1. Cancer interaction with the microenvironment 2. Acute myeloid leukemia progression and resistance to treatment modulated by the bone marrow stroma 2. Gallbladder cancer progression and resistance to treatment modulated by the tumor stroma

Undergraduate and postgraduate students:
1. Francisco Barriga, Biochemistry, Facultad de Ciencias Biológicas, Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile. Thesis: "The Interaction with bone marrow stroma protects leukemia cells from therapy-induced apoptosis", 2009.
2. Maria del Pilar Swett, Biochemistry, Facultad de Ciencias Biológicas, Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile. Thesis: "The bone marrow stroma cells protects acute myeloid leukemia cells from Cytarabine induced apoptosis by modulation of human equilibrative nucleoside transporter", 2013-2014.
3. Antonella Rosati, MSc Biologia Molecular, Facultad de Ciencias Biológicas, Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile. Thesis: "La transición mesenquimal es uno de los mecanismos de resistencia a la quimioterapia de leucemia mieloide aguda conferidos por el estroma", 2015-2016.
4. Macarena Tobar Tobar, Biochemistry, Facultad de Química y Biología, Universidad de Santiago. Thesis: "Bone marrow stroma cells confer resistance to acute myeloid leukemia cellls through the activation of tyrosine kinase and mTOR interacellular signaling", 2019-2020.

Biochemistry and Biology students:
1. Francisco Leisewitz, Universidad Andres Bello, 2010
2. Victoria Gidi, Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile, 2011
3. Alejandra Guzmán, Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile, 2012
4. María Ignacia García Vargas, Facultad de Ciencias Biológicas, Universidad Católica de Chile, 2019-2020.

Public Health Activities:
1. President of the Chilesincancer Foundation (www.chilesincancer.cl) (2015 to present).
Our mission is to generate the best conditions of infrastructure, human capital and management for the care of patients with cancer in Chile, and our purpose is that all Chileans have timely and quality cancer care.
2. President of the Advisory Council in matters of cancer (2018-2021).
This council incorporated experts from scientific societies, universities and foundations dedicated to cancer, to collaborate with
the Ministry of Health in the drafting and implementation of the National Cancer Plan 2018-2028.
3. Cancer Advisor to the Ministry of Health (2020-2021).
The objective was to collaborate for the implementation of the Cancer Law that was enacted by October 2020, favoring the participation of
civil society. Tha Cancer Law was promoted by former senator Carolina Goic, who currently has an academic appointment at the Universidad Católica de Chile, and Dr. Nervi played an active and
participative role from the University to contribute to the approval of the Law.
4. President of the National Cancer Commission (2021 to present).
The comission has 11 representatives of civil society that include 5 of the 19 presidents of scientific societies, 3 representatives of the 29 medical schools, and 3 representatives of the 40 patient groups and foundations. The mission of this commission is to advise the Ministry of Health in the implementation of the national cancer plan. It
will also support the management of competitive contests for training, research, prevention or care projects for cancer patients, who will apply for the cancer law fund.

Poster Presentations:
1. "The bone marrow stroma as a novel prognostic factor for patients with acute myeloid leukaemia". Patricia Macanas-Pirard, Richard Broekhuizen, Sergio Vargas-Salas, Romina Coronado, Carolina Bizama, Sabrina Muñiz-Muñoz, Oslando Padilla, Viviana Montecinos, Juan Carlos Roa and Bruno Nervi. . The virtual congress on controversies in leukemias. #21. Euroleuk2020.

2. The bone marrow stroma capacity to confer resistance to leukemia cells from Ara-C treatment as a prognostic factor for overall survival in AML. Patricia Macanas-Pirard, Sergio Vargas-Salas, Richard Broekhuizen, Romina Coronado, Carolina Bizama, Sabrina Muñiz-Muñoz, Vivianne Torres, Viviana Montecinos, Daniel Ernst, Francisco Melo, Juan Carlos Roa, Bruno Nervi. J Clin Oncol 37, 2019 (abstr e18500). DOI: 10.1200/JCO.2019.37.15_suppl.e18500. ASCO anual meeting.

3. “Nuevas estrategias para el tratamiento del cáncer de vesícula biliar mediante la modulación de la interacción entre microambiente y cáncer” Nervi Bruno, Macanás Patricia, Broekhuizen Richard, Swett Pilar, Ramírez Pablo, Leisewitz Andrea. Viña del Mar, Chile, 2012.

2. “Bone marrow stoma secretes a soluble factor that protects leukemia cells from cytarabine induced apoptosis by blocking ent activity” Patricia Macanás, PhD, Andrea Leisewitz, PhD, Richard Broekhuizen, Victoria Chomali, Francisco Leisewitz, Pablo Ramirez, MD, Kelly Cautivo, Alexis Kalergis, PhD, John F DiPersio, MD PhD and Bruno Nervi. Honolulu, Hawai, USA, 2011.

3. “Impacto del tipo de donante en los resultados de trasplante alogenico de precursores hematopoyéticos en niños con neoplasias hematológicas” Rojas N, Wietstruck MA, Zúñiga P, Silva A, Nervi B, Barriga F. XVII Congreso Chileno de Hematología, Coquimbo, Chile, 2010.

4. “Resistance to AraC involves ERK signaling pathway and hENT1 activity down regulation in leukemic cells”. Richard A.J.F. Broekhuizen, Patricia Macanas, Andrea V. Leisewitz, Bruno Nervi. Congreso Anual de la Sociedad Chilena de Biología, Pucón, Chile, 2010.

5. “Células estromales de la medula ósea secretan un factor soluble que protege a células leucémicas de muerte inducida por quimioterapia” Leisewitz F.J., Macanas P., Besa P., Riquelme E., Kalergis A., Leisewitz A.V. y Nervi B. Congreso Anual de la Sociedad Chilena de Biología, Pucón, Chile, 2009.

6. “The interaction between leukemia and bone marrow stroma protects the tumor cells from chemotherapy- and radiotherapy-induced apoptosis”. Francisco Barriga, Erick Riquelme, Patricia Macanás, Pelayo Besa, Richard Broekhuizen, John F DiPersio, Alexis Kalergis and Bruno Nervi. Bone Marrow Transplantation Tandem Meeting, Tampa, USA, 2009.

Undergraduate teaching
1. Responsible for the Oncology chapter, Fisiopathology course, Faculty of Medicine, Medicine third year students.
2. Responsible for the Oncology chapter, Fisiopathology course, Faculty of Medicine, Odontology third year students.
3. Lectures in the Faculty of Biological Sciences and Medicine: "Leukemia", "The interaction between cancer cells and their stroma", "Stem cell transplantation", "