’s Order” by the Colombian Anti-Tuberculosis League in recognition of his contributions to diagnostic methodologies in classical and molecular microbiology for underserved patient populations. Professor Ribón has also participated in national and regional Tuberculosis Case Management Committees.
Additionally, he was appointed as a member of the Scientific Research Ethics Committee (CEINCI), where he was elected as Chair, contributing to the oversight and ethical assurance of scientific research processes at UIS.
Professor Ribón was part of the research team that successfully secured a patent for the “Nucleotide Mixture for the Amplification and Sequencing of Nucleic Acid Polymers”, through a scientific research project funded by MinCiencias and UIS.
He also founded the Mycobacterium Laboratory, specializing in the study of this bacterial genus, where he led research projects on tuberculosis in prisons and nursing homes, among others, and collaborated with major companies such as Ecopetrol under the “Campo Escuela Colorado – Academic–Industry Partnership Model in Colombia.”
He currently serves as a professor in the Department of Public Health, is a faculty representative on the School of Medicine Council, and acts as an advisor, consultant, and evaluator in public health.
EDUCATION AND
Qualifications
Representative of professors on the Council of School of Medicine
CONTACT
Information
wribon@uis.edu.co
+57 (607) 634 4000
Extension:3161
AREAS OF
Expertise
- Public health
- Molecular biology
- Health systems assessment, plans and policies
OFFICE
Hours
Wednesday
4:00 p.m. – 6:00 p.m.
Faculty of Health, Cra. 32 #29–31, School of Medicine
