RAKIDUAM - Knowledge

27 The Geroscience Center for Brain Health and Metabolism (GERO) is a national initiative led by the Universidad de Chile and the Universidad Mayor, which involves the participation of the Universidad Diego Portales, the Instituto de Neurociencias Biomédicas , and the Fundación Neurounion Foun- dation as associated institutions. The Center has established a direct alliance with the Buck Institute (USA), pioneers in research on aging. The group of researchers is comprised of renowned basic and clinical scientists, who through coo- perative strategies will establish interdisciplinary research programs focused on: • Improving diagnosis skills in neurodegenerative illnesses, whose main risk factor is aging. • Understanding the local risk factors and the contribution of genetic variants in a cohort of Chilean patients. • Studying the molecular mechanisms associated with aging and how these promote neurodegene- ration. • Exploring new markers to prematurely assess the appearance and progression of pathologies in the nervous system. • Develop a program of interventions to delay aging processes. Principal Institution: Universidad de Chile and Universidad Mayor. Associated Institutions: Institute of Biomedical Neuroscience and the Neurounion Fundation. Lines of Research Longitudinal study with patients that considers Geotypical, Phenotypical, Metabolic and Psychosocial aspects. Proteostasis and adaptation to cellular stress. Reactive species of oxygen as signaling molecules. Inducible Pluripotential Stem Cells (iPSCs) and modeling of illnesses. Metabolism in the nervous system and endoplasmic mitochondrial-reticulum interaction. Axonal Degeneration and regeneration during aging. Geroscience Center for Brain Health and Metabolism (GERO)