Sierra-Valdez, Francisco Javier

I received my Bachelor's Degree in Physics from the Autonomous University of Nuevo Leon (2008), doing a thesis on the study of acoustic properties in magnetic material. With this work I received the 2010 Research Award for this institution. Subsequently, I obtained a Master and PhD in Sciences in Engineering and Biomedical Physics from the Research and Advanced Studies Center of the IPN (2011 and 2015) in the laboratory of Dr. J. Carlos Ruiz-Suárez. For my postgraduate studies, I investigated the role played by the physico-chemical properties of membrane lipids behind the mechanism of action of anesthetics in neurons. For my postdoctoral training, I joined the laboratory of Dr. Julio F Cordero-Morales and Dr. Valeria Vazquez of the Center of Health Sciences of the University of Tennessee in 2016, where I investigated the influence of membrane lipids in the function of certain protein receptors of vital importance for the cardiovascular and somatosensory system, using both biophysical and biochemical approaches. In addition, I entered in the field of structural biology where I solved the structure of two important membrane proteins of the TRP family. In August 2018, I joined the Engineering and Science Department of ITESM, as well as the GIEE of Cardiovascular and Metabolomics Medicine. Here, my research focuses on the physico-chemical study of the internal mitochondrial membrane receptor "Mitochondrial Calcium Uniporter" (MCU) and the influence that certain lipids and various drugs exert on its function. My great interest in performing basic science of this protein, is due to the prominent role it plays in different cardiovascular pathologies of great relevance in our country. And thanks to the experience previously acquired in various fields of science, this research has been able to integrate various techniques both theoretical and experimental in the areas of biophysics, molecular biology, biochemistry, simulation, programming, among others. In addition to the generation of new knowledge, I have a great interest to train students with a new integral vision of the sciences capable of solving with leadership different biomedical problems.