I have a wide scientific experience in neurodegeneration and neuroprotection studies, mainly considering the convergence between brain plasticity and survival signalling. I did my doctoral thesis in the Cajal Institute, CSIC; Universidad Autónoma de Madrid (UAM) in Spain working in neuroplasticity and neuroprotection by hormones, mainly on in vivo animal models in basal conditions and neurodegeneration, under scientific advice of Dr. Luis Miguel Garcia-Segura. Also, I did part of my postdoctoral staying in collaboration with Dr Francisco Wandosell from “Severo Ochoa” Molecular Biology Center, UAM-CSIC. When I came back to Colombia to the Group of Neuroscience of Antioquia (GNA), I stablished neuroscientific collaboration with Dr Kenneth Kosik through an R21 Project (KK and GPC-G) and AG029802-01 RO1 NIA/NIH project (KK and GPC-G), and Drs Frank Laferla from UCI and Dr Beverly Davidson and Ryan Boudreau from University of Iowa as consultants. I took training in Gene therapy using RNA interference as treatment for neurodegeneration using transgenic animal models and also applying this new technology in cerebral ischemia models. As professor and researcher from Faculty of Medicine, at the Group of Neuroscience (GNA) in the University of Antioquia (UdeA) since 2002, we have assembled infrastructure for developing competitive basic neuroscience in Colombia and Latin-America. Also, I have worked in gene, cell and pharmacological therapies for neurodegeneration, cognitive impairment and dementia, and its potential in traslational medicine by Colciencias, Minciencias, NIH funding between others. During the last eight years, I have focused my scientific attention in lipids as neuropathological hallmarks and biomarkers of Alzheimer and other dementias under the funding of NIA/NIH R21 AG079574 and Minciencias 82336 in strong Collaboration with Dr. Estela Area-Gomez (Columbia University NY; CIB, CSIC Madrid, Spain); Dr. Yakeel Quiroz (GHM, Harvad Medical School, Boston USA) and Dr. Francisco Lopera (GNA´s Coordinator, UdeA, Colombia).
Complementarily, I am scientific adviser of the “Mind room” in the Science interactive Park “Explora” from 2011 (https://www.parqueexplora.org/visitanos/sala-mente); a corresponding member of the Colombian Academic of exacts, physics and naturals Science from 2016 (https://accefyn.org.co); and a member of executive council of FALAN 2018-2023 (https://neurocienciasfalan.org/site)