Biochemist (USACH) and Ph.D. in Microbiology (USACH / UCHILE). Currently, I am Associate Professor at Virology Program of ICBM, University of Chile (www.favelab.cl). Previously I was a postdoctoral researcher at the AIDS Center of Lady Davis Institute for Medical Research at McGill University (www.ladydavis.ca). My work is focused mainly evasion of the host response against infection with HIV-1 and the characterization of emerging pathogens are zoonotic .In 2008, CONICYT, the main funding agency in Chile, was forced to delay student stipends. Consequently, I co-founded the National Association of Graduate Researchers (www.anip.cl), which was created to safeguard the rights of researchers and work with the government to create public policies that promote science in Chile. Also, I was invited to participate in More Science for Chile, an initiative that aimed to start the debate on the urgent need for Chile to have a greater science and technology framework (www.mascienciaparachile.cl). In Canada, I co-founded the Network of Chilean Researchers in Canada (www.redicec.com).

Currently, I am a national representative in the International Committee on Taxonomy of Viruses ICTV and in the COVIRED of the Ibero-American Program of Science and Technology for Development (CYTED). Also, president (2021-2022) of the Microbiology Society of Chile.