Dr. Cuero, who is now a scientist and inventor, as a child was attracted by the behavior of insects and lizards in nature, but he also was very keen in knowing the nature of plants while he accompanied his greatmother to collect plants for herbal medicine. In addition, Dr. Cuero as a child was attracted by understanding cars’ movement including their parts such as tires, batteries, carburetors, and radiators. Thus, he learned at an early age from a mechanic in a mechanical shop next to his house about these car parts during his school vacations. This experience gave him the appreciation in the value of doing things with his hands at an early age and allowed him to develop a passion for science. These early experiences of Dr. Cuero using his hands for fixing or solving problems became the inducer for developing the passion, agility, and skills for his scientific and technological creative inventiveness by experimenting in the lab, an approach he has always successfully practiced as a bench scientist. These childhood experiences and observations in nature have also harnessed Dr. Cuero’s capacity for establishing differences between similarities, which is key for creativity or discovery. In addition, Dr. Cuero had to also survive economic scarcity and social challenges during his early years, which made him feel the effect of loneliness, and he confronted these challenges with courage through creativity. In fact, these challenges inspired him to write several books on loneliness, fear and courage, and creativity. Like most children growing up, Dr. Cuero enjoyed playing sports, soccer and basketball, outside with his friends. In fact, he became an outstanding competitive basketball player in his early youth, which allowed him to develop the sense of leadership and to understand the value of preparation continuously, which in this case is practicing, and to value and appreciate others for progress, that in this case is the value of constantly practicing to win as he always values winning. Today, Dr. Cuero carries himself with this attitude of constantly being in the lab and/ or the field experimenting and observing toward achieving inventions, and this attitude has worked out for him effectively.
Throughout his life, Dr. Cuero has had the opportunity to travel throughout the world, including presentations about science and creativity, as well as getting to know and understand different cultures intimately. He sees these experiences as one of the main contributing factors for developing an understanding and fairness for people, as well as transforming fear into courage to being creative. Dr. Cuero has also enjoyed reading the classics, including philosophers, as well as his fondness of anthropology and literature. Along with reading, he enjoys art, especially music, including classical and jazz. In fact, he would have loved to become a music composer if he had not become a scientist. However, his utmost attraction that he enjoys to the maximum is going to Africa for a safari because of his biocentric nature. Furthermore, Dr. Cuero thinks that the most important attribute in a person is to be generous, and that is the reason why he tries to create in science for contributing to the progress of mankind and society. Hence, that is why he has also founded the International Park of Creativity (IPOC) to create the culture of creativity for young people to become inventors, for economic self-reliance and social progress (www.ipoc.co). Dr. Cuero mentors young people through creativity camps in different parts of the world. Throughout the years, Dr. Cuero has trained many young people in the United States and elsewhere, who today are successful in many parts of the world. Hence fulfilling the above-mentioned objective of IPOC. Here are a few testimonials of the young people that have been under the mentorship of Dr. Cuero, and are now successful creative individuals in different parts of the world.
At the time that we were introduced in Texas, USA, I was a young student and had just begun to realize and explore my curiosity for the arts and sciences. I am very thankful for my experience working with Dr. Raul Cuero, and his guidance is an invaluable part of my life. Dr. Cuero inspires my imagination and empowers me to build courage and have confidence in the pursuit of my own ingenuity. It is through his creative process that I continue exploring my ideas and developing concepts into a useful reality.
Josh is now a technical manager of an environmental company in California, USA which a family own business.
My path to my actual career started with exposure as an undergraduate student to scientific challenges through the concept of creativity, a concept fostered by Dr. Raul Cuero, in Texas, USA. This early exposure developed in me the courage to tackle scientific experimentations and satisfy scientific curiosity and allow me to conquer any fear I may have had for scientific research and innovation.
Jonas is now a Physician Associate in Neurosurgery at Memorial Hermann Hospital in The Woodlands Texas.
I never thought that I could have become a research scientist on such an important matter for the society such as cancer, which I enjoy greatly. I attribute my scientific carrier success to Dr. Raul Cuero’s mentorship during my undergraduate studies in Colombia, not only on science but also on creativity for better living, because this experience harnessed my creativity and allowed me to overcome fear, thus establishing myself with confidence to continue enjoying creativity and develop a self-reliant attitude as well as continuing to contribute to the benefit of society, and currently sharing my experiences with the new generation as Dr. Cuero did with me.
Heladio is now a Scientist at the MD Anderson Cancer Center in Houston, TX USA.
The mentorship of Dr. Cuero, as he is someone who has created knowledge and guides us when we want to change or abandon things. Being in the think of the process has allowed me to understand that the end is not always a creation, but rather along the way different functionalities emerge and we have to be on our toes to be able to execute said creation.
Gabriela was mentored by Dr. Cuero during her undergraduate studies in Colombia, especially on creativity related to natural functional biomaterial. She is now a PhD and a Senior Research Scientist on biomaterials in Europe.
My experience at the Park of Creativity influenced me to better perceive the reality of the world as well as human society. However, the most important part that I experienced at the Park of Creativity under the mentorship of Dr. Cuero was to know that, we human beings are born to be creative on this planet. Also, I learned under Dr. Cuero’s mentorship that creativity is not only novelty but also to have the capacity to understand and to relate different types of knowledge. Hence, this is the reason why I am able to practice art and science together with great pleasure today. For instance, I practice painting, sculpture and design as well as teach languages with great joy.
Today, I run my own art studio successfully, and also enjoy using teaching using a creative and functional didactic method.
Dr. Cuero enjoys mentoring young people in creativity camps during the student vacation (see pictures right) for them to develop the culture of creativity toward self-reliance and social progress.
Dr. Cuero believes, “Creating new scientific Laws is imperative for our current society, in order to develop a balanced stable economy, and socioeconomic opportunity for most people including those with higher, middle, lower, and no education, as it occurred during the Industrial Revolution around the 18th and 19th century.”
PhD in Microbiology from Strathclyde University, United Kingdom
MSc in Plant Pathology from Ohio State University, United States
Dr. Cuero has numerous scientific inventions, of which 24 have been granted as patents by the US Patent and Trademark Office, as of 2024. There are several other inventions as patent pending, as of 2024, and more inventions are under process to be submitted for patenting.
The COVID Ghost Game: Learning the Secrets of the Ghosty Virus (2023) (Amazon.com)
Water and Ions as the Conditions Necessary for the Presence of Life (2022) (Cambridge Scholars Publishing)
Fear and Courage Today and Throughout Civilization: The two driving forces toward achievement, influenced by myths, rituals, and knowledge (2023) (Amazon.com)
How to Create to Excel: The Joy of Life (2016) (Amazon.com & Kindle)
Loneliness as a Source of Creativity: In the Modern Technological Era (2015) (Amazon.com & Kindle)
Between Triumph and Survival (2004) (American Binding and Publishing Co.)
Certificate of Recognition for the creative development of a technical innovation, “Effective Removal of Radionuclides Contamination As Uranium and Toxic Metals, Using Martian Simulant Soil”. Published by NASA Brief Tech2007 (Volcanic Ash). U.S. Patent #7309437. 2007.
Awarded as an inventor by The Texas A&M University Systems. Texas A&M University Invention Patented Award recognition & photos. 2008. More Info.
Distinguished Professor. Prairie View A&M University. 2003. This recognition was given to Dr. Cuero because of his creativity based on his patent inventions that he developed for the University.
Outstanding Alumni Award from Heidelberg University- USA. This award recognizes lifetime accomplishments and contributions a given profession, community and society al large, 2010.
Dr. Cuero has made scientific presentations in many different parts of the world, including USA, Europe, Japan, China, Turkey, Africa, Latin America, and the Caribbean.