The intensive Cell Biology Course “Seeking a creative approach for current challenges” organized by Fundación Ciencia & Vida and Institut Curie (Paris, France) took place between January 22 and 26, 2018, at Fundación.

Prominent researchers from France and Chile and 47 postgraduate students coming from diverse institutions in France, Chile, Peru, Argentina, Uruguay and Brazil participated in this course. It consisted of five days of hard work, including poster presentation sessions and the development of a creative and interdisciplinary research project. Most importantly, a very collaborative and friendly atmosphere was generated, which promoted mutual learning and the formation of contact networks among all the participants.

Within the framework of this initiative, we also received the visit of Dr. Geneviève Almouzni, Director of Institut Curie, and Sergio Román, Head of the Department of Translational Research at Institut Curie. They met researchers and students working in our laboratories and at our Science & Business Park and explored our different science education programs. This visit culminated with a three-day retreat to the north of Chile with the Board of Fundación Ciencia & Vida to propose and establish various strategies for long-term collaboration between both institutions.

This initiative was sponsored by the French Embassy in Santiago, the French Chilean Institute and the International Cooperation Program of CONICYT (code REDES 170068). The organizers were Ana-María Lennon and Claire Hivroz (Institut Curie), and Carolina Torrealba and Betsi Flores (Fundación Ciencia & Vida).

GROUP 1:

Guiding scientists: Christophe Lamaze (Institut Curie) & Juan Pablo Henríquez (Universidad de Concepción)

Students: Mercedes Garay (INSIBIO-Argentina), Sofía Hidalgo (FCV-Chile), Joaquín Campos (U. de Chile-Chile), Eric Barros (PUC-Chile), Javiera Villar (CINV-Chile), Juan Manuel García (Institut Curie-France).

 

GROUP 2:

Guiding scientists: Eliane Piaggio (Institut Curie) & Álvaro Lladser (Fundación Ciencia & Vida)

Students: María Llanos-Román (U. Nacional de Trujillo-Peru), Esteban Elías (ANM-Argentina), Gabriela Vargas (USS-Chile), Jonathan Lagos (PUC-Chile), Diego Zelada (UdeC-Chile), Valeria Manríquez (Institut Pasteur-France).

 

GROUP 3:

Guiding scientists: Danijela Vignjevic (Institut Curie) & Soledad Matus (Fundación Ciencia & Vida)

Students: Yamila Martínez (UdelaR-Uruguay), Diego Tapia (USS-Chile), Catalina Manieu (U. de Chile-Chile), Muriel Núñez (PUC-Chile), Natalia Saldivia (UdeC-Chile), Arthur Charles-Orszag (Institut Pasteur-France).

 

GROUP 4:

Guiding scientists: Philippe Benaroch, Stéphanie Miserey-Linkei (Institut Curie) & Patricia Burgos (U. Austral)

Students: Julieta Alcain (ANM-Argentina), Pablo Cáceres (FCV-Chile), Tomás de Mayo (UDD-Chile), Paulina Salazar (UFRO-Chile), Jacopo Carpentieri (Institut Curie-France).

 

GROUP 5:

Guiding scientists: Claire Hivroz (Institut Curie) & Rodrigo Pacheco (Fundación Ciencia & Vida)

Students: Erika González (INTA-Argentina), Andrea González (U. de Chile-Chile), Mario Caracci (PUC-Chile), Catalina Meléndez (USS-Chile), Claudio Godoy (UNAB-Chile), Judith Pineau (Institut Curie-France).

 

GROUP 6:

Guiding scientists: Pierre Sens (Institut Curie) & Miguel Concha (U. de Chile)

Students: Cecilia Prato (UNSAM-Argentina), Javier Campos (FCV-Chile), Claudia Reyes (U. de Chile-Chile), Boris Lavanderos (USACH-Chile), Richard García (CINV-Chile), Kotryna Vaidziulyte (Institut Curie-France).

 

GROUP 7:

Guiding scientists: Jean-Léon Maître (Institut Curie) & Álvaro Glavic (U. de Chile)

Students: Mariano Alonso-Bivou (UNCuyo-Argentina), Cristóbal Cerda (USS-Argentina), Alice Le Gatt (U. Andes-Chile), Bernardita Medel (U. de Chile-Chile), Marisol Cisternas (U. Valparaíso-Chile), Ralitza Staneva (Institut Curie-France).

 

GROUP 8:

Guiding scientists: Guillaume Dumenil (Institut Pasteur) & Tomás Pérez-Acle (Fundación Ciencia & Vida)

Students: Soledad Astrada (I. Pasteur Montevideo-Uruguay), Beatriz Souza (Oswaldo Cruz Institute-Brazil), Mariano Malamud (UNPL-Argentina), Felipe Gálvez (FCV-Chile), Ernesto Muñoz (U. de Chile-Chile), Macarena Echeverría (PUCV-Chile).

 

 

The Organizers: Betsi Flores (FCV), Ana-Maria Lennon (I. Curie), Claire Hivroz (I. Curie) and Carolina Torrealba (FCV).

 

 

Geneviève Almouzni and Sergio Román meeting the team of Phage Technologies, a company established at our Science & Business Park.

 

 

Researchers from Institut Curie and Fundación Ciencia & Vida visiting ALMA Observatory during the retreat to San Pedro de Atacama.