[{"id":254298,"date":"2026-08-28T09:00:10","date_gmt":"2026-08-28T13:00:10","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.thetransmitter.org\/?p=254298"},"modified":"2026-09-03T11:32:31","modified_gmt":"2026-09-03T15:32:31","slug":"diretorio-do-the-transmitter-de-novos-laboratorios-na-america-latina","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.thetransmitter.org\/the-state-of-neuroscience-in-latin-america\/diretorio-do-the-transmitter-de-novos-laboratorios-na-america-latina\/","title":{"rendered":"Diret\u00f3rio do <em>The Transmitter<\/em> de novos laborat\u00f3rios na Am\u00e9rica Latina"},"content":{"rendered":"","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Conhe\u00e7a neurocientistas em in\u00edcio de carreira que criaram novos laborat\u00f3rios ou linhas de pesquisa independentes na Am\u00e9rica Latina nos \u00faltimos cinco anos.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":76,"featured_media":253302,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"_relevanssi_hide_post":"","_relevanssi_hide_content":"","_relevanssi_pin_for_all":"","_relevanssi_pin_keywords":"","_relevanssi_unpin_keywords":"","_relevanssi_related_keywords":"","_relevanssi_related_include_ids":"","_relevanssi_related_exclude_ids":"","_relevanssi_related_no_append":"","_relevanssi_related_not_related":"","_relevanssi_related_posts":"","_relevanssi_noindex_reason":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[154],"tags":[38,170,940,1199,207,1209],"class_list":["post-254298","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-profiles","tag-community","tag-craft-and-careers","tag-early-career-researchers","tag-portugues","tag-science-and-society","tag-the-state-of-neuroscience-in-latin-america"],"acf":{"primary_tag":1209,"doi_url":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.53053\/BZRQ6972","citation_count":"0","custom_js_library":"","hero_type":"feat_image","hero_alt_image":null,"hero_youtube":"","hero_video":null,"hero_layout":"landscape","hero_caption":"<strong>Come\u00e7ando com for\u00e7a total:<\/strong> o diret\u00f3rio apresenta novos laborat\u00f3rios estabelecidos por pesquisadores na Argentina, no Brasil, no Chile, na Col\u00f4mbia, no M\u00e9xico e no Uruguai.","hero_by":"","hero_credit":"","hero_bg_color":"tan","authors":[206346],"other_authors":"","related_title":"Explore more from <em>The Transmitter<\/em>","related_hide":false,"related_filter":"latest","related_tag":null,"related_category":null,"related_custom":{"articles":null},"related_custom_wwn":{"articles":null},"newsletter":"","banner_content":"ESTE ARTIGO FAZ PARTE DO NOSSO RELAT\u00d3RIO SOBRE O ESTADO DA NEUROCI\u00caNCIA NA AM\u00c9RICA LATINA.","banner_url":"https:\/\/www.thetransmitter.org\/neurociencia-na-america-latina\/","apple_article_id":"054809d7-440c-45cf-af3f-cbc620e32eec","apple_article_revision":"AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAQ==","google_button_text":"","google_btn_bg_color":"","tooltip_text":"","sidebar_related_hide":false,"sidebar_related_title":"related articles","sidebar_related_hide_images":false,"sidebar_related_articles":"","comps":[{"acf_fc_layout":"copy_comp","copy":"<i><span draggable=\"true\"><a href=\"https:\/\/ebrains.eu\/news-events\/media\/media-contact\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Helen Mendes Lima<\/a><\/span><\/i><i> traduziu este artigo.<\/i>\r\n\r\n<a href=\"https:\/\/www.thetransmitter.org\/community\/the-transmitters-directory-of-new-labs-in-latin-america\/\">Read this article in English<\/a>.\r\n\r\n<a href=\"https:\/\/www.thetransmitter.org\/community\/el-directorio-de-nuevos-laboratorios-en-america-latina-de-the-transmitter\/?swcfpc=1\">Lea este articulo en espanol<\/a>.\r\n\r\n<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">O diret\u00f3rio do <\/span><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The Transmitter<\/span><\/i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> de novos laborat\u00f3rios na Am\u00e9rica Latina apresenta neurocientistas em in\u00edcio de carreira que criaram laborat\u00f3rios ou estabeleceram linhas de pesquisa independentes em suas institui\u00e7\u00f5es nos \u00faltimos cinco anos. Voc\u00ea \u00e9 um novo pesquisador principal na Am\u00e9rica Latina? Envie um e-mail para <\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Francisco J. Rivera Rosario em <\/span><a href=\"mailto:francisco@thetransmitter.org\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">francisco@thetransmitter.org<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> para ser inclu\u00eddo no diret\u00f3rio.<\/span>\r\n\r\n<i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Os laborat\u00f3rios est\u00e3o listados em ordem alfab\u00e9tica e por pa\u00eds.<\/span><\/i>\r\n<h2><b>Argentina<\/b><\/h2>\r\n<strong>[tt_rounded_inline_image image_id='253215'][\/tt_rounded_inline_image]<a href=\"https:\/\/ibioba-mpsp-conicet.gov.ar\/index.php\/en\/behavioural-neurobiology\/\">Esteban Beckwith<\/a>, pesquisador adjunto, Instituto de Investigaci\u00f3n en Biomedicina de Buenos Aires (IBioBA)-CONICET<\/strong>\r\n\r\n<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">O Laborat\u00f3rio de Neurobiologia Comportamental de Beckwith investiga os mecanismos neurais e fisiol\u00f3gicos envolvidos no sono, nos ritmos circadianos e em outros comportamentos inatos, com interesse particular em como esses processos interagem com a imunidade e a fisiologia intestinal, utilizando a <\/span><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Drosophila melanogaster <\/span><\/i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">como organismo-modelo.\u00a0\u00a0<\/span>\r\n\r\n<strong>[tt_rounded_inline_image image_id='253216'][\/tt_rounded_inline_image]<a href=\"https:\/\/institutoferreyra.org\/evelin-cotella-en\/\">Evelin Cotella<\/a>, pesquisadora assistente, Instituto de Investigaci\u00f3n M\u00e9dica Mercedes y Martin Ferreyra (INIMEC)-Universidad Nacional de C\u00f3rdoba-CONICET<\/strong>\r\n\r\n<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Cotella estuda a programa\u00e7\u00e3o, durante o desenvolvimento, da resposta ao estresse na idade adulta, com o objetivo de compreender os mecanismos de vulnerabilidade e resili\u00eancia ao estresse durante o desenvolvimento e suas implica\u00e7\u00f5es na etiologia dos transtornos psiqui\u00e1tricos na idade adulta.<\/span>\r\n\r\n<strong>[tt_rounded_inline_image image_id='253213'][\/tt_rounded_inline_image]<a href=\"https:\/\/www.leloir.org.ar\/identidad-y-desarrollo-neural\">Daniela Di Bella<\/a>, l\u00edder de grupo, Fundaci\u00f3n Instituto Leloir<\/strong>\r\n\r\n<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">O laborat\u00f3rio de Di Bella estuda o desenvolvimento\r\ndo c\u00f3rtex cerebral e a diversifica\u00e7\u00e3o dos subtipos\r\nneuronais.<\/span>\r\n\r\n[tt_rounded_inline_image image_id='255250'][\/tt_rounded_inline_image]<strong><a href=\"https:\/\/investigacion.itba.edu.ar\/investigadores\/#:~:text=Piatti%2C%20Ver%C3%B3nica%20del%20Carmen\">Ver\u00f3nica del Carmen Piatti<\/a>, pesquisadora, Instituto Tecnol\u00f3gico de Buenos Aires (ITBA)<\/strong>\r\n\r\nO laborat\u00f3rio de Piatti busca compreender como a atividade neural antecipa a pr\u00f3xima a\u00e7\u00e3o e como, por meio da a\u00e7\u00e3o, a rede biol\u00f3gica se reorganiza a partir do feedback de sua intera\u00e7\u00e3o com o ambiente.\r\n\r\n<strong>[tt_rounded_inline_image image_id='253227'][\/tt_rounded_inline_image]<a href=\"https:\/\/scholar.google.com\/citations?hl=es&amp;user=fdBqcKEAAAAJ&amp;view_op=list_works&amp;sortby=pubdate\">Noel Federman<\/a>, pesquisador do CONICET, professor associado, Instituto Tecnol\u00f3gico de Buenos Aires (ITBA)<\/strong>\r\n\r\n<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">O laborat\u00f3rio de Federman investiga a din\u00e2mica dos circuitos neurais envolvidos na aprendizagem, com \u00eanfase especial na comunica\u00e7\u00e3o entre regi\u00f5es cerebrais distribu\u00eddas, utilizando abordagens que combinam neurotecnologia de ponta, an\u00e1lise computacional e neuroetologia.<\/span>\r\n\r\n<strong>[tt_rounded_inline_image image_id='253221'][\/tt_rounded_inline_image]<a href=\"https:\/\/sites.google.com\/view\/lab-lenguaje-y-cognicion\/inicio\">Laura Kaczer<\/a>, pesquisadora independente, Universidad de Buenos Aires<\/strong>\r\n\r\n<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Kaczer estuda como os seres humanos aprendem, processam e compreendem a linguagem, utilizando uma combina\u00e7\u00e3o de ferramentas comportamentais, neurofisiol\u00f3gicas e computacionais.\u00a0<\/span>\r\n\r\n<strong>[tt_rounded_inline_image image_id='253226'][\/tt_rounded_inline_image]<a href=\"https:\/\/ifibio-uba.conicet.gov.ar\/labs\/katz\/\">Maximiliano Katz<\/a>, l\u00edder de grupo, Instituto de Fisiolog\u00eda y Biof\u00edsica Bernardo Houssay-Universidad de Buenos Aires-CONICET<\/strong>\r\n\r\n<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">O laborat\u00f3rio de Katz estuda a regula\u00e7\u00e3o do eixo intestino-c\u00e9rebro utilizando a mosca da fruta <\/span><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Drosophila melanogaster <\/span><\/i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">como modelo experimental.<\/span>\r\n<h2><b>Brasil<\/b><\/h2>\r\n<strong>[tt_rounded_inline_image image_id='253231'][\/tt_rounded_inline_image]<a href=\"https:\/\/scholar.google.com.br\/citations?hl=en&amp;user=v83R97oAAAAJ&amp;view_op=list_works\">Simoni Avansini<\/a>, pesquisadora, Universidade Estadual de Campinas<\/strong>\r\n\r\n<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">O laborat\u00f3rio de Avansini utiliza organoides e assembloides cerebrais derivados de c\u00e9lulas-tronco humanas para investigar os mecanismos da epilepsia resistente a medicamentos e desenvolver terapias de precis\u00e3o.<\/span>\r\n\r\n<strong>[tt_rounded_inline_image image_id='253209'][\/tt_rounded_inline_image]<a href=\"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0002-3989-8351\">Amanda Morato do Canto<\/a>, pesquisadora principal e cientista pesquisadora, Universidade Estadual de Campinas<\/strong>\r\n\r\n<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">O laborat\u00f3rio de Morato do Canto investiga os mecanismos celulares e moleculares envolvidos na displasia cortical focal tipo IIb e na epilepsia resistente a medicamentos, utilizando abordagens multi\u00f4micas espaciais.<\/span>\r\n\r\n<strong>[tt_rounded_inline_image image_id='253210'][\/tt_rounded_inline_image]<a href=\"https:\/\/scholar.google.com\/citations?hl=en&amp;user=Q_v2nQEAAAAJ&amp;view_op=list_works&amp;sortby=pubdate\">Andressa Radiske<\/a>, l\u00edder de grupo, Instituto Internacional de Neuroci\u00eancias Edmond e Lily Safra, Instituto Santos Dumont<\/strong>\r\n\r\n<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">O laborat\u00f3rio de Radiske estuda os mecanismos neurais envolvidos na forma\u00e7\u00e3o, express\u00e3o e atualiza\u00e7\u00e3o de mem\u00f3rias de medo em roedores e saguis.<\/span>\r\n\r\n<strong>[tt_rounded_inline_image image_id='253212'][\/tt_rounded_inline_image]<a href=\"https:\/\/scholar.google.com\/citations?user=ueteH-UAAAAJ&amp;hl=en\">Cleyton Sobrinho<\/a>, professor adjunto e pesquisador principal, Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais<\/strong>\r\n\r\n<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">O Laborat\u00f3rio de Fisiologia Respirat\u00f3ria e Integrativa de Sobrinho investiga os mecanismos envolvidos no controle da respira\u00e7\u00e3o e como essas vias s\u00e3o alteradas em estados patol\u00f3gicos. O laborat\u00f3rio de Sobrinho tamb\u00e9m realiza pesquisas para desvendar como a perda de genes associados ao autismo altera a fun\u00e7\u00e3o respirat\u00f3ria.<\/span>\r\n<h2><b>Chile<\/b><\/h2>\r\n<strong>[tt_rounded_inline_image image_id='253222'][\/tt_rounded_inline_image]<a href=\"https:\/\/cib.umayor.cl\/investigadores\/macarena-arrazola\/\">Macarena Arr\u00e1zola<\/a>, professora assistente e pesquisadora principal, Universidad Mayor<\/strong>\r\n\r\n<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">O laborat\u00f3rio NeuroAging de Arr\u00e1zola investiga os mecanismos celulares e moleculares que governam a vulnerabilidade e a degenera\u00e7\u00e3o da retina e dos circuitos visuais, com foco na atrofia \u00f3ptica dominante, no glaucoma e no envelhecimento do sistema nervoso central.<\/span>\r\n\r\n<strong>[tt_rounded_inline_image image_id='253217'][\/tt_rounded_inline_image]<a href=\"https:\/\/biologia.uc.cl\/aviles-evelyn\/\">Evelyn Avil\u00e9s<\/a>, professora assistente, Pontificia Universidad Cat\u00f3lica de Chile<\/strong>\r\n\r\n<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">A pesquisa de Avil\u00e9s concentra-se nos mecanismos moleculares que regulam a polaridade e a organiza\u00e7\u00e3o do tecido neuronal durante o desenvolvimento, utilizando a retina (e outros sistemas) como modelo para compreender a forma\u00e7\u00e3o e a manuten\u00e7\u00e3o de circuitos neurais funcionais.<\/span>\r\n\r\n<strong>[tt_rounded_inline_image image_id='253232'][\/tt_rounded_inline_image]<a href=\"https:\/\/biologia.uc.cl\/cornejo-victor\/\">V\u00edctor Cornejo Corona<\/a>, professor assistente, Pontificia Universidad Cat\u00f3lica de Chile<\/strong>\r\n\r\n<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">O laborat\u00f3rio de Cornejo Corona investiga os mecanismos da fun\u00e7\u00e3o sin\u00e1ptica e da plasticidade em mam\u00edferos, utilizando t\u00e9cnicas avan\u00e7adas de microscopia in vivo para estudar a din\u00e2mica subcelular neuronal durante a aprendizagem e como esses mecanismos s\u00e3o alterados em dist\u00farbios cerebrais.<\/span>\r\n\r\n<strong>[tt_rounded_inline_image image_id='253220'][\/tt_rounded_inline_image]<a href=\"https:\/\/brainlat.uai.cl\/profesor\/josefina-cruzat\/\">Josefina Cruzat Grand<\/a>, professora assistente, Instituto Latinoamericano de Salud Cerebral (BrainLat), Universidad Adolfo Ib\u00e1\u00f1ez\u00a0<\/strong>\r\n\r\n<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">O laborat\u00f3rio de Cruzat estuda como o expossoma\u2014nossas experi\u00eancias biol\u00f3gicas, ambientais e sociais acumuladas ao longo da vida\u2014influencia o envelhecimento cerebral, o risco de dem\u00eancia e a sa\u00fade cerebral.<\/span>\r\n\r\n<strong>[tt_rounded_inline_image image_id='253299'][\/tt_rounded_inline_image]<a href=\"https:\/\/www.neurobiologia.cl\/laboratorios\/farmacologia-y-conducta\/\">Ang\u00e9lica Escobar Maldonado<\/a>, professora adjunta, Universidad de Valpara\u00edso<\/strong>\r\n\r\n<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Escobar Maldonado combina t\u00e9cnicas comportamentais, quimio-gen\u00e9ticas, neuroqu\u00edmicas e histol\u00f3gicas para estudar a base neurobiol\u00f3gica da compulsividade e dos comportamentos mal adaptativos, com foco na sinaliza\u00e7\u00e3o da dopamina.<\/span>\r\n\r\n<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><strong>[tt_rounded_inline_image image_id='253046'][\/tt_rounded_inline_image]<\/strong><\/span><strong><a href=\"https:\/\/biologia.uc.cl\/medel-vicente\/\">Vicente Medel<\/a>, professor assitente, Pontificia Universidad Cat\u00f3lica de Chile<\/strong>\r\n\r\n<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">O laborat\u00f3rio de Medel estuda como a ativa\u00e7\u00e3o organiza os estados cerebrais por meio de mecanismos neurovasculares e metab\u00f3licos que ligam a atividade neuronal \u00e0 fisiologia sist\u00eamica, com foco na cogni\u00e7\u00e3o e no envelhecimento.<\/span>\r\n\r\n<strong>[tt_rounded_inline_image image_id='253218'][\/tt_rounded_inline_image]<a href=\"https:\/\/brainlat.uai.cl\/profesor\/joaquin-migeot\/\">Joaqu\u00edn Migeot Guajardo<\/a>, pesquisador principal, Instituto Latinoamericano de Salud Cerebral (BrainLat), Universidad Adolfo Ib\u00e1\u00f1ez\u00a0<\/strong>\r\n\r\n<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Migeot Guajardo lidera a pesquisa do BrainLat sobre o impacto do expossoma na sa\u00fade cerebral, no envelhecimento e na dem\u00eancia, com foco especial nas popula\u00e7\u00f5es da Am\u00e9rica Latina.<\/span>\r\n\r\n<strong>[tt_rounded_inline_image image_id='253211'][\/tt_rounded_inline_image]<a href=\"https:\/\/brainlat.uai.cl\/profesor\/carolina-ochoa-rosales\/\">Carolina Ochoa-Rosales<\/a>, professora assistente e pesquisadora principal, Instituto Latinoamericano de Salud Cerebral (BrainLat), Universidad Adolfo Ib\u00e1\u00f1ez<\/strong>\r\n\r\n<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">O laborat\u00f3rio de Ochoa-Rosales investiga fatores gen\u00e9ticos associados ao desenvolvimento da dem\u00eancia em popula\u00e7\u00f5es geneticamente diversas. O laborat\u00f3rio tamb\u00e9m estuda as intera\u00e7\u00f5es entre genes e expossoma e as trajet\u00f3rias de envelhecimento por meio de mecanismos regulat\u00f3rios epigen\u00e9ticos e multi\u00f4micos.<\/span>\r\n\r\n<strong>[tt_rounded_inline_image image_id='253224'][\/tt_rounded_inline_image][tt_rounded_inline_image image_id='253219'][\/tt_rounded_inline_image]<a href=\"https:\/\/scholar.google.com\/citations?user=bsd0VP8AAAAJ&amp;hl=en&amp;oi=sra\">Maritza O\u00f1ate<\/a>, professora assistente e <a href=\"https:\/\/scholar.google.com\/citations?user=ZjdDF-EAAAAJ&amp;hl=en&amp;oi=sra\">Jorge Vera,<\/a> professor assistente, Universidad Mayor<\/strong>\r\n\r\n<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">O\u00f1ate e Vera\u2014pesquisadores principais e tamb\u00e9m casados\u2014estudam como as intera\u00e7\u00f5es entre o cerebelo e o sistema dopamin\u00e9rgico regulam comportamentos motores e n\u00e3o motores em estados saud\u00e1veis, no envelhecimento e em dist\u00farbios neurobiol\u00f3gicos.<\/span>\r\n\r\n<strong>[tt_rounded_inline_image image_id='253214'][\/tt_rounded_inline_image]<a href=\"https:\/\/quimica.uc.cl\/investigacion\/academicos\/enzo-perez-v\/\">Enzo P\u00e9rez Valenzuela<\/a>, professor assistente, Pontificia Universidad Cat\u00f3lica de Chile<\/strong>\r\n\r\n<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">O laborat\u00f3rio de P\u00e9rez Valenzuela pesquisa como a exposi\u00e7\u00e3o \u00e0 cannabis durante per\u00edodos cruciais do desenvolvimento altera a matura\u00e7\u00e3o cerebral e leva a uma maior vulnerabilidade a dist\u00farbios neuropsiqui\u00e1tricos.\u00a0<\/span>\r\n\r\n<strong>[tt_rounded_inline_image image_id='253229'][\/tt_rounded_inline_image]<a href=\"https:\/\/researchers.uss.cl\/es\/persons\/paula-gabriela-slater-guzm%C3%A1n\/\">Paula Slater Guzm\u00e1n<\/a>, professora assistente, Universidad San Sebasti\u00e1n<\/strong>\r\n\r\n<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">O laborat\u00f3rio de Slater Guzm\u00e1n utiliza a r\u00e3 <\/span><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Xenopus laevis<\/span><\/i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> para estudar o desenvolvimento e a regenera\u00e7\u00e3o neuronal na medula espinhal, com foco especial nos fatores intr\u00ednsecos e extr\u00ednsecos que regulam as respostas iniciais a les\u00f5es, incluindo metabolismo, mitoc\u00f4ndrias, citoesqueleto e microambiente extracelular.<\/span>\r\n\r\n<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><strong>[tt_rounded_inline_image image_id='253230'][\/tt_rounded_inline_image]<\/strong><\/span><strong><a href=\"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0001-7250-9007\">Rafaella Z\u00e1rate Canales<\/a>, professora assistente, Universidad de Antofagasta<\/strong>\r\n\r\n<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">O laborat\u00f3rio de Z\u00e1rate Canales utiliza a <\/span><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Drosophila melanogaster<\/span><\/i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> como modelo experimental para investigar altera\u00e7\u00f5es precoces na homeostase redox e sua contribui\u00e7\u00e3o para a disfun\u00e7\u00e3o neuronal e a vulnerabilidade durante o envelhecimento e doen\u00e7as neurodegenerativas.<\/span>\r\n<h2><b>Col\u00f4mbia<\/b><\/h2>\r\n<strong>[tt_rounded_inline_image image_id='253223'][\/tt_rounded_inline_image]<a href=\"https:\/\/perfilesycapacidades.javeriana.edu.co\/es\/persons\/mariamvelasquez\/?__cf_chl_f_tk=ENmT5Ooatt4fcaI_lFa.5vc2ASUy3KhOcd1q8ZaRSIU-1782854076-1.0.1.1-NxOUgBaI5EnqVXO._fRGsuzWN1eQgI.ksT20FBqnbbA\">Mar\u00eda Vel\u00e1squez Toledo<\/a>, professora assistente, Pontificia Universidad Javeriana<\/strong>\r\n\r\n<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">O laborat\u00f3rio de Vel\u00e1squez Toledo integra pesquisa b\u00e1sica e trabalho cl\u00ednico para estudar fatores gen\u00e9ticos, biol\u00f3gicos e contextuais associados \u00e0 sa\u00fade mental e cerebral a partir de uma perspectiva interdisciplinar.<\/span>\r\n<h2>M\u00e9xico<\/h2>\r\n<strong><span class=\"s1\">[tt_rounded_inline_image image_id='254944'][\/tt_rounded_inline_image]<a href=\"https:\/\/scholar.google.com\/citations?hl=en&amp;user=ndUuuIAAAAAJ&amp;view_op=list_works&amp;sortby=pubdate\"><span class=\"s2\">Ana Inacio<\/span><\/a><\/span>, pesquisador t\u00edtulo A, Universidad Nacional Aut\u00f3noma de M\u00e9xico.<\/strong>\r\n\r\nO Laborat\u00f3rio de Circuitos Neurais para A\u00e7\u00e3o de Inacio investiga como os circuitos neurais geram comportamento sens\u00f3rio-motor e se reorganizam para apoiar a recupera\u00e7\u00e3o ap\u00f3s um acidente vascular cerebral.\r\n\r\n<a href=\"https:\/\/scholar.google.com\/citations?view_op=list_works&amp;hl=es&amp;user=jZKFXLoAAAAJ\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><strong>[tt_rounded_inline_image image_id='253208'][\/tt_rounded_inline_image]Ver\u00f3nica L\u00f3pez Virgen<\/strong><\/span><\/a><strong>, professora pesquisadora, Universidad de Colima<\/strong>\r\n\r\n<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">L\u00f3pez Virgen estuda o papel dos fatores de crescimento durante o neurodesenvolvimento e seu papel no autismo, utilizando uma abordagem multidisciplinar que combina neurobiologia molecular e an\u00e1lise comportamental.<\/span>\r\n\r\n<a href=\"https:\/\/www.enesjuriquilla.unam.mx\/?page_id=8229\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><strong>[tt_rounded_inline_image image_id='253228'][\/tt_rounded_inline_image]Oswaldo P\u00e9rez Mart\u00ednez<\/strong><\/span><\/a><strong>, professor associado, Escuela Nacional de Estudios Superiores Unidad Juriquilla, Universidad Nacional Aut\u00f3noma de M\u00e9xico<\/strong>\r\n\r\n<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">O grupo de P\u00e9rez Mart\u00ednez combina neuroci\u00eancia experimental, modelagem matem\u00e1tica e ci\u00eancia de dados para investigar como o sistema nervoso codifica informa\u00e7\u00f5es temporais e como os astr\u00f3citos contribuem para o processamento de informa\u00e7\u00f5es no c\u00e9rebro.<\/span>\r\n<h2><b>Uruguai<\/b><\/h2>\r\n<a href=\"https:\/\/scholar.google.com\/citations?user=-CQm3x0AAAAJ&amp;hl=es\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><strong>[tt_rounded_inline_image image_id='253225'][\/tt_rounded_inline_image]Matias Lorenzo Cavelli<\/strong><\/span><\/a><strong>, professor assistente, Universidad de la Rep\u00fablica<\/strong>\r\n\r\n<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">O laborat\u00f3rio de Cavelli estuda as fun\u00e7\u00f5es do sono e como os estados cerebrais reorganizam a comunica\u00e7\u00e3o entre o c\u00e9rebro e o mundo externo, com foco especial na respira\u00e7\u00e3o, no processamento sensorial e no sono local.<\/span>"}]},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.thetransmitter.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/254298","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.thetransmitter.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.thetransmitter.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.thetransmitter.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/76"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.thetransmitter.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=254298"}],"version-history":[{"count":10,"href":"https:\/\/www.thetransmitter.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/254298\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":255760,"href":"https:\/\/www.thetransmitter.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/254298\/revisions\/255760"}],"acf:post":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.thetransmitter.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/contributor\/206346"}],"acf:term":[{"embeddable":true,"taxonomy":"post_tag","href":"https:\/\/www.thetransmitter.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags\/1209"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.thetransmitter.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/253302"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.thetransmitter.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=254298"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.thetransmitter.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=254298"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.thetransmitter.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=254298"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}},{"id":254824,"date":"2026-08-28T09:00:08","date_gmt":"2026-08-28T13:00:08","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.thetransmitter.org\/?p=254824"},"modified":"2026-09-01T11:38:32","modified_gmt":"2026-09-01T15:38:32","slug":"a-promessa-da-neurociencia-aberta-para-a-america-latina","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.thetransmitter.org\/the-state-of-neuroscience-in-latin-america\/a-promessa-da-neurociencia-aberta-para-a-america-latina\/","title":{"rendered":"A promessa da neuroci\u00eancia aberta para a Am\u00e9rica Latina"},"content":{"rendered":"","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Dois pesquisadores uruguaios explicam como seu trabalho com ferramentas computacionais para decodificar a respira\u00e7\u00e3o a partir de grava\u00e7\u00f5es em v\u00eddeo de camundongos pode inspirar novas iniciativas de ci\u00eancia aberta na Am\u00e9rica Latina.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":73,"featured_media":255009,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"_relevanssi_hide_post":"","_relevanssi_hide_content":"","_relevanssi_pin_for_all":"","_relevanssi_pin_keywords":"","_relevanssi_unpin_keywords":"","_relevanssi_related_keywords":"","_relevanssi_related_include_ids":"","_relevanssi_related_exclude_ids":"","_relevanssi_related_no_append":"","_relevanssi_related_not_related":"","_relevanssi_related_posts":"","_relevanssi_noindex_reason":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[995],"tags":[141,143,170,745,140,1199,207,1209],"class_list":["post-254824","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-qa","tag-academia","tag-computational-neuroscience","tag-craft-and-careers","tag-open-access","tag-open-neuroscience","tag-portugues","tag-science-and-society","tag-the-state-of-neuroscience-in-latin-america"],"acf":{"primary_tag":1209,"doi_url":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.53053\/VUMZ9015","citation_count":"0","custom_js_library":"","hero_type":"feat_image","hero_alt_image":null,"hero_youtube":"","hero_video":null,"hero_layout":"landscape","hero_caption":"<strong>Um grande benef\u00edcio:<\/strong> Iniciativas de neuroci\u00eancia aberta podem ajudar neurocientistas latino-americanos a formular perguntas interessantes a partir de seus pa\u00edses de origem, ao mesmo tempo em que reduzem os custos de suas pesquisas.","hero_by":"Ilustra\u00e7\u00e3o de","hero_credit":204001,"hero_bg_color":"tan","authors":[206346],"other_authors":"","related_title":"Explore more from <em>The Transmitter<\/em>","related_hide":false,"related_filter":"latest","related_tag":null,"related_category":null,"related_custom":{"articles":null},"related_custom_wwn":{"articles":null},"newsletter":"","banner_content":"ESTE ARTIGO FAZ PARTE DO NOSSO RELAT\u00d3RIO SOBRE O ESTADO DA NEUROCI\u00caNCIA NA AM\u00c9RICA LATINA.","banner_url":"https:\/\/www.thetransmitter.org\/neurociencia-na-america-latina\/","apple_article_id":"e4caac08-b57d-43d8-9fc6-c512dd495735","apple_article_revision":"AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA==","google_button_text":"","google_btn_bg_color":"","tooltip_text":"","sidebar_related_hide":false,"sidebar_related_title":"related articles","sidebar_related_hide_images":false,"sidebar_related_articles":"","comps":[{"acf_fc_layout":"copy_comp","copy":"<em><a href=\"https:\/\/ebrains.eu\/news-events\/media\/media-contact\">Helen Mendes Lima<\/a> traduziu este artigo.<\/em>\r\n\r\n<a href=\"https:\/\/www.thetransmitter.org\/open-neuroscience\/the-promise-of-open-neuroscience-for-latin-america\/?swcfpc=1\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Read this article in English.<\/a>\r\n\r\n<a href=\"https:\/\/www.thetransmitter.org\/open-neuroscience\/la-promesa-de-la-neurociencia-abierta-para-latinoamerica\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Lea este art\u00edculo en espa\u00f1ol.<\/a>\r\n\r\n<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Em 2025, o <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.internationalbrainlab.com\/\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">International Brain Lab<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> (IBL) publicou um artigo na <\/span><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Nature <\/span><\/i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">que se tornou um marco, detalhando um <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.1038\/s41586-025-09235-0\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">mapa em grande escala<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> da atividade neuronal em todo o c\u00e9rebro de camundongos. O mapa\u2014que inclui mais de 600 mil neur\u00f4nios, registrados em 12 laborat\u00f3rios diferentes, em animais realizando a mesma tarefa comportamental\u2014oferece uma das avalia\u00e7\u00f5es mais abrangentes do processamento neuronal no c\u00e9rebro.<\/span>\r\n\r\n<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Quando os pesquisadores uruguaios <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/scholar.google.com\/citations?user=-CQm3x0AAAAJ&amp;hl=es\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Matias Cavelli<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> e <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/buzsakilab.com\/wp\/labmembers\/#:~:text=Joaquin%20Gonzalez%2C%20PhD,Postdoctoral%20Fellow\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Joaquin Gonzalez<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> analisaram o conjunto de dados, perceberam que ele poderia ser enriquecido com uma importante vari\u00e1vel fisiol\u00f3gica que v\u00eam estudando nos \u00faltimos anos: a respira\u00e7\u00e3o. Inclu\u00ed-la no conjunto de dados do IBL ajudaria os pesquisadores a compreender melhor como a respira\u00e7\u00e3o modula a tomada de decis\u00f5es ou a percep\u00e7\u00e3o, afirma Cavelli, professor assistente da Universidad de la Rep\u00fablica.\u00a0<\/span>\r\n\r\n<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Para tornar isso poss\u00edvel, Cavelli e Gonzalez est\u00e3o desenvolvendo ferramentas computacionais para decodificar a respira\u00e7\u00e3o a partir de grava\u00e7\u00f5es em v\u00eddeo orofaciais de camundongos coletadas durante a tarefa comportamental do IBL. \u201cAproveitar esses dados para decodificar a respira\u00e7\u00e3o a partir dos v\u00eddeos permitiria \u00e0 comunidade cient\u00edfica investigar quest\u00f5es importantes sobre como a respira\u00e7\u00e3o afeta a fun\u00e7\u00e3o neural em diferentes contextos\u201d, diz <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/iblcore.org\/about\/team\/#:~:text=Vani%20Pariyadath,Rockville%2C%20US\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Vani Pariyadath<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">, diretora executiva do IBL. \u201cEssa linha de trabalho tamb\u00e9m ir\u00e1 aprimorar as ferramentas para eliminar fatores de confus\u00e3o relacionados \u00e0 respira\u00e7\u00e3o nos dados neurais. Assim, esperamos que este projeto tenha um amplo impacto.\"<\/span>\r\n\r\n<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">A iniciativa \u00e9 um dos sete <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/iblcore.org\/new-partner-projects\/\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Projetos Parceiros do IBL<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> inaugurais que se juntam ao cons\u00f3rcio de 22 laborat\u00f3rios este ano. Todos os projetos se baseiam em conjuntos de dados do IBL, com suporte t\u00e9cnico da infraestrutura de pesquisa e de engenheiros do IBL. \u201cEspero que isso ajude a estabelecer meu laborat\u00f3rio\u2014e o Uruguai de maneira mais ampla\u2014como um centro regional para a neuroci\u00eancia aberta\u201d, diz Cavelli.<\/span>\r\n\r\n<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Al\u00e9m das descobertas cient\u00edficas que suas ferramentas podem ajudar a possibilitar, a dupla espera que seu trabalho inspire outros pesquisadores da Am\u00e9rica Latina a adotar a neuroci\u00eancia aberta. \u201cAs barreiras econ\u00f4micas e geogr\u00e1ficas que enfrentamos como continente nos for\u00e7am a pensar sobre a ci\u00eancia a partir dessa perspectiva\u201d, diz Gonzalez, p\u00f3s-doutorando no laborat\u00f3rio de <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/med.nyu.edu\/faculty\/gyorgy-buzsaki\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Gyorgy Buzsaki<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> na New York University. \u201cQuero voltar ao Uruguai para ter meu pr\u00f3prio laborat\u00f3rio, como o Matias. Projetos de neuroci\u00eancia aberta como esse me fazem acreditar que isso \u00e9 poss\u00edvel.\u201d<\/span>\r\n\r\n<i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The Transmitter <\/span><\/i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">conversou com Cavelli e Gonzalez sobre como eles desenvolveram o projeto, o que esperam aprender e por que os neurocientistas latino-americanos precisam adotar a neuroci\u00eancia aberta.<\/span>\r\n\r\n<i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Esta entrevista foi editada para maior concis\u00e3o e clareza. Ela foi conduzida em espanhol e traduzida para o portugu\u00eas.<\/span><\/i>\r\n\r\n<b><i>The Transmitter<\/i><\/b><b>: Como voc\u00eas iniciaram o projeto? Como come\u00e7aram a participar do International Brain Lab?<\/b>\r\n\r\n<b>Matias Cavelli: <\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Nos \u00faltimos anos, Joaquin e eu fizemos parte de um grupo de pesquisadores muito interessados em como o ato sensoriomotor da respira\u00e7\u00e3o afeta o comportamento e a atividade neuronal em todo o c\u00e9rebro. Tem ficado cada vez mais claro que <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.nature.com\/articles\/s41583-025-00920-7\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">a respira\u00e7\u00e3o nasal e oral modulam a atividade<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> em quase todas as regi\u00f5es do c\u00e9rebro. Por exemplo, o ciclo respirat\u00f3rio pode modular uma variedade de intera\u00e7\u00f5es neuronais no <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/onlinelibrary.wiley.com\/doi\/abs\/10.1111\/ejn.14560\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">neoc\u00f3rtex<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> e no <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.nature.com\/articles\/s41467-022-28090-5\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">hipocampo<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">, algumas das quais sabemos que t\u00eam um papel fundamental na <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.nature.com\/articles\/s41467-022-28090-5\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">consolida\u00e7\u00e3o da mem\u00f3ria durante o sono.<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> Mas ainda h\u00e1 muitas quest\u00f5es em aberto. Achamos que seria \u00fatil desenvolver ferramentas para integrar dados de respira\u00e7\u00e3o ao <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.nature.com\/articles\/s41586-025-09235-0?fromPaywallRec=false\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">mapa cerebral completo<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> do IBL, possibilitando ver como ela modula a tomada de decis\u00f5es ou a percep\u00e7\u00e3o. Quando soubemos que o IBL havia lan\u00e7ado uma chamada para novos parceiros trabalharem com seus conjuntos de dados, Joaquin e eu apresentamos uma proposta para o projeto.<\/span>\r\n\r\n<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Al\u00e9m da motiva\u00e7\u00e3o cient\u00edfica, a conex\u00e3o com o IBL por meio dessa colabora\u00e7\u00e3o tamb\u00e9m \u00e9 muito importante para levar essas configura\u00e7\u00f5es padronizadas e pr\u00e1ticas de gerenciamento de bases de dados para o meu laborat\u00f3rio e para o Uruguai como um todo.<\/span>\r\n\r\n<b>Joaquin Gonzalez: <\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">A primeira pessoa que ouvi falando sobre a respira\u00e7\u00e3o e como ela modula sinais cerebrais foi, justamente, o Matias, que acompanhava o trabalho de <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/tortlab.github.io\/\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Adriano Tort<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> nesta \u00e1rea (um pesquisador brasileiro radicado em Natal que mais tarde se tornou meu orientador). O projeto surgiu como uma tentativa de verificar se poder\u00edamos medir a respira\u00e7\u00e3o por meio de sinais de v\u00eddeo. Queremos desenvolver uma ferramenta que possa nos ajudar a responder a uma s\u00e9rie de quest\u00f5es que me parecem bastante importantes, tais como se a fase da respira\u00e7\u00e3o realmente modula a tomada de decis\u00f5es e at\u00e9 que ponto essa modula\u00e7\u00e3o cerebral pela respira\u00e7\u00e3o \u00e9 realmente global.<\/span>\r\n\r\n<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Nosso objetivo \u00e9 usar ferramentas de aprendizado de m\u00e1quina para construir um modelo capaz de decodificar essas vari\u00e1veis a partir desses experimentos. Acho que, nos pr\u00f3ximos anos, a neuroci\u00eancia precisa seguir nessa dire\u00e7\u00e3o para realizar experimentos que sejam, de certa forma, \"vivos\"\u2014nos quais seja poss\u00edvel sempre adicionar vari\u00e1veis e obter novas informa\u00e7\u00f5es.<\/span>\r\n\r\n<b>TT: Em que est\u00e1gio do projeto voc\u00eas est\u00e3o?<\/b>\r\n\r\n<b>JG: <\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Estamos na fase de prova de conceito, demonstrando que podemos realmente decodificar a respira\u00e7\u00e3o\u2014ou seja, o sinal da forma de onda respirat\u00f3ria\u2014a partir da atividade neural, utilizando um sistema de grava\u00e7\u00e3o em v\u00eddeo. Nossos dados preliminares j\u00e1 mostram que, em princ\u00edpio, conseguimos fazer isso. Em geral, observamos que, quando o animal respira, isso produz mudan\u00e7as na postura corporal\u2014\u00e9 poss\u00edvel perceber isso pela atividade tor\u00e1cica, como o t\u00f3rax se infla e se desinfla, e tamb\u00e9m pelas mudan\u00e7as nos movimentos dos bigodes e do nariz. O desafio surge quando o animal muda de comportamento (farejando em vez de permanecer im\u00f3vel ou quando adormece), pois a respira\u00e7\u00e3o se torna mais irregular. Os padr\u00f5es motores tamb\u00e9m parecem mudar durante esses per\u00edodos.<\/span>\r\n\r\n<b>TT: Qual \u00e9 o valor de projetos de neuroci\u00eancia aberta como este para a Am\u00e9rica Latina?<\/b>\r\n\r\n<b>MC:<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> Acho que tem um potencial enorme. Por meio do mapa da atividade neuronal em todo o c\u00e9rebro e de toda essa iniciativa de ci\u00eancia aberta, voc\u00ea pode facilmente analisar esses dados no seu computador no Uruguai, no Brasil, no Chile ou na Argentina, e fazer perguntas interessantes. Isso nos permite reduzir os custos de desenvolver essa tecnologia na Am\u00e9rica do Sul, onde o financiamento para nossos projetos \u00e9 bem menor.<\/span>\r\n\r\n<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u00c0s vezes, a parte mais dif\u00edcil \u00e9 ver que isso \u00e9 poss\u00edvel. Acho que esse \u00e9 um desafio para a neuroci\u00eancia na Am\u00e9rica Latina\u2014Joaquin e eu gostar\u00edamos de servir de exemplo e come\u00e7ar a difundir a pr\u00e1tica e a ado\u00e7\u00e3o da ci\u00eancia aberta para outras pessoas.\u00a0<\/span>\r\n\r\n[tt_sidebar_quote author='<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Joaquin Gonzalez<\/span>']<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Estou concluindo meu p\u00f3s-doutorado na NYU, mas quero voltar ao Uruguai para ter meu pr\u00f3prio laborat\u00f3rio, como o Matias. Projetos de neuroci\u00eancia aberta como este me fazem acreditar que isso \u00e9 poss\u00edvel.<\/span>[\/tt_sidebar_quote]\r\n\r\n<b>JG:<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> H\u00e1 anos venho pensando em como construir uma carreira pr\u00f3spera a partir da Am\u00e9rica Latina, dadas as limita\u00e7\u00f5es envolvidas. Precisamos de mais projetos de ci\u00eancia aberta e de um interc\u00e2mbio mais fluido de pessoas e ideias dentro da comunidade da regi\u00e3o. Agora que nos estabelecemos em um projeto internacional, esperamos atrair mais pessoas da regi\u00e3o para atuar na neuroci\u00eancia no Uruguai.<\/span>\r\n\r\n<b>MC:<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> Tamb\u00e9m acho que precisamos mudar a forma de pensar sobre como a ci\u00eancia \u00e9 feita e ajudar a comunidade a compreender o valor da neuroci\u00eancia aberta. Por exemplo, Joaquin publicou recentemente um artigo sobre como <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.7554\/eLife.83044\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">as oscila\u00e7\u00f5es gama no c\u00f3rtex olfativo<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> surgem da inibi\u00e7\u00e3o por feedback local durante a respira\u00e7\u00e3o, trabalhando exclusivamente com um baco de dados aberto. Antes de submeter o artigo, alguns colegas o alertaram de que os revisores poderiam consideram uma fraqueza o fato de ele n\u00e3o ter coletado os dados pessoalmente. Ainda assim, o artigo acabou sendo destacado pela revista e, <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/elifesciences.org\/inside-elife\/b5d03822\/ben-barres-spotlight-awards-announcing-the-winners-for-2024\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">mais tarde, recebeu um Ben Barres Spotlight Award<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">. \u00c9 a mudan\u00e7a geracional. Precisamos romper com certos dogmas que temos, de que a ci\u00eancia deve ser feita de determinadas maneiras apenas porque \u00e9 assim que historicamente tem sido feita.<\/span>\r\n\r\n<b>TT: Voc\u00eas t\u00eam alguma dica para pesquisadores da Am\u00e9rica Latina sobre como desenvolver parcerias de ci\u00eancia aberta?<\/b>\r\n\r\n<b>JG:<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> Em primeiro lugar, procure por essas oportunidades; pode ser que elas j\u00e1 estejam dispon\u00edveis, mas as comunidades locais talvez n\u00e3o tenham conhecimento delas. Tente se manter atualizado sobre o que est\u00e1 acontecendo no mundo. N\u00e3o desanime se as coisas n\u00e3o derem certo na primeira ou na segunda tentativa; continue insistindo, pois h\u00e1 vieses locais e globais que precisamos superar.\u00a0<\/span>\r\n\r\n<b>MC:<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> Meu conselho \u00e9 superar nosso medo de colaborar abertamente. As quest\u00f5es que a neuroci\u00eancia tenta responder est\u00e3o se tornando cada vez maiores e mais complexas, o que faz com que seja cada vez mais dif\u00edcil respond\u00ea-las individualmente. Muitas vezes, temos medo de perder nossas ideias ou o cr\u00e9dito por elas, mas a ci\u00eancia se fortalece quando compartilhamos conhecimento de forma transparente e constru\u00edmos confian\u00e7a.<\/span>\r\n\r\n<b>TT: A Am\u00e9rica Latina est\u00e1 bem preparada para desenvolver projetos de ci\u00eancia aberta?<\/b>\r\n\r\n<b>MC:<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> A Am\u00e9rica Latina talvez ainda n\u00e3o esteja totalmente preparada para desenvolver projetos de ci\u00eancia aberta, mas a ci\u00eancia aberta \u00e9 especialmente adequada \u00e0s nossas necessidades. Ela nos d\u00e1 acesso a dados e recursos que antes estavam restritos a um pequeno n\u00famero de laborat\u00f3rios, e precisamos aproveitar essa oportunidade enquanto desenvolvemos a capacidade de contribuir com nossos pr\u00f3prios dados e ferramentas.<\/span>"}]},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.thetransmitter.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/254824","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.thetransmitter.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.thetransmitter.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.thetransmitter.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/73"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.thetransmitter.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=254824"}],"version-history":[{"count":9,"href":"https:\/\/www.thetransmitter.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/254824\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":255620,"href":"https:\/\/www.thetransmitter.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/254824\/revisions\/255620"}],"acf:post":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.thetransmitter.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/contributor\/206346"},{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.thetransmitter.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/contributor\/204001"}],"acf:term":[{"embeddable":true,"taxonomy":"post_tag","href":"https:\/\/www.thetransmitter.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags\/1209"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.thetransmitter.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/255009"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.thetransmitter.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=254824"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.thetransmitter.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=254824"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.thetransmitter.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=254824"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}},{"id":254789,"date":"2026-08-28T09:00:03","date_gmt":"2026-08-28T13:00:03","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.thetransmitter.org\/?p=254789"},"modified":"2026-09-01T11:38:36","modified_gmt":"2026-09-01T15:38:36","slug":"los-superpoderes-regenerativos-del-pepino-de-mar","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.thetransmitter.org\/the-state-of-neuroscience-in-latin-america\/los-superpoderes-regenerativos-del-pepino-de-mar\/","title":{"rendered":"Los superpoderes regenerativos del pepino de mar"},"content":{"rendered":"","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Jos\u00e9 E. Garc\u00eda-Arrar\u00e1s estudia c\u00f3mo estos invertebrados marinos logran regenerar su sistema nervioso, intestinos y otros \u00f3rganos internos en cuesti\u00f3n de meses, tras amenazas que los llevan a expulsar sus v\u00edsceras.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":73,"featured_media":254865,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"_relevanssi_hide_post":"","_relevanssi_hide_content":"","_relevanssi_pin_for_all":"","_relevanssi_pin_keywords":"","_relevanssi_unpin_keywords":"","_relevanssi_related_keywords":"","_relevanssi_related_include_ids":"","_relevanssi_related_exclude_ids":"","_relevanssi_related_no_append":"","_relevanssi_related_not_related":"","_relevanssi_related_posts":"","_relevanssi_noindex_reason":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[995],"tags":[1201,104,1149,1104,188,1207,1209],"class_list":["post-254789","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-qa","tag-espanol","tag-glial-cells","tag-invertebrates","tag-neuros-ark","tag-neurobiology","tag-regeneration","tag-the-state-of-neuroscience-in-latin-america"],"acf":{"primary_tag":1209,"doi_url":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.53053\/FQVM3772","citation_count":"0","custom_js_library":"","hero_type":"feat_image","hero_alt_image":null,"hero_youtube":"","hero_video":null,"hero_layout":"landscape","hero_caption":"<strong>Factor sorpresa:<\/strong> Estos invertebrados bultados de aspecto vegetal se desplazan meneandose por el fondo marino hasta que los bajos niveles de ox\u00edgeno, los par\u00e1sitos o la aparici\u00f3n de un depredador los llevan a expulsar todos sus \u00f3rganos internos por la boca.","hero_by":"Ilustraci\u00f3n de","hero_credit":246935,"hero_bg_color":"tan","authors":[250079],"other_authors":"","related_title":"Explore more from <em>The Transmitter<\/em>","related_hide":false,"related_filter":"latest","related_tag":null,"related_category":null,"related_custom":{"articles":null},"related_custom_wwn":{"articles":null},"newsletter":"","banner_content":"ESTE ART\u00cdCULO FORMA PARTE DE NUESTRO INFORME SOBRE EL ESTADO DE LA NEUROCIENCIA EN AM\u00c9RICA LATINA.","banner_url":"https:\/\/www.thetransmitter.org\/el-panorama-de-la-neurociencia-en-latinoamerica","apple_article_id":"06733105-9aaa-470b-b137-f34e370d2ac5","apple_article_revision":"AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA==","google_button_text":"","google_btn_bg_color":"","tooltip_text":"","sidebar_related_hide":false,"sidebar_related_title":"related articles","sidebar_related_hide_images":false,"sidebar_related_articles":"","comps":[{"acf_fc_layout":"callout_comp","callout_title":"","callout_copy":"La <a href=\"https:\/\/www.thetransmitter.org\/neuros-ark\/\">serie<\/a> \u201cNeuro\u2019s Ark\u201d resalta investigaciones neurocient\u00edficas en organismos no tradicionales y las preguntas que esos animales pueden ayudar a investigadores a responder.","callout_color":"red"},{"acf_fc_layout":"copy_comp","copy":"<i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.thetransmitter.org\/contributor\/francisco-j-rivera-rosario\/\">Francisco Rivera Rosario<\/a> tradujo este art\u00edculo.<\/span><\/i>\r\n\r\n<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.thetransmitter.org\/neuros-ark\/inside-the-sea-cucumbers-regenerative-superpowers\/\">Read this article in English<\/a>.<\/span>\r\n\r\n<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.thetransmitter.org\/neuros-ark\/os-superpoderes-regenerativos-do-pepino-do-mar\/\">Leia este artigo em portugu\u00eas<\/a>.<\/span>\r\n\r\n<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Cuando <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/neuroid.uprrp.edu\/index.php\/dr-jose-e-garcia-arraras\/\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Jos\u00e9 E. Garc\u00eda-Arrar\u00e1s<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> necesita m\u00e1s animales para su laboratorio, no puede simplemente hacer un pedido. En cambio, \u00e9l y sus estudiantes se dirigen a la playa local.<\/span>\r\n\r\n<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Garc\u00eda-Arrar\u00e1s, profesor de biolog\u00eda en la Universidad de Puerto Rico, R\u00edo Piedras, estudia <\/span><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Holothuria glaberrima<\/span><\/i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">, una especie de pepino de mar. Estos invertebrados abultados, de aspecto vegetal, se desplazan lentamente por el fondo marino hasta que los bajos niveles de ox\u00edgeno, los par\u00e1sitos o la aparici\u00f3n de un depredador los llevan a expulsar todos sus \u00f3rganos internos por la boca. Sorprendentemente, luego regeneran sus v\u00edsceras, en adici\u00f3n a su sistema nervioso, dentro de cinco meses.<\/span>\r\n\r\n<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Garc\u00eda-Arrar\u00e1s investiga los mecanismos celulares y gen\u00e9ticos que hacen esta haza\u00f1a posible. A diferencia de los ajolotes y los erizos de mar, que suelen estudiarse por sus propias capacidades regenerativas, los pepinos de mar tienen un cuerpo casi enteramente blando, sin huesos ni endoesqueleto.<\/span>\r\n\r\n<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u201cEs una ventaja no tener que hacer el trabajo adicional de disolver las part\u00edculas de calcio incrustadas en el tejido\u201d, dice Garc\u00eda-Arrar\u00e1s.<\/span>\r\n\r\n<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Garc\u00eda-Arrar\u00e1s convers\u00f3 con <\/span><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The Transmitter<\/span><\/i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> sobre lo que figura en su lista de herramientas deseadas, las c\u00e9lulas estrellas de la regeneraci\u00f3n y las partes del mundo donde habitan los pepinos de mar.<\/span>\r\n\r\n<i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Esta entrevista ha sido editada para mayor brevedad y claridad.<\/span><\/i>\r\n\r\n<b><i>The Transmitter: <\/i><\/b><b>\u00bfPor qu\u00e9 los pepinos de mar son un modelo tan bueno para estudiar la regeneraci\u00f3n?<\/b>\r\n\r\n<b>Jos\u00e9 E. Garc\u00eda-Arrar\u00e1s:<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> En primer lugar, es un modelo animal muy accesible. Aqu\u00ed en Puerto Rico son muy abundantes en su entorno natural. Simplemente vamos al mar a buscarlos, ya que no podemos comprarlos ni pedirlos por env\u00edo.<\/span>\r\n\r\n<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Sus poderes de regeneraci\u00f3n son muy fuertes; pueden regenerar muchos \u00f3rganos y estructuras diferentes \u2014el sistema nervioso, el intestino, el sistema respiratorio y, en algunas especies, la mitad del cuerpo. Lo otro es que no tienen esqueleto.<\/span>\r\n\r\n[tt_sidebar_quote author='Jos\u00e9 E. Garc\u00eda-Arrar\u00e1s']Creemos que la gl\u00eda es la protagonista principal del proceso de regeneraci\u00f3n.[\/tt_sidebar_quote]\r\n\r\n<b>TT: \u00bfC\u00f3mo es su sistema nervioso?<\/b>\r\n\r\n<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">JGA: El pepino de mar tiene un anillo nervioso en la parte anterior, y cinco cordones nerviosos radiales conectados a \u00e9l. Esos nervios tienen muchas neuronas, pero en realidad no es una red; es m\u00e1s bien como tener cinco cordones nerviosos conectados al cerebro. Cuando la gente piensa en nervios radiales, piensa en fibras. Sin embargo, esto es un cord\u00f3n, similar al que poseen los vertebrados. En la m\u00e9dula espinal, por ejemplo, hay tanto neuronas como fibras que la recorren.<\/span>\r\n\r\n<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Hemos estado estudiando los tipos de c\u00e9lulas y la capacidad de regeneraci\u00f3n de los cordones nerviosos. Si cortamos uno, observamos c\u00f3mo cierran la brecha y forman nuevas neuronas, y en aproximadamente un mes se obtiene un tramo del sistema nervioso que parece normal.<\/span>\r\n\r\n<b>TT: \u00bfQu\u00e9 han aprendido sobre c\u00f3mo ocurre esta regeneraci\u00f3n?<\/b>\r\n\r\n<b>JGA:<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> Las c\u00e9lulas gliales est\u00e1n profundamente involucradas. El hallazgo m\u00e1s reciente, que <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.1002\/cne.70096\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">publicamos el a\u00f1o pasado<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">, es que estas c\u00e9lulas gliales comparten muchos marcadores que se expresan tambi\u00e9n en la gl\u00eda de los vertebrados. Creemos que la gl\u00eda es la protagonista principal del proceso de regeneraci\u00f3n. Ahora estamos descubriendo que, para regenerarse, esas c\u00e9lulas pierden sus propiedades biol\u00f3gicas y cambian su expresi\u00f3n gen\u00e9tica. Se convierten en lo que llamamos gl\u00eda desdiferenciada, convirti\u00e9ndose en el mismo tipo celular, antes de diferenciarse en neuronas.<\/span>\r\n\r\n<b>TT: \u00bfQu\u00e9 planifican estudiar a continuaci\u00f3n?<\/b>\r\n\r\n<b>JGA:<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> Con los experimentos de secuenciacion de ARN de n\u00facleo individuales que estamos realizando, lo que buscamos es identificar las etapas en las que las c\u00e9lulas cambian su expresi\u00f3n gen\u00e9tica y en qu\u00e9 tipos de c\u00e9lulas se est\u00e1n convirtiendo. \u00bfLa gl\u00eda se transforma en gl\u00eda diferenciada? \u00bfTodas se convierten en el mismo tipo de c\u00e9lula? \u00bfSon estas c\u00e9lulas pluripotentes, es decir, capaces de dar origen a cualquier tipo celular, o mantienen sus diferencias entre s\u00ed? Eso forma parte del an\u00e1lisis que estamos llevando a cabo.<\/span>\r\n\r\n<b>TT: \u00bfQu\u00e9 herramientas cient\u00edficas figuran en su lista de deseos?<\/b>\r\n\r\n<b>JGA:<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> Lo que queremos lograr ahora es poder inhibir la expresi\u00f3n de ARN in vivo. La t\u00e9cnica que usamos no es \u00f3ptima: cortamos el nervio y, simult\u00e1neamente, lo electroporamos para introducir peque\u00f1os oligonucle\u00f3tidos que interfieren con la expresi\u00f3n de un gen. El problema es que cada vez que queremos disminuir la expresi\u00f3n de ese ARN, tenemos que cortar y electroporar, por lo que no podemos seguir el proceso de cicatrizaci\u00f3n ya que estamos cortando todo el tiempo. Estamos explorando distintos m\u00e9todos para lograrlo.<\/span>\r\n\r\n<b>TT: \u00bfQu\u00e9 le gustar\u00eda que otros cient\u00edficos supieran sobre este modelo?<\/b>\r\n\r\n<b>JGA: <\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Creo que hay dos cosas distintas. Una es el lado de la gl\u00eda\u2014la funci\u00f3n de la gl\u00eda en la regeneraci\u00f3n. Lo otro, que para m\u00ed es fascinante, es la caracterizaci\u00f3n de las neuronas de los equinodermos. Se sabe muy poco sobre qu\u00e9 tipos neuronales existen. Sin embargo, encontramos diferentes receptores de neurop\u00e9ptidos, como los receptores de <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.1186\/s12915-022-01387-z\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">kisspeptina<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> y <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.1007\/s004410050708\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">galanina<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">. Eso demuestra que algunos de estos sistemas de neurop\u00e9ptidos son evolutivamente muy antiguos. La kisspeptina es uno de los p\u00e9ptidos implicados en la maduraci\u00f3n sexual en los humanos y, al parecer, tambi\u00e9n podr\u00eda desempe\u00f1ar un papel en la maduraci\u00f3n sexual de estos animales.<\/span>\r\n\r\n<b>TT: \u00bfHay otros pa\u00edses donde investigadores tambi\u00e9n se enfocan en estudiar los pepinos de mar?<\/b>\r\n\r\n<b>JGA:<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> Hay otras especies en China, donde tambi\u00e9n estudian la regeneraci\u00f3n, junto con el crecimiento y el desarrollo. De hecho, la <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.1371\/journal.pbio.2003790\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">primera secuencia completa del genoma<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> de un pepino de mar la realiz\u00f3 un equipo chino. Tambi\u00e9n hay grupos en Jap\u00f3n, Rusia, Inglaterra y los Estados Unidos. \u00a1Son animales bastante internacionales!<\/span>"}]},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.thetransmitter.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/254789","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.thetransmitter.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.thetransmitter.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.thetransmitter.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/73"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.thetransmitter.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=254789"}],"version-history":[{"count":10,"href":"https:\/\/www.thetransmitter.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/254789\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":255622,"href":"https:\/\/www.thetransmitter.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/254789\/revisions\/255622"}],"acf:post":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.thetransmitter.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/contributor\/250079"},{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.thetransmitter.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/contributor\/246935"}],"acf:term":[{"embeddable":true,"taxonomy":"post_tag","href":"https:\/\/www.thetransmitter.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags\/1209"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.thetransmitter.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/254865"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.thetransmitter.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=254789"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.thetransmitter.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=254789"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.thetransmitter.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=254789"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}},{"id":254441,"date":"2026-08-28T09:00:03","date_gmt":"2026-08-28T13:00:03","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.thetransmitter.org\/?p=254441"},"modified":"2026-09-01T11:38:41","modified_gmt":"2026-09-01T15:38:41","slug":"la-promesa-de-la-neurociencia-abierta-para-latinoamerica","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.thetransmitter.org\/the-state-of-neuroscience-in-latin-america\/la-promesa-de-la-neurociencia-abierta-para-latinoamerica\/","title":{"rendered":"La promesa de la neurociencia abierta para Latinoam\u00e9rica"},"content":{"rendered":"","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Dos investigadores uruguayos explican c\u00f3mo su trabajo en herramientas computacionales para decodificar la respiraci\u00f3n a partir de grabaciones de video de ratones podr\u00eda impulsar m\u00e1s iniciativas de ciencia abierta en Am\u00e9rica Latina.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":76,"featured_media":255009,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"_relevanssi_hide_post":"","_relevanssi_hide_content":"","_relevanssi_pin_for_all":"","_relevanssi_pin_keywords":"","_relevanssi_unpin_keywords":"","_relevanssi_related_keywords":"","_relevanssi_related_include_ids":"","_relevanssi_related_exclude_ids":"","_relevanssi_related_no_append":"","_relevanssi_related_not_related":"","_relevanssi_related_posts":"","_relevanssi_noindex_reason":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[995],"tags":[141,143,170,1201,745,140,207,1209],"class_list":["post-254441","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-qa","tag-academia","tag-computational-neuroscience","tag-craft-and-careers","tag-espanol","tag-open-access","tag-open-neuroscience","tag-science-and-society","tag-the-state-of-neuroscience-in-latin-america"],"acf":{"primary_tag":1209,"doi_url":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.53053\/OLZM3593","citation_count":"0","custom_js_library":"","hero_type":"feat_image","hero_alt_image":null,"hero_youtube":"","hero_video":null,"hero_layout":"landscape","hero_caption":"<b>Un gran beneficio<\/b>: Las iniciativas de neurociencia abierta pueden ayudar a los neurocient\u00edficos latinoamericanos a plantear preguntas interesantes desde sus pa\u00edses de origen, y a la vez reducen los costos de sus investigaciones.","hero_by":"Ilustraci\u00f3n de","hero_credit":204001,"hero_bg_color":"tan","authors":[206346],"other_authors":"","related_title":"Explore more from <em>The Transmitter<\/em>","related_hide":false,"related_filter":"latest","related_tag":null,"related_category":null,"related_custom":{"articles":null},"related_custom_wwn":{"articles":null},"newsletter":"","banner_content":"ESTE ART\u00cdCULO FORMA PARTE DE NUESTRO INFORME SOBRE EL ESTADO DE LA NEUROCIENCIA EN AM\u00c9RICA LATINA.","banner_url":"https:\/\/www.thetransmitter.org\/el-panorama-de-la-neurociencia-en-latinoamerica","apple_article_id":"dfac7348-a924-465d-9a1e-fdb779fe1488","apple_article_revision":"AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA==","google_button_text":"","google_btn_bg_color":"","tooltip_text":"","sidebar_related_hide":false,"sidebar_related_title":"related articles","sidebar_related_hide_images":false,"sidebar_related_articles":"","comps":[{"acf_fc_layout":"copy_comp","copy":"<i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.thetransmitter.org\/contributor\/francisco-j-rivera-rosario\/\">Francisco Rivera Rosario<\/a> tradujo este art\u00edculo.<\/span><\/i>\r\n<p class=\"p1\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.thetransmitter.org\/open-neuroscience\/the-promise-of-open-neuroscience-for-latin-america\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Read this article in English.<\/a><\/p>\r\n<a href=\"https:\/\/www.thetransmitter.org\/open-neuroscience\/a-promessa-da-neurociencia-aberta-para-a-america-latina\/\">Leia este artigo em portugu\u00eas<\/a>.\r\n\r\n<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">En 2025, el <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.internationalbrainlab.com\/\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">International Brain Lab<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> (IBL) public\u00f3 un estudio hist\u00f3rico en <\/span><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Nature<\/span><\/i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> que detalla un <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.1038\/s41586-025-09235-0\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">mapa de actividad neuronal<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> a gran escala de todo el cerebro en ratones. El mapa \u2014que incluye m\u00e1s de 600,000 neuronas, registradas en 12 laboratorios distintos, en animales que realizaban la misma tarea de comportamiento\u2014 ofrece una de las evaluaciones m\u00e1s completas de la computaci\u00f3n neuronal en el cerebro.<\/span>\r\n\r\n<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Cuando los investigadores uruguayos <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/scholar.google.com\/citations?user=-CQm3x0AAAAJ&amp;hl=es\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Mat\u00edas Cavelli<\/span><\/a>\u00a0y <a href=\"https:\/\/buzsakilab.com\/wp\/labmembers\/#:~:text=Joaquin%20Gonzalez%2C%20PhD,Postdoctoral%20Fellow\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Joaqu\u00edn Gonz\u00e1lez<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> analizaron el mapa, pensaron que podr\u00eda beneficiarse de la incorporaci\u00f3n de una variable fisiol\u00f3gica importante que hab\u00edan estado estudiando en los \u00faltimos a\u00f1os \u2014la respiraci\u00f3n. Agregarla al conjunto de datos del IBL ayudar\u00eda a los investigadores a comprender mejor c\u00f3mo la respiraci\u00f3n modula la toma de decisiones o la percepci\u00f3n, se\u00f1ala Cavelli, profesor asistente en la Universidad de la Rep\u00fablica.<\/span>\r\n\r\n<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Para lograrlo, Cavelli y Gonz\u00e1lez est\u00e1n desarrollando herramientas computacionales para decodificar la respiraci\u00f3n a partir de grabaciones de videos orofaciales de ratones, recopiladas durante la tarea conductual del IBL. \"Construir sobre estos datos para decodificar la respiraci\u00f3n a partir de video permitir\u00eda a la comunidad cient\u00edfica investigar preguntas importantes sobre c\u00f3mo la respiraci\u00f3n impacta directamente la funci\u00f3n neuronal en distintos contextos\", dice <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/iblcore.org\/about\/team\/#:~:text=Vani%20Pariyadath,Rockville%2C%20US\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Vani Pariyadath<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">, directora ejecutiva del IBL. \"Esta l\u00ednea de trabajo tambi\u00e9n mejorar\u00e1 las herramientas para eliminar los factores de confusi\u00f3n relacionados con la respiraci\u00f3n en los datos neuronales. Por eso se espera que este proyecto tenga un impacto amplio\".<\/span>\r\n\r\n<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">El proyecto es uno de los siete <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/iblcore.org\/new-partner-projects\/\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">IBL Partner Projects<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> inaugurales que se suman este a\u00f1o al consorcio de 22 laboratorios. Todos los proyectos se basan en los conjuntos de datos del IBL, con apoyo t\u00e9cnico de sus ingenieros y su infraestructura de investigaci\u00f3n. \"Espero que esto ayude a establecer a mi laboratorio \u2014y a Uruguay en un sentido m\u00e1s amplio\u2014 como un centro regional de neurociencia abierta\", dice Cavelli.<\/span>\r\n\r\n<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">M\u00e1s all\u00e1 de los hallazgos cient\u00edficos que sus herramientas puedan hacer posibles, ambos esperan que su trabajo inspire a otros investigadores de Am\u00e9rica Latina\u00a0 adoptar la neurociencia abierta. \"Las barreras econ\u00f3micas y geogr\u00e1ficas que enfrentamos como continente nos obligan a pensar la ciencia desde esta perspectiva\", dice Gonz\u00e1lez, becario posdoctoral en el laboratorio de <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/med.nyu.edu\/faculty\/gyorgy-buzsaki\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Gyorgy Buzsaki<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> en New York University. \"Quiero volver a Uruguay para tener mi propio laboratorio, como Mat\u00edas. Proyectos de neurociencia abierta como este me hacen creer que es posible\".<\/span>\r\n\r\n<i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The Transmitter<\/span><\/i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> convers\u00f3 con Cavelli y Gonz\u00e1lez sobre c\u00f3mo desarrollaron el proyecto, qu\u00e9 esperan aprender y por qu\u00e9 los neurocient\u00edficos latinoamericanos necesitan adoptar la neurociencia abierta.<\/span>\r\n\r\n<i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Esta entrevista ha sido editada para mayor brevedad y claridad.\u00a0<\/span><\/i>\r\n\r\n<b><em>The Transmitter<\/em>:<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> \u00bfC\u00f3mo empezaron con el proyecto? \u00bfC\u00f3mo se involucraron con el International Brain Lab?<\/span>\r\n\r\n<b>Mat\u00edas Cavelli:<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> En los \u00faltimos a\u00f1os, Joaqu\u00edn y yo hemos formado parte de un grupo de investigadores realmente interesados en c\u00f3mo el acto sensorimotor de respirar afecta el comportamiento y la actividad neuronal de todo el cerebro. Se ha vuelto cada vez m\u00e1s claro que <a href=\"https:\/\/www.nature.com\/articles\/s41583-025-00920-7\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">la respiraci\u00f3n nasal y oral modula la actividad<\/a> en casi todas las partes del cerebro. Por ejemplo, el ciclo respiratorio puede modular una variedad de interacciones neuronales entre la <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/onlinelibrary.wiley.com\/doi\/abs\/10.1111\/ejn.14560\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">neocorteza<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> y el <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.nature.com\/articles\/s41467-022-28090-5\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">hipocampo<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">, algunas de las cuales sabemos que desempe\u00f1an un papel fundamental en la consolidaci\u00f3n de la memoria durante el sue\u00f1o. Pero todav\u00eda quedan muchas preguntas abiertas. Pensamos que desarrollar herramientas para integrar el <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.1038\/s41586-025-09235-0\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">mapa de actividad neuronal<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> del IBL con la respiraci\u00f3n ser\u00eda \u00fatil, ya que permitir\u00eda ver c\u00f3mo esta modula la toma de decisiones o la percepci\u00f3n. Cuando vimos que el IBL hab\u00eda lanzado una convocatoria para nuevos socios que trabajaran con sus conjuntos de datos, Joaqu\u00edn y yo presentamos una propuesta para el proyecto.<\/span>\r\n\r\n<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">M\u00e1s all\u00e1 de la motivaci\u00f3n cient\u00edfica, conectarnos con el IBL a trav\u00e9s de esta colaboraci\u00f3n tambi\u00e9n es muy importante para traer estas configuraciones estandarizadas y pr\u00e1cticas de gesti\u00f3n de bases de datos a mi laboratorio y a Uruguay en general.<\/span>\r\n\r\n<b>Joaqu\u00edn Gonz\u00e1lez:<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> La primera persona a la que escuch\u00e9 hablar sobre la respiraci\u00f3n y c\u00f3mo modula las se\u00f1ales cerebrales fue justamente Mat\u00edas, quien segu\u00eda el trabajo de <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/tortlab.github.io\/\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Adriano Tort<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> (un investigador brasile\u00f1o radicado en Natal que m\u00e1s tarde se convirti\u00f3 en mi director de tesis). El proyecto surgi\u00f3 como un intento de ver si pod\u00edamos medir la respiraci\u00f3n a trav\u00e9s de se\u00f1ales de v\u00eddeo. Queremos desarrollar una herramienta que nos ayude a responder una serie de preguntas que me parecen bastante importantes, como si la fase de la respiraci\u00f3n realmente modula la toma de decisiones, y qu\u00e9 tan global es en realidad esta modulaci\u00f3n cerebral por parte de la respiraci\u00f3n.<\/span>\r\n\r\n<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Nuestro objetivo es usar herramientas de aprendizaje autom\u00e1tico para construir un modelo que pueda decodificar estas variables a partir de estos experimentos. Creo que en los pr\u00f3ximos a\u00f1os la neurociencia necesita avanzar en esta direcci\u00f3n para llevar a cabo experimentos que sean, en cierto sentido, \"vivos\", donde siempre se puedan seguir agregando variables y obteniendo nueva informaci\u00f3n.<\/span>\r\n\r\n<b>TT: \u00bfQu\u00e9 tan avanzados est\u00e1n en el proyecto?<\/b>\r\n\r\n[tt_sidebar_quote author='Joaqu\u00edn Gonz\u00e1lez']<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Estoy terminando mi posdoctorado en la Universidad de Nueva York, pero quiero volver a Uruguay para tener mi propio laboratorio, como Mat\u00edas. Proyectos de neurociencia abierta como este me hacen creer que es posible.<\/span>[\/tt_sidebar_quote]\r\n\r\n<b>JG:<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> Estamos en la fase de prueba de concepto, demostrando que efectivamente podemos decodificar la respiraci\u00f3n \u2014es decir, la se\u00f1al de la forma de onda respiratoria\u2014 a partir de la actividad neuronal usando una configuraci\u00f3n de grabaci\u00f3n de video. Nuestros datos preliminares ya muestran que b\u00e1sicamente somos capaces de hacerlo. En general, vemos que cuando el animal respira, se producen cambios en la postura corporal \u2014se puede observar a trav\u00e9s de la actividad del pecho, c\u00f3mo se infla y desinfla, y tambi\u00e9n se ven cambios en el movimiento de los bigotes y la nariz. El desaf\u00edo surge cuando el animal cambia su comportamiento (olfatear versus quedarse quieto, o cuando se queda dormido), porque la respiraci\u00f3n se vuelve m\u00e1s irregular. Los patrones motores tambi\u00e9n parecen cambiar durante esos per\u00edodos.<\/span>\r\n\r\n<b>TT: \u00bfCu\u00e1l es el valor de proyectos de neurociencia abierta como este para Latinoam\u00e9rica?<\/b>\r\n\r\n<b>MC:<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> Creo que tiene un enorme potencial. Gracias al mapa cerebral completo y a toda esta iniciativa de ciencia abierta, uno puede simplemente ir y analizar estos datos desde su computadora en Uruguay, Brasil, Chile o Argentina, para hacer preguntas interesantes. Eso nos permite reducir los costos de construir esta tecnolog\u00eda en Sudam\u00e9rica, donde el financiamiento para nuestros proyectos es mucho menor.<\/span>\r\n\r\n<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">A veces la parte m\u00e1s dif\u00edcil es visualizar que es posible. Creo que ese es un desaf\u00edo para la neurociencia en Latino<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">am\u00e9rica<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">: Joaqu\u00edn y yo quisi\u00e9ramos ser un ejemplo y empezar a difundir la pr\u00e1ctica y adopci\u00f3n de la ciencia abierta a otras personas.<\/span>\r\n\r\n<b>JG:<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> Llevo a\u00f1os pensando en c\u00f3mo construir una carrera f\u00e9rtil desde Latinoam\u00e9rica, dadas las limitaciones que eso tiene. Necesitamos m\u00e1s proyectos de ciencia abierta y un intercambio m\u00e1s fluido de personas e ideas dentro de la comunidad de la regi\u00f3n. Al habernos anclado en un proyecto internacional, esperamos atraer a m\u00e1s personas de la regi\u00f3n para hacer neurociencia en Uruguay.<\/span>\r\n\r\n<b>MC:<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> Tambi\u00e9n creo que necesitamos cambiar la forma de pensar sobre c\u00f3mo se hace ciencia y ayudar a la comunidad a entender el valor de la neurociencia abierta. Por ejemplo, Joaqu\u00edn public\u00f3 recientemente un art\u00edculo sobre c\u00f3mo las <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.7554\/eLife.83044\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">oscilaciones gamma en la corteza<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> olfatoria surgen de la inhibici\u00f3n por retroalimentaci\u00f3n local durante la respiraci\u00f3n, trabajando enteramente con una base de datos abierta. Antes de que lo enviara, algunos colegas le advirtieron que los revisores podr\u00edan verlo como una debilidad, ya que Joaqu\u00edn no hab\u00eda recolectado los datos \u00e9l mismo. Y sin embargo, el art\u00edculo termin\u00f3 siendo destacado por la revista y m\u00e1s tarde recibi\u00f3 el premio <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/elifesciences.org\/inside-elife\/b5d03822\/ben-barres-spotlight-awards-announcing-the-winners-for-2024\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Ben Barres Spotlight Award<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">. Es un cambio generacional. Necesitamos romper ciertos dogmas que tenemos, de que la ciencia debe hacerse de determinadas maneras simplemente porque as\u00ed se ha hecho hist\u00f3ricamente.<\/span>\r\n\r\n<b>TT: \u00bfTienen alg\u00fan consejo para investigadores en Latinoam\u00e9rica sobre c\u00f3mo desarrollar alianzas de ciencia abierta?<\/b>\r\n\r\n<b>JG:<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> Busquenlas, en primer lugar; puede que ya existan oportunidades disponibles, pero las comunidades locales no siempre est\u00e1n al tanto. Traten de mantenerse actualizados sobre lo que sucede en el mundo. No se desanimen si las cosas no funcionan la primera o segunda vez; sigan insistiendo, hay sesgos locales y globales que necesitamos superar.<\/span>\r\n\r\n<b>MC:<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> Mi consejo es superar el miedo a colaborar abiertamente. Las preguntas que la neurociencia intenta responder son cada vez m\u00e1s grandes y complejas, lo que hace que sea cada vez m\u00e1s dif\u00edcil abordarlas en solitario. Muchas veces tenemos miedo de perder nuestras ideas o el cr\u00e9dito por ellas, pero la ciencia se vuelve m\u00e1s fuerte cuando compartimos el conocimiento de manera transparente y construimos confianza.<\/span>\r\n\r\n<b>TT: \u00bfEst\u00e1 Latinoam\u00e9rica bien preparada para desarrollar proyectos de ciencia abierta?<\/b>\r\n\r\n<b>MC:<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> Puede que Latinoam\u00e9rica todav\u00eda no est\u00e9 del todo preparada para desarrollar proyectos de ciencia abierta, pero la ciencia abierta se adapta particularmente bien a nuestras necesidades. Nos da acceso a datos y recursos que antes estaban limitados a un peque\u00f1o n\u00famero de laboratorios, y necesitamos aprovechar esta oportunidad mientras desarrollamos la capacidad de aportar nuestros propios datos y herramientas.<\/span>"}]},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.thetransmitter.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/254441","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.thetransmitter.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.thetransmitter.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.thetransmitter.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/76"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.thetransmitter.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=254441"}],"version-history":[{"count":10,"href":"https:\/\/www.thetransmitter.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/254441\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":255623,"href":"https:\/\/www.thetransmitter.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/254441\/revisions\/255623"}],"acf:post":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.thetransmitter.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/contributor\/206346"},{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.thetransmitter.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/contributor\/204001"}],"acf:term":[{"embeddable":true,"taxonomy":"post_tag","href":"https:\/\/www.thetransmitter.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags\/1209"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.thetransmitter.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/255009"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.thetransmitter.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=254441"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.thetransmitter.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=254441"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.thetransmitter.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=254441"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}},{"id":255212,"date":"2026-08-28T09:00:00","date_gmt":"2026-08-28T13:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.thetransmitter.org\/?p=255212"},"modified":"2026-09-01T11:38:45","modified_gmt":"2026-09-01T15:38:45","slug":"o-estado-da-neurociencia-na-america-latina-introducao","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.thetransmitter.org\/the-state-of-neuroscience-in-latin-america\/o-estado-da-neurociencia-na-america-latina-introducao\/","title":{"rendered":"O estado da neuroci\u00eancia na Am\u00e9rica Latina"},"content":{"rendered":"","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Por meio de entrevistas com dezenas de neurocientistas latino-americanos, a <em>The Transmitter<\/em> explora como pesquisadores de seis pa\u00edses \u2014 Argentina, Brasil, Chile, Col\u00f4mbia, M\u00e9xico e Uruguai \u2014 realizam pesquisas de alta qualidade diante de in\u00fameros obst\u00e1culos.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":254449,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"_relevanssi_hide_post":"","_relevanssi_hide_content":"","_relevanssi_pin_for_all":"","_relevanssi_pin_keywords":"","_relevanssi_unpin_keywords":"","_relevanssi_related_keywords":"","_relevanssi_related_include_ids":"","_relevanssi_related_exclude_ids":"","_relevanssi_related_no_append":"","_relevanssi_related_not_related":"","_relevanssi_related_posts":"","_relevanssi_noindex_reason":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[153],"tags":[187,1199,1209],"class_list":["post-255212","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-features","tag-neuroscience","tag-portugues","tag-the-state-of-neuroscience-in-latin-america"],"acf":{"primary_tag":1209,"doi_url":"","citation_count":"","custom_js_library":"","hero_type":"feat_image","hero_alt_image":null,"hero_youtube":"","hero_video":null,"hero_layout":"landscape","hero_caption":"","hero_by":"Ilustra\u00e7\u00e3o de","hero_credit":204001,"hero_bg_color":"tan","authors":[202025],"other_authors":"","related_title":"Explore more from <em>The Transmitter<\/em>","related_hide":false,"related_filter":"latest","related_tag":null,"related_category":null,"related_custom":{"articles":null},"related_custom_wwn":{"articles":null},"newsletter":"","banner_content":"ESTE ARTIGO FAZ PARTE DO NOSSO RELAT\u00d3RIO SOBRE O ESTADO DA NEUROCI\u00caNCIA NA AM\u00c9RICA LATINA.","banner_url":"https:\/\/www.thetransmitter.org\/neurociencia-na-america-latina\/","apple_article_id":"8e4935df-12d3-4b13-8d41-2619131fb8a0","apple_article_revision":"AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAQ==","google_button_text":"","google_btn_bg_color":"","tooltip_text":"","sidebar_related_hide":false,"sidebar_related_title":"artigos relacionados","sidebar_related_hide_images":false,"sidebar_related_articles":[255043,254335,254298,254378,253065],"comps":[{"acf_fc_layout":"copy_comp","copy":"<a href=\"https:\/\/www.thetransmitter.org\/neuroscience\/the-state-of-neuroscience-in-latin-america-introduction\/\">Read this article in English<\/a>.\r\n\r\n<a href=\"https:\/\/www.thetransmitter.org\/neuroscience\/el-panorama-de-la-neurociencia-en-latinoamerica-introduccion\/\">Lea este art\u00edculo en espa\u00f1ol<\/a>.\r\n\r\n<aside class=\"hidden md:block md:float-right md:clear-right md:w-78 md:ml-11.5 md:mt-12 md:mb-6 lg:-mr-card-left-align 2xl:ml-15 2xl:w-91 2xl:-mr-big-card-left-align\" data-id=\"sidebar-related-callout\"><\/aside><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">A pulm\u00f3n.<\/span><\/i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> \u00c9 assim que os neurocientistas da Am\u00e9rica Latina dizem que realizam seu trabalho: com pura determina\u00e7\u00e3o diante de in\u00fameros obst\u00e1culos, incluindo a persistente falta de infraestrutura e de financiamento necess\u00e1rios para fazer ci\u00eancia. Para esta <a href=\"https:\/\/www.thetransmitter.org\/neurociencia-na-america-latina\/\">reportagem<\/a>, que voc\u00ea pode explorar usando o mapa interativo abaixo ou pelas se\u00e7\u00f5es tem\u00e1ticas acima, conversamos com quase 50 neurocientistas latino-americanos para entender como essas limita\u00e7\u00f5es moldam sua forma de trabalhar\u2014e como eles conduzem pesquisas de alta qualidade apesar delas.\u00a0<\/span>\r\n\r\n<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Um ponto comum que surgiu nas nossas conversas foi que os neurocientistas latino-americanos aproveitam o que t\u00eam \u00e0 disposi\u00e7\u00e3o. Animais nativos podem mostrar o potencial de modelos n\u00e3o tradicionais. Como as novas tecnologias podem ser caras, os pesquisadores constroem sua pr\u00f3pria infraestrutura do zero. \u201cMontamos tudo com arame\u201d, como diz um ditado argentino.\u00a0<\/span>\r\n\r\n<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u201cN\u00e3o \u00e9 como se houvesse um departamento que lhe entregasse os eletrodos; voc\u00ea mesmo precisa fabric\u00e1-los. N\u00e3o \u00e9 como se houvesse um cientista de dados que fizesse as an\u00e1lises para voc\u00ea; voc\u00ea mesmo precisa faz\u00ea-las\u201d, diz <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.gbhi.org\/profiles\/agustin-ibanez\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Agust\u00edn Ib\u00e1\u00f1ez<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">, um neurocientista argentino do Trinity College Dublin que fundou o <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/brainlat.uai.cl\/\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">BrainLat<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">, iniciativa que busca promover a pesquisa sobre o c\u00e9rebro na Am\u00e9rica Latina.<\/span>\r\n\r\nDessas hist\u00f3rias sobre como neurocientistas latino-americanos se adaptaram a recursos limitados emergem li\u00e7\u00f5es para todos os pesquisadores sobre como aproveitar ao m\u00e1ximo o que t\u00eam \u00e0 disposi\u00e7\u00e3o e como essas restri\u00e7\u00f5es podem inspirar novas formas de trabalho e colabora\u00e7\u00e3o.\r\n\r\nNo entanto, a hist\u00f3ria da neuroci\u00eancia na Am\u00e9rica Latina n\u00e3o se resume \u00e0 escassez: em toda a regi\u00e3o, pesquisadores contribuem constantemente para a \u00e1rea, em n\u00edvel internacional, com descobertas importantes e abordagens inovadoras.\r\n\r\n<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Aqui, focamos em neurocientistas e institui\u00e7\u00f5es de seis pa\u00edses\u2014Argentina, Brasil, Chile, Col\u00f4mbia, M\u00e9xico e Uruguai\u2014escolhidos com base em nossa reportagem e em um <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.24875\/rmn.21000034\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">estudo<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> que quantificou a produ\u00e7\u00e3o cient\u00edfica em neuroci\u00eancia e psicologia. N\u00e3o se trata de um panorama completo, portanto, acompanhe nossa cobertura cont\u00ednua desses e de outros pa\u00edses da Am\u00e9rica Latina, incluindo nossa cobertura do encontro da Federa\u00e7\u00e3o das Sociedades de Neuroci\u00eancias da Am\u00e9rica Latina e do Caribe (FALAN) em Santiago, Chile, nesta semana.\u00a0<\/span>\r\n\r\n<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u201cEm alguns pa\u00edses, onde a neuroci\u00eancia \u00e9 mais desenvolvida, vejo que ela est\u00e1 no mesmo ritmo da neuroci\u00eancia no resto do mundo,\u201d diz <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/en.idor.org\/post_scientists\/luiz-e-mello\/\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Luiz Mello<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">, diretor de pesquisa e inova\u00e7\u00e3o do Instituto D\u2019Or de Pesquisa e Ensino, no Brasil. Mas, ainda assim, \u201ch\u00e1 um longo, longo caminho a percorrer em muitos, muitos pa\u00edses\u201d.<\/span>"}]},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.thetransmitter.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/255212","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.thetransmitter.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.thetransmitter.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.thetransmitter.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.thetransmitter.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=255212"}],"version-history":[{"count":10,"href":"https:\/\/www.thetransmitter.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/255212\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":255624,"href":"https:\/\/www.thetransmitter.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/255212\/revisions\/255624"}],"acf:post":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.thetransmitter.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/253065"},{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.thetransmitter.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/254378"},{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.thetransmitter.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/254298"},{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.thetransmitter.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/254335"},{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.thetransmitter.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/255043"},{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.thetransmitter.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/contributor\/202025"},{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.thetransmitter.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/contributor\/204001"}],"acf:term":[{"embeddable":true,"taxonomy":"post_tag","href":"https:\/\/www.thetransmitter.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags\/1209"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.thetransmitter.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/254449"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.thetransmitter.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=255212"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.thetransmitter.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=255212"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.thetransmitter.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=255212"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}},{"id":252390,"date":"2026-08-27T22:49:07","date_gmt":"2026-08-28T02:49:07","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.thetransmitter.org\/?p=252390"},"modified":"2026-09-01T11:38:50","modified_gmt":"2026-09-01T15:38:50","slug":"redefining-underrepresentation-in-global-neuroscience","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.thetransmitter.org\/the-state-of-neuroscience-in-latin-america\/redefining-underrepresentation-in-global-neuroscience\/","title":{"rendered":"Redefining underrepresentation in global neuroscience"},"content":{"rendered":"","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Shifting the focus of equity initiatives from identity categories to structural barriers can reveal overlooked challenges and increase support and participation worldwide.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":73,"featured_media":252392,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"_relevanssi_hide_post":"","_relevanssi_hide_content":"","_relevanssi_pin_for_all":"","_relevanssi_pin_keywords":"","_relevanssi_unpin_keywords":"","_relevanssi_related_keywords":"","_relevanssi_related_include_ids":"","_relevanssi_related_exclude_ids":"","_relevanssi_related_no_append":"","_relevanssi_related_not_related":"","_relevanssi_related_posts":"","_relevanssi_noindex_reason":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[139],"tags":[141,27,38,107,40,207,1209],"class_list":["post-252390","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-perspectives","tag-academia","tag-audio-research-news","tag-community","tag-funding","tag-policy","tag-science-and-society","tag-the-state-of-neuroscience-in-latin-america"],"acf":{"primary_tag":1209,"doi_url":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.53053\/HOQW5291","citation_count":"0","custom_js_library":"","hero_type":"feat_image","hero_alt_image":null,"hero_youtube":"","hero_video":null,"hero_layout":"landscape","hero_caption":"<strong>Broader view:<\/strong> The ALBA Network\u2019s expanded definition of underrepresentation takes into account documented barriers to scientific participation\u2014including disadvantages faced by LGBTQIA+ professionals, visa and mobility constraints and the invisible tax of caregiving.","hero_by":"Illustration by","hero_credit":204001,"hero_bg_color":"tan","authors":[252389,252387,252388,252386],"other_authors":"","related_title":"Explore more from <em>The Transmitter<\/em>","related_hide":false,"related_filter":"latest","related_tag":null,"related_category":null,"related_custom":{"articles":null},"related_custom_wwn":{"articles":null},"newsletter":"","banner_content":"<p class=\"p1\">THIS ARTICLE IS PART OF OUR STATE OF NEUROSCIENCE IN LATIN AMERICA REPORT.<\/p>","banner_url":"https:\/\/www.thetransmitter.org\/state-of-neuroscience-latin-america\/","apple_article_id":"7aa45073-8a06-4ebe-9c93-66199460f132","apple_article_revision":"AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAABg==","google_button_text":"","google_btn_bg_color":"","tooltip_text":"","sidebar_related_hide":false,"sidebar_related_title":"related articles","sidebar_related_hide_images":false,"sidebar_related_articles":"","comps":[{"acf_fc_layout":"audio_comp","audio_title":"LISTEN TO THIS STORY:","audio":254766,"apple_link":"","spotify_link":"","google_link":""},{"acf_fc_layout":"copy_comp","copy":"<a href=\"https:\/\/www.thetransmitter.org\/science-and-society\/redefiniendo-la-subrepresentacion-en-la-neurociencia-global\/\">Lea este art\u00edculo en espa\u00f1ol<\/a>.\r\n\r\n<a href=\"https:\/\/www.thetransmitter.org\/science-and-society\/redefinindo-a-sub-representacao-na-neurociencia-mundial\/\">Leia este artigo em portugu\u00eas<\/a>.\r\n\r\n<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Definitions of underrepresentation in neuroscience often center on a familiar set of demographic categories: gender, race and ethnicity, disability, and socioeconomic background. These classifications underpin most equity initiatives and have contributed to broadening participation. These categories, however standardized, focus on who people are\u2014not on what systems make progress harder for them. This distinction, between identity and infrastructure, has significant consequences for who gets counted, who gets supported, and who continues to fall through the gaps.<\/span>\r\n\r\n<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">For example, consider a researcher presenting their work in a second language, or a first-generation graduate student with no previous knowledge of how academic careers work, and no family network to absorb the financial shocks along the way. Or envision a scientist who spends months navigating visa applications just to attend a conference they\u2019ve been invited to. These researchers are not outliers, yet they aren\u2019t as easy to track with underrepresentation categories that exclusively rely on demographics.\u00a0<\/span>\r\n\r\n<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Historically, our field has used definitions of underrepresentation built around demographic categories drawn from national equality legislation and census data. Some forms of underrepresentation are genuinely region-specific, such as <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.nature.com\/immersive\/d41586-023-00015-2\/index.html\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">caste identity in India<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> or <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.nature.com\/articles\/d41586-021-00022-1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Indigenous status in New Zealand<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">, for instance. But many diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) initiatives designed to address these challenges overlook barriers faced by people with <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.pnas.org\/doi\/10.1073\/pnas.2113067119\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">intersecting marginalized identities<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">. Moreover, common proxies such as World Bank income classifications or the \"Global South\" can be deeply misleading\u2014some high-income countries invest less in research as a proportion of GDP than lower-income ones, and political shocks can collapse a country's research capacity faster than any dataset can track.<\/span>\r\n\r\n<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">As members of the ALBA Network\u2014a global community committed to fostering DEI in the brain sciences\u2014we have examined these gaps closely. To address them, we argue that the field needs a more holistic approach to defining underrepresentation in global neuroscience.<\/span>\r\n\r\n<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">We propose a broader definition that incorporates well-documented barriers to scientific participation\u2014including the compounding disadvantages faced by <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.science.org\/doi\/10.1126\/sciadv.abe0933\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">LGBTQIA+ professionals<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">; <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.nature.com\/articles\/d41586-024-01080-x\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">visa and mobility constraints<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> that limit international collaboration; the <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.cell.com\/cell\/article\/S0092-8674(24)00119-3\/pdf\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">invisible tax of caregiving<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> that falls disproportionately on women; forced displacement; first-generation university status; non-native English fluency; and working countries with chronically underfunded research infrastructure.\u00a0<\/span>\r\n\r\n[tt_text class='']W[\/tt_text]<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">hat happens when you actually apply this definition? Since 2024, we have used it in granting ALBA awards, asking applicants to identify which barriers apply to their situation and to contextualize their achievements accordingly.\u00a0<\/span>\r\n\r\n[tt_sidebar_quote author='']<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Neuroscience loses talent along fault lines of passport, language, geography and circumstance. The first step toward addressing that loss is deciding to measure it.<\/span>[\/tt_sidebar_quote]\r\n\r\n<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The change has surfaced insights into our applicant population that standard definitions might have missed entirely. Across all three award cycles, the most consistently selected barriers were being a woman, a first-generation university attendee, a non-native English speaker or from a lower socioeconomic background. Passport holders with restricted travel appeared in 24 percent of our travel award applications across all three cycles\u2014and notably higher than among lecture nominations. Representation of researchers working in countries with chronically low investment in research and development increased from 35 percent in 2024 to 47 percent in subsequent cycles, challenging the assumption that research excellence can be found only in well-resourced environments. And displaced researchers, who are navigating forced migration due to conflict or political instability, appeared at low but non-zero levels throughout.\u00a0<\/span>\r\n\r\n<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Perhaps the most methodologically instructive changes came from refinements introduced between cycles. In 2024, we grouped women and LGBTQIA+ applicants into a single category\u2014one of the most frequently selected. When disaggregated from 2025 onward, LGBTQIA+ identification dropped sharply across award types, suggesting that the prior aggregation had obscured differences within the combined category.\u00a0\u00a0<\/span>"},{"acf_fc_layout":"image_comp","aspect_ratio":"inline","title":"","image":252394,"link":"","image_caption":"<strong>Revealing reforms:<\/strong> Since 2024, ALBA has applied a broader definition of underrepresentation to its award programs, offering fresh insights into its applicant population.","image_byline":{"by":"","credit":""}},{"acf_fc_layout":"copy_comp","copy":"<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Our definition of underrepresentation is designed to be globally inclusive, but this risks losing the precision needed to direct resources where they are most needed. There is also a subtler problem: Many researchers do not perceive themselves as underrepresented, even when they face documented disadvantages\u2014particularly women, who despite <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.sciencedirect.com\/science\/article\/pii\/S0896627321004177\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">well-evidenced structural barriers<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> often do not identify with the label.\u00a0<\/span>\r\n\r\n<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Cultural stigma and privacy concerns further <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.ibroneuroscience.org\/article\/S0306-4522(26)00064-3\/fulltext\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">suppress disclosure<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> among LGBTQIA+ neuroscientists, meaning that even well-designed forms undercount them. The category of \u201cnon-native English speaker\u201d illustrates a related complexity. For Latin American researchers, it captures a concrete barrier\u2014<\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.nature.com\/articles\/d41586-021-02601-8\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">producing science in a language<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> that is not their own;\u00a0 in regions where English was imposed through colonialism, however, researchers may be fluent but face bias around their accent.\u00a0\u00a0<\/span>\r\n\r\n<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Addressing these limitations requires not just methodological refinement but a shift in how our field evaluates achievement alongside eligibility. Some initiatives are already pointing in the right direction. The <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.nhmrc.gov.au\/about-us\/resources\/nhmrc-relative-opportunity-policy\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Australian NHMRC's Relative to Opportunity<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> policy explicitly instructs reviewers to interpret research productivity in light of career disruptions and structural constraints. The <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.alba.network\/alba-roche-prize\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">ALBA-Roche Prize for Excellence in Neuroscience Research<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> applies the same principle, evaluating nominees\u2019 scientific achievements relative to their circumstances. Similarly, the <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.bna.org.uk\/policy-advocacy\/equity-diversity-and-inclusion.html\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">BNA Scholars Programme<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> uses broad eligibility criteria beyond conventional academic indicators, offering another example of a more contextual approach to DEI program eligibility.\u00a0\u00a0<\/span>\r\n\r\n<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Context is everything, and some tension between global frameworks and local realities is inevitable. But that tension is generative: A shared global lens reveals challenges across borders, whereas local perspectives keep responses grounded and realistic. ALBA\u2019s framework is not prescriptive. Our recommendation for other organizations is not that they should adopt ALBA\u2019s parameters wholesale, but to treat underrepresentation itself as an empirical question\u2014one whose answer should be revised iteratively, not fixed in advance by legislation or census categories. Neuroscience loses talent along fault lines of passport, language, geography and circumstance. The first step toward addressing that loss is deciding to measure it. If the field wants to broaden participation globally, it must measure not only who researchers are and what they produce, but also what they are required to overcome.<\/span>\r\n\r\n<em>Acknowledgement: The ALBA Network is a division of FENS and is supported by its founding partners: <span draggable=\"true\"><a href=\"https:\/\/network.us11.list-manage.com\/track\/click?u=9c6870e1797620a998058063b&amp;id=584b3978fc&amp;e=c6f6814436\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">FENS<\/a><\/span>, <span draggable=\"true\"><a href=\"https:\/\/network.us11.list-manage.com\/track\/click?u=9c6870e1797620a998058063b&amp;id=c6449fe987&amp;e=c6f6814436\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">IBRO<\/a> and <\/span><span draggable=\"true\"><a href=\"https:\/\/network.us11.list-manage.com\/track\/click?u=9c6870e1797620a998058063b&amp;id=ccb27ea4fe&amp;e=c6f6814436\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">SfN<\/a><\/span>.<\/em>"}]},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.thetransmitter.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/252390","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.thetransmitter.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.thetransmitter.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.thetransmitter.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/73"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.thetransmitter.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=252390"}],"version-history":[{"count":10,"href":"https:\/\/www.thetransmitter.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/252390\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":255625,"href":"https:\/\/www.thetransmitter.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/252390\/revisions\/255625"}],"acf:post":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.thetransmitter.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/contributor\/252386"},{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.thetransmitter.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/contributor\/252388"},{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.thetransmitter.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/contributor\/252387"},{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.thetransmitter.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/contributor\/252389"},{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.thetransmitter.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/contributor\/204001"}],"acf:term":[{"embeddable":true,"taxonomy":"post_tag","href":"https:\/\/www.thetransmitter.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags\/1209"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.thetransmitter.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/252392"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.thetransmitter.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=252390"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.thetransmitter.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=252390"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.thetransmitter.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=252390"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}},{"id":253026,"date":"2026-08-27T22:49:04","date_gmt":"2026-08-28T02:49:04","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.thetransmitter.org\/?p=253026"},"modified":"2026-09-01T11:38:54","modified_gmt":"2026-09-01T15:38:54","slug":"scientific-talent-is-global-access-to-the-worlds-scientific-stage-is-not","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.thetransmitter.org\/the-state-of-neuroscience-in-latin-america\/scientific-talent-is-global-access-to-the-worlds-scientific-stage-is-not\/","title":{"rendered":"Scientific talent is global. Access to the world&#8217;s scientific stage is not."},"content":{"rendered":"","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Neuroscience in Chile, and across Latin America, does not lack talent or ideas, but the systems that make science visible\u2014prestigious journals, conferences and networks\u2014increasingly price its researchers out.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":73,"featured_media":253032,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"_relevanssi_hide_post":"","_relevanssi_hide_content":"","_relevanssi_pin_for_all":"","_relevanssi_pin_keywords":"","_relevanssi_unpin_keywords":"","_relevanssi_related_keywords":"","_relevanssi_related_include_ids":"","_relevanssi_related_exclude_ids":"","_relevanssi_related_no_append":"","_relevanssi_related_not_related":"","_relevanssi_related_posts":"","_relevanssi_noindex_reason":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[139],"tags":[27,170,940,107,40,15,207,1209],"class_list":["post-253026","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-perspectives","tag-audio-research-news","tag-craft-and-careers","tag-early-career-researchers","tag-funding","tag-policy","tag-publishing","tag-science-and-society","tag-the-state-of-neuroscience-in-latin-america"],"acf":{"primary_tag":1209,"doi_url":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.53053\/PHOQ5380","citation_count":"0","custom_js_library":"","hero_type":"feat_image","hero_alt_image":null,"hero_youtube":"","hero_video":null,"hero_layout":"landscape","hero_caption":"<strong>No entry:<\/strong> If elite journals and scientific societies want a more global neuroscience, they need to look beyond symbolic inclusion. Waivers, travel support and publication funds should factor in the real conditions in which scientists work.","hero_by":"Illustration by","hero_credit":204001,"hero_bg_color":"tan","authors":[252550],"other_authors":"","related_title":"Explore more from <em>The Transmitter<\/em>","related_hide":false,"related_filter":"latest","related_tag":null,"related_category":null,"related_custom":{"articles":null},"related_custom_wwn":{"articles":null},"newsletter":"","banner_content":"<p class=\"p1\">THIS ARTICLE IS PART OF OUR STATE OF NEUROSCIENCE IN LATIN AMERICA REPORT.<\/p>","banner_url":"http:\/\/thetransmitter.org\/state-of-neuroscience-latin-america\/","apple_article_id":"3773290d-70fd-4ca8-b7f3-c31ca44de1b9","apple_article_revision":"AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAABg==","google_button_text":"","google_btn_bg_color":"","tooltip_text":"","sidebar_related_hide":false,"sidebar_related_title":"related articles","sidebar_related_hide_images":false,"sidebar_related_articles":"","comps":[{"acf_fc_layout":"audio_comp","audio_title":"LISTEN TO THIS STORY:","audio":254814,"apple_link":"","spotify_link":"","google_link":""},{"acf_fc_layout":"copy_comp","copy":"<a href=\"https:\/\/www.thetransmitter.org\/science-and-society\/el-talento-cientifico-es-global-el-acceso-al-escenario-cientifico-mundial-no\/?preview=true&amp;swcfpc=1\">Lea este art\u00edculo en espa\u00f1ol<\/a>.\r\n\r\n<a href=\"https:\/\/www.thetransmitter.org\/science-and-society\/o-talento-cientifico-e-global-o-acesso-ao-cenario-cientifico-mundial-nao\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Leia este artigo em portugu\u00eas<\/a>.\r\n\r\nWatching the World Cup from Chile was a strange experience. We were outside the tournament, but we know the game, follow it closely and understand something that every World Cup shows clearly: Talent is not the same as access.\r\n\r\nThis is also true in science. Talent and ideas are everywhere, but the journals, conferences and networks that make them visible are still concentrated in a small number of wealthy countries. Research visibility has its own infrastructure. It depends on publication fees, travel budgets and access to professional networks that are not evenly distributed.\r\n\r\nThe question in Latin America is not whether we have good laboratories or internationally relevant ideas. We do. The question is why making them visible is so expensive.\r\n\r\nChile offers a useful case study for seeing this problem clearly. It is often described as one of Latin America\u2019s scientific bright spots. It is not among the poorest countries in the region, and it has strong universities and a vibrant neuroscience community.\r\n\r\nEarlier this year, my collaborators and I surveyed researchers and trainees in that community to understand how the field has developed. We found scientists working across neurophysiology, cellular and molecular neurobiology, cognitive neuroscience and systems neuroscience, spanning both basic and more integrative approaches. About two-thirds of respondents reported completing their Ph.D. in Chile, suggesting that the field\u2019s expansion is not simply the result of training abroad."},{"acf_fc_layout":"image_comp","aspect_ratio":"inline","title":"","image":253084,"link":"","image_caption":"<strong>Big tent:<\/strong> Research interests were concentrated primarily in neurophysiology and cellular and molecular neurobiology, with cognitive and systems neuroscience also well represented. Clinical and translational neuroscience and computational and theoretical neuroscience were less frequently selected. Percentages are based on the 66 respondents who authorized use of their data. Because respondents could select more than one area, percentages do not sum to 100 percent.","image_byline":{"by":"","credit":""}},{"acf_fc_layout":"copy_comp","copy":"<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">That research, we found, has also produced a large and visible body of work, present in international literature. According to <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/openalex.org\/\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">OpenAlex<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">, an open-access database that tracks research publications, 14,870 neuroscience-related publications with Chilean affiliations were published between 1941 and 2026. Approximately 11,000 of those publications were published after 2000.\u00a0<\/span>\r\n\r\n<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">This achievement deserves recognition, but it should not be used as evidence that the current system for identifying global talent is working. By bibliometric measures, Chilean neuroscience may look like a success story: Publication output, international collaborations, open-access publishing and visibility have all increased. Yet the budget for research in Chile tells a different story. These achievements have been produced by a community working under funding conditions that differ sharply from those of the international scientific community Chilean researchers are expected to participate in. Publication success can therefore hide both the precarity behind existing achievements and the talent that never receives sufficient support to participate. Calls for diversity and open science are not enough to support more Latin American participation if the conditions of participation remain so unequal. <\/span>"},{"acf_fc_layout":"image_comp","aspect_ratio":"inline","title":"","image":253028,"link":"","image_caption":"<strong>Accessible papers:<\/strong> Open access has become a common practice among Chilean neuroscientists. This graph shows, by year, the average percentage of open-access neuroscience articles published by researchers with Chilean institutional affiliations. ","image_byline":{"by":"Source: OpenAlex database","credit":""}},{"acf_fc_layout":"copy_comp","copy":"<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">[tt_text class='']A[\/tt_text] Chilean research grant is enough to keep a modest laboratory alive but not enough to make prestige publishing feel attainable. Open-access publications have become common among neuroscientists in Chile, making our work easier to read, cite and circulate. But the cost of open-access publishing can quickly become hard to manage for a Chilean lab.<\/span>\r\n\r\n<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">For an early-career neuroscientist, a <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/anid.cl\/proyectos-de-investigacion\/fondecyt-iniciacion\/\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">typical annual research budget<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> is roughly $30,000. Many high-impact open-access journals charge article processing fees (APCs) of more than $5,000, and some charge well above $7,000. One accepted paper can consume months of budget, never mind the expense of reagents, participant payments, students, equipment repairs or unexpected costs. For a well-funded laboratory in a high-income country, an APC may be an administrative expense. For a Chilean laboratory, it\u2019s an existential decision: Publish where the work may receive attention, or preserve the budget needed to keep the work going.<\/span>\r\n\r\n<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The peer-review crisis adds another layer of challenge. Many busy researchers are less willing to review for lower-impact journals, opting to reserve their time to review for high-status journals, which creates a quiet prestige trap. More affordable journal options often struggle to secure timely and rigorous reviews. For researchers with limited budgets, choosing a cheaper route comes with less prestige, slower review and less visibility.<\/span>"},{"acf_fc_layout":"image_comp","aspect_ratio":"inline","title":"","image":253029,"link":"","image_caption":"<strong>Funding hit:<\/strong> Article processing charges absorb different shares of an early-career ($30,000) and a senior researcher grant ($50,000) in Chile. Funding benchmarks are based on the National Agency of Research and Development research grant amounts in Chile, and APC values are illustrative examples drawn from publicly listed publication fees for journals in neuroscience and related fields.","image_byline":{"by":"","credit":""}},{"acf_fc_layout":"copy_comp","copy":"<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Conferences create the same problem. Registration is only one part of the cost. For someone traveling from Santiago, the full trip can include a long-haul flight, several hotel nights, meals and local transport in addition to those conference fees\u2014adding up to an important part of a yearly research budget. Attending meetings in the United States, Europe, Asia or Australia can easily reach several thousand dollars. Regional meetings in South America, such as the Congress of the Federation of Latin American and Caribbean Neurosciences (FALAN), are usually cheaper because registration fees are lower and travel is shorter. Conference participation should not be a luxury add-on to science. It is how trainees meet future mentors, how collaborations begin and how work becomes visible.<\/span>"},{"acf_fc_layout":"image_comp","aspect_ratio":"inline","title":"","image":253030,"link":"","image_caption":"<strong>Expensive trips:<\/strong> This graph shows the estimated cost of attending a neuroscience meeting from Santiago by destination. Each scenario is calculated as registration plus round-trip airfare, lodging and daily local costs, using five meeting days and five lodging nights. Bars show the mean cost share of an early-career ($30,000) and a senior ($50,000) Chilean research fund. Travel-cost scenarios are illustrative estimates of neuroscience and brain-science meeting registration fees (FENS, SfN, OHBM, AAIC) averaged and approximated to $850 for international meetings and $180 for a regional South American meeting, combined with approximate airfare, lodging and daily local costs for representative destination cities. Error bars show the standard deviation across city-level scenarios within each destination category.","image_byline":{"by":"","credit":""}},{"acf_fc_layout":"copy_comp","copy":"<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">For these reasons, the usual language around increasing diversity feels incomplete to me. Many journals, societies and institutions in the Global North say they want more international authors, more Latin American collaborators and more voices outside the usual centers. I believe many of them mean it. But participation is not only a matter of being invited to a program. It also depends on whether researchers can pay the costs of being present. Invitations, panels and special issues do not change that arithmetic, and the waiver system only partially helps. Chile, for example, almost never qualifies for automatic waivers, even though its scientific budgets still do not resemble those of wealthy research systems. Many waiver policies are based on national income categories, not on grant size, local funding conditions or purchasing power.<\/span>\r\n\r\n[tt_sidebar_quote author='']<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The question in Latin America is not whether we have good laboratories or internationally relevant ideas. We do. The question is why making them visible is so expensive.<\/span>[\/tt_sidebar_quote]\r\n\r\n<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">[tt_text class='']I[\/tt_text]f elite journals and scientific societies want a more global neuroscience, they need to look beyond symbolic inclusion. Waivers, travel support and publication funds should factor in the real conditions in which scientists work: grant size, local research budgets and the cost of participating from outside the usual centers. This matters especially in Latin America, where scientific funding often depends on changing political priorities. New governments can freeze calls, delay payments or reduce support for science. Laboratories are then asked to participate in a global system with high prices, while trying to plan their work under unpredictable local conditions.<\/span>\r\n\r\n<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">I can diagnose the problem more confidently than I can prescribe its cure. But one thing seems clear: Goodwill will not move the needle without also changing who pays to be seen. A serious response would treat scientific visibility as a shared goal, not a commodity. Publishers that profit from publicly funded research should cross-subsidize publication for underfunded systems and for <\/span>l<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">ow- and middle-income countries, as well as countries with high levels of income <\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">inequality<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">. Scientific societies should use conference revenue to fund participation from regions where attendance is structurally expensive. Funding agencies should stop rewarding publication venues whose costs their own grants cannot cover. Wealthy collaborators should budget for the visibility of their partners, not just for the data they help produce.\u00a0<\/span>\r\n\r\n<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Right now, too much of global science works like a stadium with open doors but expensive tickets. Everyone is invited in principle, but only some can routinely afford to enter. Chilean neuroscience shows the tension clearly. Its researchers are publishing work that belongs in the international conversation, showing that important science can be conducted outside the traditional centers of power. Yet making those contributions often requires them and their institutions to compensate for limited funding, high publication costs and reduced access to resources that wealthier research systems take for granted. Their visibility should not be mistaken as evidence that the conditions required for participation are equal.<\/span>\r\n\r\n<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Chilean and Latin American neuroscience does not need applause from the sidelines. It needs a field in which quality can enter the pitch without first proving that it can afford the ticket. If global science is serious about quality, it also has to become serious about the price of prestige.<\/span>"}]},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.thetransmitter.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/253026","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.thetransmitter.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.thetransmitter.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.thetransmitter.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/73"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.thetransmitter.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=253026"}],"version-history":[{"count":12,"href":"https:\/\/www.thetransmitter.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/253026\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":255626,"href":"https:\/\/www.thetransmitter.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/253026\/revisions\/255626"}],"acf:post":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.thetransmitter.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/contributor\/252550"},{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.thetransmitter.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/contributor\/204001"}],"acf:term":[{"embeddable":true,"taxonomy":"post_tag","href":"https:\/\/www.thetransmitter.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags\/1209"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.thetransmitter.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/253032"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.thetransmitter.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=253026"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.thetransmitter.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=253026"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.thetransmitter.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=253026"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}},{"id":255271,"date":"2026-08-27T14:50:22","date_gmt":"2026-08-27T18:50:22","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.thetransmitter.org\/?p=255271"},"modified":"2026-09-01T16:20:02","modified_gmt":"2026-09-01T20:20:02","slug":"autism-linked-variants-rewire-protein-networks","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.thetransmitter.org\/spectrum\/autism-linked-variants-rewire-protein-networks\/","title":{"rendered":"Autism-linked variants rewire protein networks"},"content":{"rendered":"","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>The myriad proteins tied to autism cluster in previously unrecognized ways that can be disrupted by specific variants in the proteins.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":73,"featured_media":255273,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"_relevanssi_hide_post":"","_relevanssi_hide_content":"","_relevanssi_pin_for_all":"","_relevanssi_pin_keywords":"","_relevanssi_unpin_keywords":"","_relevanssi_related_keywords":"","_relevanssi_related_include_ids":"","_relevanssi_related_exclude_ids":"","_relevanssi_related_no_append":"","_relevanssi_related_not_related":"","_relevanssi_related_posts":"","_relevanssi_noindex_reason":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[152],"tags":[17,298,386,157,39,197],"class_list":["post-255271","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-news","tag-autism","tag-gene","tag-interactome","tag-neurodevelopment","tag-organoids","tag-spectrum"],"acf":{"primary_tag":197,"doi_url":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.53053\/RYBV3556","citation_count":"0","custom_js_library":"","hero_type":"feat_image","hero_alt_image":null,"hero_youtube":"","hero_video":null,"hero_layout":"landscape","hero_caption":"<strong>Novel networks:<\/strong> Autism-associated proteins make up a network of more than 1,800 protein-protein interactions, 87 percent of which had not been previously reported.","hero_by":"","hero_credit":"","hero_bg_color":"tan","authors":[107226],"other_authors":"","related_title":"Explore more from <em>The Transmitter<\/em>","related_hide":false,"related_filter":"latest","related_tag":null,"related_category":null,"related_custom":{"articles":null},"related_custom_wwn":{"articles":null},"newsletter":"","banner_content":"","banner_url":"","apple_article_id":"0f8bd42f-12ff-47bd-972a-ea642d15d09a","apple_article_revision":"AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA==","google_button_text":"","google_btn_bg_color":"","tooltip_text":"","sidebar_related_hide":false,"sidebar_related_title":"related articles","sidebar_related_hide_images":false,"sidebar_related_articles":"","comps":[{"acf_fc_layout":"copy_comp","copy":"<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The proteins encoded by 100 genes involved in autism form an interconnected network consisting of multiple protein complexes that serve different cellular functions, according to a <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.1126\/science.ady4523\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">study<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> published today in <\/span><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Science<\/span><\/i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">. Autism-associated variants may cause this network to rewire, the study also found.\u00a0<\/span>\r\n\r\n<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Even though autism is a genetically heterogeneous condition, \u201cwhen you look at the proteins encoded by the genes, and also the specific mutations and the interfaces of protein interactions, the biology starts to converge,\u201d says <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.broadinstitute.org\/bios\/kasper-lage\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Kasper Lage<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">, managing director of the Novo Nordisk Foundation Center at the Broad Institute, who was not involved in the work. Many of the proteins the study considered converge on complexes already associated with autism and that are involved in processes such as neural progenitor proliferation and differentiation and neuronal migration, the researchers found.<\/span>\r\n\r\n<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The idea behind the work was to go beyond the genetic studies, which have linked about 250 genes to autism, says study investigator <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/profiles.ucsf.edu\/belinda.wang\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Belinda Wang<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">, assistant professor of psychiatry at the University of California, San Francisco. \u201cGenes can tell us where autism risk begins, but proteins do a lot of the work inside the cells, and so by studying autism at the protein level, maybe this can give us a more direct view of the underlying biology.\u201d<\/span>\r\n\r\n<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Previous <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.spectrumnews.org\/news\/fishing-for-protein-partners-nets-clues-to-autism\/\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">network analyses<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> did not reach this magnitude, Lage says. \u201cWhen you get to the scale that they\u2019re doing in this paper, you can start to do really interesting secondary analysis and pathway and discovery.\u201d<\/span>\r\n\r\n<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">One of the convergence hubs, anchored by an interactor protein called DCAF7, connects multiple autism proteins, including <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/gene.sfari.org\/database\/human-gene\/DYRK1A\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">DYRK1A<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">, <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/gene.sfari.org\/database\/human-gene\/AUTS2\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">AUTS2<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> and <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/gene.sfari.org\/database\/human-gene\/SKI\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">SKI<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">. Perturbing this complex by deleting the gene that encodes DCAF7 disrupts neural progenitor proliferation and neurogenesis in <\/span><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Xenopus <\/span><\/i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">frog embryos and in human neural progenitors in culture, the study showed.<\/span>\r\n\r\n<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">This example \u201cillustrates what you can get out of looking at these diseases at the network level,\u201d Lage says. \u201cGenetics alone wouldn't tell you that.\u201d<\/span>\r\n\r\n[tt_text class='']T[\/tt_text]<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">o scale up the study of protein-protein interactions, the researchers expressed each of the 100 autism-linked proteins, one by one, in human kidney cells grown in culture and used affinity purification-mass spectrometry to identify all the other proteins each one physically interacts with. Compiling the data in a single interaction map shows more than 1,800 interactions across all 100 proteins; about 87 percent of those interactions have not been previously reported.\u00a0<\/span>\r\n\r\n<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u201cThis is really a detailed molecular diagram of the networks that are underlying autism that are showing connections at the protein level,\u201d Wang says. \u201cIt turns out this really diverse set of risk genes actually becomes quite organized at the protein level.\u201d<\/span>\r\n\r\n<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Knocking out components of one previously unreported complex\u2014made up of DCAF7, DYRK1A and <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/gene.sfari.org\/database\/human-gene\/KIAA0232\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">KIAA0232<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u2014led to reduced brain size in <\/span><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Xenopus <\/span><\/i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">frog embryos and increased cell death in human neural progenitor cells, pointing to potential mechanisms in autism biology.\u00a0<\/span>\r\n\r\n[tt_sidebar_quote author='<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Rasika Vartak<\/span>']<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">This is not just a very simple loss-of-function mechanism. This is a more complicated loss and gain of function, and that\u2019s something that opens more doors to what could actually be biologically happening.<\/span>[\/tt_sidebar_quote]\r\n\r\n<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Researchers made the same interaction maps for each of 54 autism-linked variants. Comparing them with the control map revealed that similar sets of biological pathways and complexes are affected by each variant.<\/span>\r\n\r\n<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">For example, three different <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/gene.sfari.org\/database\/human-gene\/foxp1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">FOXP1<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> variants weaken its interaction with the transcription factor FOXP4 in the same way. Even though these variants are in different domains of the protein, all three had similar effects, the study showed.\u00a0<\/span>\r\n\r\n<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Variants in FOXP1 did not cause FOXP4 to lose its normal function; rather, they led it to bind to genomic locations where it normally would not, effectively changing which genes it could regulate, the study found. And organoids carrying FOXP1 variants showed aberrant differentiation of excitatory cortical neurons, particularly in the deep layers, the study also showed. Knocking out FOXP4 reversed these issues, which suggests that increased FOXP4 function accounts for the cortical neurogenesis defects seen in organoids with FOXP1 variants.\u00a0<\/span>\r\n\r\n<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">This finding fills in a mechanistic gap in the field\u2019s understanding of how variants can impact function, says study investigator <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/profiles.ucsf.edu\/rasikashrirang.vartak\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Rasika Vartak<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">, associate researcher at the University of California, San Francisco. The team previously <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.thetransmitter.org\/spectrum\/autism-linked-proteins-mingle-with-other-molecules-in-overlapping-networks\/\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">posted the findings in a preprint<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">.\u00a0<\/span>\r\n\r\n<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Earlier protein studies have relied on knocking down or knocking out a gene of interest, and many assumed that all of these are loss-of-function variants, Vartak says. In this case, FOXP1 variants led to a loss of affinity for FOXP4 but a gain of function in its capacity as a transcription factor, the study showed.\u00a0<\/span>\r\n\r\n<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u201cWhat we show is a much more complicated mechanistic scene,\u201d Vartak says. \u201cThis is not just a very simple loss-of-function mechanism. This is a more complicated loss and gain of function, and that\u2019s something that opens more doors to what could actually be biologically happening.\u201d<\/span>\r\n\r\n<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">One of the limitations of the study is that human kidney cells do not reflect a neuronal population, which may have distinct protein-protein interaction networks, especially at synapses, Lage says. \u201cCells are just cells, and tissues have completely different functions and architectures, and that is definitely represented in their protein networks,\u201d he says.\u00a0<\/span>\r\n\r\n<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The researchers are now moving into in-vitro neuronal systems, in which they tag endogenous proteins to study their interactions, Vartak says.\u00a0<\/span>\r\n\r\n<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">But looking at protein networks in vivo is the ultimate goal, Lage says. \u201cDoing that in a complex brain tissue where you're really getting the interconnections between the neurons and the synapses and all these things\u2014that would be [where] the field is going to be heading.\u201d<\/span>"}]},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.thetransmitter.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/255271","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.thetransmitter.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.thetransmitter.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.thetransmitter.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/73"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.thetransmitter.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=255271"}],"version-history":[{"count":6,"href":"https:\/\/www.thetransmitter.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/255271\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":255680,"href":"https:\/\/www.thetransmitter.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/255271\/revisions\/255680"}],"acf:post":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.thetransmitter.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/contributor\/107226"}],"acf:term":[{"embeddable":true,"taxonomy":"post_tag","href":"https:\/\/www.thetransmitter.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags\/197"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.thetransmitter.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/255273"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.thetransmitter.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=255271"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.thetransmitter.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=255271"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.thetransmitter.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=255271"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}},{"id":255120,"date":"2026-08-26T14:33:56","date_gmt":"2026-08-26T18:33:56","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.thetransmitter.org\/?p=255120"},"modified":"2026-09-01T09:54:11","modified_gmt":"2026-09-01T13:54:11","slug":"future-remains-uncertain-for-u-s-federal-funding-of-behavioral-cognitive-science","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.thetransmitter.org\/funding\/future-remains-uncertain-for-u-s-federal-funding-of-behavioral-cognitive-science\/","title":{"rendered":"Future remains uncertain for U.S. federal funding of behavioral, cognitive science"},"content":{"rendered":"","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>The National Science Foundation did not include any solicitations for its social, behavioral and economic sciences directorate in its latest round of funding opportunities, nor replace any outgoing program officers\u2014which poses an existential threat for the program, says nonprofit executive Wendy Naus.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":73,"featured_media":255122,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"_relevanssi_hide_post":"","_relevanssi_hide_content":"","_relevanssi_pin_for_all":"","_relevanssi_pin_keywords":"","_relevanssi_unpin_keywords":"","_relevanssi_related_keywords":"","_relevanssi_related_include_ids":"","_relevanssi_related_exclude_ids":"","_relevanssi_related_no_append":"","_relevanssi_related_not_related":"","_relevanssi_related_posts":"","_relevanssi_noindex_reason":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[152],"tags":[189,166,38,107,40,207],"class_list":["post-255120","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-news","tag-behavioral-neuroscience","tag-cognitive-neuroscience","tag-community","tag-funding","tag-policy","tag-science-and-society"],"acf":{"primary_tag":107,"doi_url":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.53053\/VJTI5114","citation_count":"0","custom_js_library":"","hero_type":"feat_image","hero_alt_image":null,"hero_youtube":"","hero_video":null,"hero_layout":"landscape","hero_caption":"<strong>Fragile future:<\/strong> The National Science Foundation budget contains no money for its Directorate for Social, Behavioral and Economic Sciences\u2014typically a major source of funding for those fields, as well as cognitive neuroscience.","hero_by":"Illustration by Sam Schuman \/ Source: Steven Puetzer \/ Getty Images","hero_credit":"","hero_bg_color":"tan","authors":[107167],"other_authors":"","related_title":"Explore more from <em>The Transmitter<\/em>","related_hide":false,"related_filter":"latest","related_tag":null,"related_category":null,"related_custom":{"articles":null},"related_custom_wwn":{"articles":null},"newsletter":"","banner_content":"","banner_url":"","apple_article_id":"d20b497e-685c-455c-99ac-8cbb5600648b","apple_article_revision":"AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAABA==","google_button_text":"","google_btn_bg_color":"","tooltip_text":"","sidebar_related_hide":false,"sidebar_related_title":"related articles","sidebar_related_hide_images":false,"sidebar_related_articles":"","comps":[{"acf_fc_layout":"copy_comp","copy":"<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Last week, when the National Science Foundation (NSF) announced $1.5 billion in new funding opportunities, one program was markedly absent: the Directorate for Social, Behavioral and Economic Sciences (SBE).<\/span>\r\n\r\n<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">And it\u2019s unclear if any future funding calls will include the SBE, which ordinarily funds more than 60 percent of social and psychological research, including cognitive neuroscience research, in the United States. In April, President Trump\u2019s budget request slashed funding for the NSF by more than half and allocated no money for the SBE. Soon after, the NSF\u2019s own proposed budget said it would close the SBE directorate and move any of its grants that \u201calign with Administration priorities\u201d and its support staff to other parts of the agency. <\/span>\r\n\r\n<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u201cNSF is engaging in prudent planning to prepare to implement the President's agenda for FY 2027, which begins October 1, 2026. The SBE Directorate has not been shut down. The U.S. National Science Foundation regularly evaluates its portfolio of funding opportunities to ensure alignment with agency priorities, and some panels and solicitations have been adjusted as part of that ongoing process,\u201d an NSF spokesperson told <i>The Transmitter.<\/i><\/span>\r\n\r\n<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Even though the SBE has not been officially shut down, its future is murky: Hiring has been frozen, and program directors whose 2-to-4-year stints are ending are not being replaced, says a former program director in the SBE who requested anonymity to speak candidly. So, even if money does become available, there won\u2019t be enough staff to put together a solicitation quickly or to manage the applications.<\/span>\r\n\r\n<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u201cWe want that directorate to exist so that when the tides turn some point in the future, the infrastructure is still there to support SBE, and then hopefully the funding will follow,\u201d says <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/cossa.org\/about\/our-team\/\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Wendy Naus<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">, executive director of the Consortium of Social Science Associations, a nonprofit organization that advocates for the social and behavioral sciences. \u201cBut as soon as SBE as its own thing no longer exists, it\u2019s going to be nearly impossible to bring it back.\u201d\u00a0<\/span>\r\n\r\n[tt_text class='']F[\/tt_text]<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">or decades, the U.S. Congress has specified only the overall budget of the NSF in its appropriation bills. It provides more details in additional reports about how it expects the money to be spent but has largely refrained from directing the NSF on how to divvy up its budget, leaving that decision to the scientific experts the agency employs, says <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/fabbs.org\/about\/staff\/\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Juliane Baron<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">, executive director of the Federation of Associations in Behavioral and Brain Sciences, a nonprofit coalition of brain science societies. But that approach has now made it possible for the NSF to eliminate one of its directorates based on the president\u2019s budget request, and without community or congressional input.\u00a0<\/span>\r\n\r\n<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u201cCongress has said for years, \u2018Don\u2019t mess with SBE.\u2019\u201d Naus says. So even though \u201cwe think NSF has some authority to do this, they are not complying with congressional intent.\u201d<\/span>\r\n\r\n<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The SBE has been part of the NSF since 1991 and contains programs in fields as diverse as anthropology, economics, linguistics and developmental science.<\/span>\r\n\r\n[tt_sidebar_quote author='<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Rhea Eskew<\/span>']<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">It\u2019s a huge amount of work to submit a grant proposal, and nobody wants to be doing that if they think there is essentially zero chance of it being funded.<\/span>[\/tt_sidebar_quote]\r\n\r\n<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The SBE is an important funder for basic cognitive neuroscience studies, says <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/psychology.illinois.edu\/directory\/profile\/sepideh\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Sepideh Sadaghiani<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">, professor of psychology at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign. The U.S. National Institutes of Health and private funders are often more interested in cognitive neuroscience questions that already have clear clinical relevance, she says. \u201cJust generically, how does the brain work in its basic form? That\u2019s hard to get funding for, in my experience.\u201d\u00a0<\/span>\r\n\r\n<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Last year, the SBE began hosting the Collaborative Research in Computational Neuroscience program, a joint effort between the NSF, the National Institutes of Health, the U.S. Department of Energy and the governments of Spain, France, Germany, Japan and Israel. The empty budget for the SBE also means there is no money earmarked for the computational neuroscience program from that directorate, but other parts of NSF and the program\u2019s other partners could contribute money for a funding opportunity.<\/span>\r\n\r\n<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u201cI\u2019m more optimistic\u201d about the future of that program, the former SBE program director says, \u201cpartially because it\u2019s more aligned with administration goals around the future of AI.\u201d\u00a0<\/span>\r\n\r\n<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Another reason for neuroscientists to be optimistic, the former program director says, is that the line in the NSF\u2019s budget request about moving grants that align with the administration\u2019s priorities explicitly mentions behavioral and cognitive science. However, breaking up the SBE directorate makes it less likely that an application will land in front of a reviewer with relevant expertise, they add.\u00a0<\/span>\r\n\r\n<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The uncertainty at the SBE has caused one visual psychophysicist to \u201cmostly shut down\u201d his lab. <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/cos.northeastern.edu\/people\/rhea-eskew\/\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Rhea Eskew<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">, professor of psychology at Northeastern University, who studies color detection, had a three-year grant from the SBE that ended on 1 July. There have been no relevant NSF funding calls for him to apply to, and few private sources of funding for his work. As a result, he says, he shut down his experimental work and laid off his laboratory technician and most of his undergraduate research assistants.\u00a0<\/span>\r\n\r\n<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u201cIt\u2019s a huge amount of work to submit a grant proposal, and nobody wants to be doing that if they think there is essentially zero chance of it being funded,\u201d Eskew says. \u201cSo I\u2019m hoping for better days ahead and waiting for a while to see what the future holds.\u201d<\/span>"}]},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.thetransmitter.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/255120","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.thetransmitter.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.thetransmitter.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.thetransmitter.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/73"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.thetransmitter.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=255120"}],"version-history":[{"count":8,"href":"https:\/\/www.thetransmitter.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/255120\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":255574,"href":"https:\/\/www.thetransmitter.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/255120\/revisions\/255574"}],"acf:post":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.thetransmitter.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/contributor\/107167"}],"acf:term":[{"embeddable":true,"taxonomy":"post_tag","href":"https:\/\/www.thetransmitter.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags\/107"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.thetransmitter.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/255122"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.thetransmitter.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=255120"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.thetransmitter.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=255120"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.thetransmitter.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=255120"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}},{"id":254788,"date":"2026-08-26T00:00:21","date_gmt":"2026-08-26T04:00:21","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.thetransmitter.org\/?p=254788"},"modified":"2026-08-26T12:36:47","modified_gmt":"2026-08-26T16:36:47","slug":"how-energy-determines-where-proteins-are-produced-in-neurons","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.thetransmitter.org\/theoretical-neuroscience-podcast\/how-energy-determines-where-proteins-are-produced-in-neurons\/","title":{"rendered":"How energy determines where proteins are produced in neurons"},"content":{"rendered":"","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Tatjana Tchumatchenko explains how mathematical modeling elucidates whether ion-channel proteins are produced locally in the soma or in the dendrites.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":254909,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"_relevanssi_hide_post":"","_relevanssi_hide_content":"","_relevanssi_pin_for_all":"","_relevanssi_pin_keywords":"","_relevanssi_unpin_keywords":"","_relevanssi_related_keywords":"","_relevanssi_related_include_ids":"","_relevanssi_related_exclude_ids":"","_relevanssi_related_no_append":"","_relevanssi_related_not_related":"","_relevanssi_related_posts":"","_relevanssi_noindex_reason":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[156],"tags":[48,127,192,573,1208],"class_list":["post-254788","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-podcasts","tag-dendrites","tag-ion-channels","tag-modeling","tag-theoretical-neuroscience","tag-theoretical-neuroscience-podcast"],"acf":{"primary_tag":1208,"doi_url":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.53053\/VCME9112","citation_count":"0","custom_js_library":"","hero_type":"youtube","hero_alt_image":null,"hero_youtube":"2x9bU-Y7Wgo","hero_video":null,"hero_layout":"landscape","hero_caption":"","hero_by":"","hero_credit":"","hero_bg_color":"tan","authors":[221738],"other_authors":"","related_title":"Explore more from <em>The Transmitter<\/em>","related_hide":false,"related_filter":"latest","related_tag":null,"related_category":null,"related_custom":{"articles":null},"related_custom_wwn":{"articles":null},"newsletter":"","banner_content":"","banner_url":"","apple_article_id":"12840467-1ad5-4790-97c1-6feb8282c2ca","apple_article_revision":"AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA==","google_button_text":"","google_btn_bg_color":"","tooltip_text":"","sidebar_related_hide":false,"sidebar_related_title":"related articles","sidebar_related_hide_images":false,"sidebar_related_articles":"","comps":[{"acf_fc_layout":"audio_comp","audio_title":"","audio":254815,"apple_link":"","spotify_link":"","google_link":""},{"acf_fc_layout":"copy_comp","copy":"<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">In this episode of \u201cTheoretical Neuroscience,\u201d Gaute Einevoll talks with <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.tchumatchenko.de\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Tatjana Tchumatchenko<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">, professor at the University of Bonn. Her group has made a mechanistic mathematical model to explore how neurons can save energy by optimizing where inside the neuron the proteins are made\u2014locally or distally. The model predictions turn out to agree with experimental findings.<\/span>\r\n\r\nRead the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.thetransmitter.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/Theoretical-Neuroscience-44-Tatjana-Tchumatchenko.pdf\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">transcript<\/a>."}]},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.thetransmitter.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/254788","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.thetransmitter.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.thetransmitter.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.thetransmitter.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.thetransmitter.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=254788"}],"version-history":[{"count":8,"href":"https:\/\/www.thetransmitter.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/254788\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":255100,"href":"https:\/\/www.thetransmitter.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/254788\/revisions\/255100"}],"acf:post":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.thetransmitter.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/contributor\/221738"}],"acf:term":[{"embeddable":true,"taxonomy":"post_tag","href":"https:\/\/www.thetransmitter.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags\/1208"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.thetransmitter.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/254909"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.thetransmitter.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=254788"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.thetransmitter.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=254788"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.thetransmitter.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=254788"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}]