I am a Professor in Cell Molecular Neurobiology at the Faculty of Sciences and the Faculty of Medicine, Universidad de Chile in Santiago, Chile and the Director of the Geroscience from Brain Health and Metabolism (GERO). I am on the executive board of DORA (Declaration for Research Assessment) and an EMBO Member. I started my lab in 2003 to understand the role of cytoskeleton proteins in the physiology and pathology of the nervous system. I have trained dozens of graduate and undergraduate students, and 8 of my former mentees currently hold independent positions in Chile, Argentina, and Ireland. I have been the president of the Chilean Society for Biology and the Chilean Society for Neuroscience in Chile. I had also served on several program committees for international congresses linked to ISN, IUPS, and IBRO.
At the ISN, I have been a committee member of the Advanced Schools Initiative and recently the chair of the CAEN Program; and I am Associate Editor at the Journal of Neurochemistry. In 2011, I started a series of biennial international scientific meetings in Chile called Emerging Concepts of the Neuronal Cytoskeleton, which received support from ISN since its first edition. I could witness first-hand the impact and importance of ISN programs to improve the training and career development of trainees and early career researchers.
I decided to run for a second term at the Council because these last four years allowed me to gain a deep understanding of ISN, and I am now in a well-prepared position to contribute to our Society’s development. We are facing numerous challenges that need to be addressed using creativity, commitment, and teamwork. My voice will be my region’s voice and point of view. In addition, I will hardly work to disseminate the ISN mission and to bridge our Society to countries in the region that, despite having critical mass in neurochemistry, still need to be represented at the ISN.
If elected I will put my international recognition and networking to bring Latin American researchers closer to ISN. As member of the ASN Interamerican Cooperation Committee I will also work toward the integration between North and South American researchers. Finally, since ISN is a truly global society, I will try to bridge and improve the relationship with other researchers in Europe, Africa, and Asia-Pacific, fostering gender and geographical balance and always looking to improve equity, diversity, and inclusion.