Keywords
Biography
Postdoctoral Fellow Osvaldo Contreras is a cell biologist and a biomedical researcher studying tissue regeneration and homeostasis loss in mammals with a focus on the stromal and stem cell compartments. After completing his MSc degree, he received his PhD in cell and molecular biology in 2019. His PhD focused on tissue-resident fibro-adipogenic progenitor cell fate, plasticity, and heterogeneity in muscle regeneration and heart repair in Prof....view more
Postdoctoral Fellow Osvaldo Contreras is a cell biologist and a biomedical researcher studying tissue regeneration and homeostasis loss in mammals with a focus on the stromal and stem cell compartments. After completing his MSc degree, he received his PhD in cell and molecular biology in 2019. His PhD focused on tissue-resident fibro-adipogenic progenitor cell fate, plasticity, and heterogeneity in muscle regeneration and heart repair in Prof. Enrique Brandan's Lab at Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile with the co-supervision of Prof. Fabio Rossi at the University of British Columbia, Vancouver, Canada. Since his PhD, Osvaldo has focused on comprehending myopathies and myogenic and fibroblast fate determination and differentiation in the context of fibro-fatty deposition, centering on three major signalling pathways: PDGF, TGF-B, and Wnt signalling, and their cross-talk. As a Postdoctoral Scientist, Dr Contreras works on stem cell-based strategies for improving our understanding of heart development and repair under the supervision of Prof. Richard Harvey at the Victor Chang Cardiac Research Institute and holds a Conjoint Lecturer position at UNSW Sydney, Faculty of Medicine and Health.
My Qualifications
|
PhD Biological Sciences mention Cell and Molecular Biology |
Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile |
Departamento de Biología Celular y Molecular and Center for Aging and Regeneration Centre for Rregenerative Medicine, UBC, Canada |
03/2014 |
05/2019 |
Maximum Distinction, 100% |
|
Master of Biological Sciences, mention Cell and Molecular Biology, |
Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile |
Departamento de Biología Celular y Molecular and Center for Aging and Regeneration |
03/2014 |
07/2015 |
Maximum Distinction, 96% |
|
Bachelor of Biological Sciences |
Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile (#1 LatAm University Rankings - QS) |
Departamento de Biología Celular y Molecular and Center for Aging and Regeneration |
03/2008 |
08/2012 |
Ranked 1st, Double Distinction , %87
|
My Awards
Australian Miltenyi Biotech Research Award September 2022
Nominated for Falling Walls Science Breakthroughs of the Year 2022 June 2022
Postdoc Award Highly Commended, Paul Korner Seminar Series Dec 2021
Victor Chang Cardiac Research Institute, Sydney, Australia
The FEBS Journal Poster of the Day Award, 45th FEBS Virtual Congress, Ljubljana July 2021
PDGF-PDGFR network modulates myogenic progenitor fate, migration, and proliferation
IUBMB MilliporeSigma Virtual Meeting Fellowship, to attend the 45th FEBS Congress USD 300 Mar. 2021
International Union of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology (IUBMB)
Elected Junior Reviewer of Journal of Molecular and Cellular Cardiology (JMCC) Jan. 2021-Present
Conjoint Lecturer, Faculty of Medicine and Health, University of New South Wales, Sydney, Australia Jan. 2021-Present
People’s Choice Award-Art of the Heart, IMAGINE: 3D reconstruction of hiPSC derived cardiomyocytes Dec. 2020
Victor Chang Cardiac Research Institute, Sydney, Australia
Pan Pacific Connective Tissue Societies Symposium Conference Attendance Award Oct. 2020
Matrix Biology & Matrix Biology Plus Journals
Doctoral Prize “Excellence of Doctoral Thesis 2019”, for the best Ph.D. thesis Jan. 2020
Vicerrectoría de Investigación, Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile
Fellowship for International Doctoral Thesis Jan. 2018
Vicerrectoría de Investigación, Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile
Operational expenses to support the completion of the Doctoral Thesis, CONICYT 2017
Hermann Niemeyer Medal, for the best PhD. Student in Biochemistry and Molecular Biology Sep. 2016
Chilean Society for Biochemistry and Molecular Biology
Support for presentation in International Congresses, to attend the Myogenesis GRC Italy 2015
Vicerrectoría de Investigación, Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile
Best Image in Cell Biology, First Prize Oct. 2014
Chilean Society for Cell Biology (SBCCh)
National Doctoral Fellowship, Beca de Doctorado Nacional Folio 21140378 2014-2018
Comisión Nacional de Ciencia y Tecnología (CONICYT), Chile
Excellence Award for Doctoral Studies UC, Best Ph.D. Student 2014-2018
Vicerrectoría de Investigación, Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile
Award for Academic Excellence, awarded to the best student to enter the Doctorate 2014
Facultad de Ciencias Biológicas, Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile
Undergraduate Student Excellence Fellowship of Honor, Best Undergraduate Student 2010
Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile
My Research Activities
Osvaldo studies the cellular and molecular mechanisms underpinning mammalian heart development and congenital heart disease pathophysiology as well as heart repair and fibro-fatty deposition in heart failure and muscle regeneration and repair. His projects aim to extend our recent discoveries using human iPSCs to model hypoplastic left heart (a single-ventricle rare disease), one of the most severe congenital heart abnormalities.
Driving projects:
• Understand the cardiomyocyte cell cycle dynamics,
• Develop 3D IPSC-derived cardiomyocyte organoids,
• Characterise patient and parent organoids using multiple OMICS, robotics and sophisticated imaging and electrophysiology equipment, and
• Test candidate disease gene variants using CRISPR/Cas9 technology
• Characterize a mouse model of heart failure with preserved ejection fraction (HFpEF)
• Develop diverse 2D and 3D cell culture tools to understand fibro-fatty tissue deposition and tissue repair using stromal cells or fibroblasts
• Create an inclusive, equitable, and diverse working environment to supervise young researchers, including summer students, research assistants, honours, and PhD students
I also support a dynamic team of scientists studying heart development and adult heart repair.
Essential skills and techniques developed:
• High-dimensional flow cytometry of stromal and immune cells from different tissues and organs,
• Single-cell RNA sequencing analyses from skeletal muscle and heart tissues,
• High-throughput imaging analysis and high-resolution microscopy of cells and tissues
• Multi-parametric analysis to evaluate cell cycle and proliferation of multiple cell types
• Multitude of cell and molecular biology techniques, including but not limited to cloning, western blot, immunofluorescence, RT-qPCR, and CO-IPs, among others.
Location
Victor Chang Cardiac Research Institute, Lowy Packer Building, 405 Liverpool Street, Darlinghurst, NSW 2010
Contact
ORCID as entered in ROS
https://orcid.org/0000-0002-8722-9371