- Neuron glia interactions in brain energy metabolism - Brain energy metabolism in neurodegenerative diseases and aging - Intracellular trafficking in neurodegeneration - Kinetics and function fo nutrient transporters

- “The role of huntingtin and Rab27a in exosomes secretion”, Eduardo Papic, PhD thesis, (graduate school of Sciences, UACh), in progress. Thesis advisor.
- “Unveiling brain energy metabolism using real-time probes”, Carolina Paredes, undergraduate thesis (Biochemistry School, UACh), in progress. Thesis advisor.
-“Acetylation in the modulation of plasticity genes in Huntington’s disease”, Makarena Yanez, undergraduate thesis (Biochemistry School, UACh), in progress. Thesis advisor.
-“Montelukast and adult neurogenesis in Huntington’s disease”, Carlos Kruggman, undergraduate thesis (Biochemistry School, UACh), 2021. Thesis co-advisor.
-“Neuronal antioxidant defence contribution of astrocytes-derived exosomes containing ascorbic acid”, Leandro Torres, PhD thesis (graduate school of Sciences, UACh), 2020. Thesis advisor.
-“Herpes Simplex Virus type 1 neuronal infection triggers disassembly of key structural components of dendritic spines”, Francisca Acuna-Hinrichsen, PhD thesis (graduate school of Sciences, UACh), 2020. Thesis co-advisor.
- “Glycocalyx re-engineering to image metabolite efflux and intercellular communication”, Aníbal I. Acuña, Ms thesis (graduate school of Sciences, UACh), 2019. Thesis advisor.
- “Role of astroglial exosomes in memory and plasticiy”, Juan B. Villalobos, undergraduate thesis (Biochemistry School, UACh), 2018. Thesis advisor.
- “Effect of phospho-ascorbate in the localization and activity of SVCT2”, Gonzalo Mayorga, undergraduate thesis (Biochemistry School, UACh), 2017. Thesis advisor.
-”Phospho-ascorbate as a new pharmacological tratment for Huntington's disease”, Dayana Perez, undergraduate thesis (Pharmacy School, UACh), 2016. Thesis advisor.
- “Neuronal-derived exosomes and the metabolic failure in Huntington's disease”, Isidora Cuevas, undergraduate thesis (Biochemistry School, UACh), 2017. Thesis advisor.
- “Expression and localization of chloride and potassium transporter KCC2 in mice models of Huntington's disease”, Tania Mora, undergraduate thesis (Biotechnology School, Universidad Tecnológica Costa Rica), 2016.
-“Ascorbic acid modulation of SVCT2 intracellular trafficking”, Adriana Covarrubias, PhD thesis (graduate school of Sciences, UACh), 2016. Thesis advisor.
- “SVCT2 intracellular trafficking in cellular models of Huntington's disease”, Eduardo Papic, undergraduate thesis (Biochemistry School, UACh), 2014. Thesis advisor.
- “Expression of nutrient transporters in models of Huntington's disease”, Naizmi Valverde, undergraduate thesis (Biotechnology School, Universidad Tecnológica Costa Rica), 2014.
- “Expression and function of glucose transporters in Huntington's disease”, Pablo Moll, undergraduate thesis (Biochemistry school UACh), 2014. Thesis advisor. Thesis advisor.
- “Expression and function of monocarboxylate transporters in Huntington's disease”, Macarena Solís, undergraduate thesis (Biochemistry school UACh), 2014. Thesis advisor.
- “Pathways for ascorbate release from astrocytes”, Paulina Troncoso, undergraduate thesis (Biochemistry school UACh), 2014. Thesis advisor.
- “Role of Huntingtin in ascorbic acid transporter, SVCT2, trafficking”, Alejandra Parra, undergraduate thesis (Biochemistry school UACh), 2014. Thesis advisor.
- “A failure in ascorbic acid homeostasis is responsible for the metabolic impairment in Huntington's disease”, Felipe Beltrán, PhD thesis (graduate school of Sciences, UACh), 2015. Thesis advisor.
- “Ubiquitination and multivesicular bodies in CFT-b degradation” Hianara Bustamante, undergraduate thesis (Biochemistry School UACh), 2013. Thesis co-advisor.
- “Sodium-dependent vitamin C transporter 2 (SVCT2) availability at plasma membrane is impaired in Huntington’s disease models”, Carlos Kramm, undergraduate thesis (Biochemistry school UACh), 2013. Thesis advisor.
- “Fluctuations in brain extracellular ascorbic acid concentration could drive changes in the availability of SVCT2 at plasma membrane”, Magdalena A. Esparza, undergraduate thesis (Biochemistry school UACh), 2012. Thesis advisor.
- “Malin-laforin interaction with glycogen synthase in Sertoli cells”, Karen Vander Stelt, undergraduate thesis (Biochemistry school UACh), 2012. Thesis co-advisor.
- “Revisiting glucose transporter 1 and 3 through live cell fluorescent microscopy”, Aníbal I. Acuña, undergraduate thesis (Biochemistry school UACh), 2012. Thesis advisor.
- “Glucose and lactate transport relationships in brain cells”, María Paz Miró”, undergraduated thesis (Biochemistry school UACh), 2011. Thesis advisor.
- “Gluthathione and vitamin C transporters in Sertoli cells”, Héctor Mancilla, undergraduate thesis (Biochemistry school UACh), 2010. Thesis co-advisor.
- “GLUT3 is a key component in glucose transport modulation by ascorbic acid”, Felipe Beltrán, undergraduated thesis (Biochemistry school UACh), 2010. *Awarded thesis: The best undergraduated thesis in Cellular Biology 2011. Thesis advisor.
- “Vitamin C transporters in Sertoli cells and its neuroprotector effect against oxidative stress”, Alex Córdova. Undergraduated thesis (Biochemistry school UACh), 2008. Thesis advisor.
- “Functional expression and subcelular localization of SVCT2 in Sertoli cells”, Rodrigo Maldonado, undergraduate thesis (Biochemistry school UACh), 2007. Thesis co-advisor

Relevant meeting abstracts (last 5 years):

• Beltrán, F., Torres, L., Troncoso-Escudero, P., Isidora Vicencio, Eduardo Papic, Covarrubias-Pinto A., Da Silva L., Rojas, P., Castro, M.A. Astrocyte-derived exosomes and the metabolic failure in Huntington's disease. ReBrain Conference, Valdivia, Jan 2020 and SCN Annual Meeting, Nov 2020.
•Adriana Covarrubias-Pinto, Alejandra V Parra, Gonzalo Mayorga-Weber, Eduardo Papic, Isidora Vicencio, Pamela Ehrenfeld, Francisco J Rivera, Maite A Castro. 2020. Impaired intracellular trafficking of sodium-dependent vitamin C transporter 2 contributes to the redox imbalance in Huntington's disease. ReBrain Conference, Valdivia, Jan 2020 and SCN Annual Meeting, Nov 2020.
•Eduardo Papic, Adriana Covarrubias-Pinto, Abrham Rosas-Areellano, Felipe Court, Alejandro Rojas-Fernandez, Maite A. Castro. Huntingtin and Rab27a are involved in the secretion of exosomes from astroglial cells. XIV European Meeting on Glial Cells In Health and Disease. Porto, Portugal, July, 2019.
•Felipe A. Beltrán, Leandro Torres, Paulina Troncoso-Escudero, Eduardo Papic, Isidora Vicencio, Xiao-Jiang Li, Luis Lamberti, Maite A. Castro. Altered secretion of astrocyte-derived extracellular vesicles contribute to the early metabolic failure in Huntington's disease. Gordon Research Conference Neurobiology of Brain Disorders, Spain, August 2018.
• Felipe A. Beltrán, Leandro Torres, Paulina Troncoso-Escudero, Isidora Vicencio, Xiao-Jiang Li, Luis Lamberti, Maite A. Castro. ltered secretion of astrocyte-derived extracellular vesicles contribute to the early metabolic failure in Huntington's disease. XIV European Meeting in Glial Cells in Health and Disease. United Kingdom, July, 2017.
• Felipe A. Beltrán, Patricio Rojas, Maite A. Castro. A failure in ascorbic acid recycling and release from striatal astrocytes is responsible for the metabolic impairment in Huntington's disease. FENS meeting, Copenhaguen, Denmark, July 2016.
• Felipe A. Beltrán, Patricio Rojas, Maite A. Castro. Metabolic modulation by ascorbic acid in neurons under glutamatergic activity does not rely on the antioxidant properties of this molecule. Chilean Society for Cell Biology XXV Annual Meeting, La Serena, Chile, September, 2015.
• Covarrubias-Pinto, A., Moll, P., Solís, M., Acuña, A.I., Riveros, A., Miró, M.P., Papic, E., Cepeda, C., Concha, I.I., Brauchi, S., Castro, M.A. 2015. Beyond the redox imbalance: oxidative stress contributes to an impaired GLUT3 modulation in Huntington's disease. ISN ASN Biennial Meeting, Cairns, Australia, August 2015.
• Adriana Covarrubias-Pinto, Alejandra V. Parra, Eduardo Papic, Aníbal I. Acuña, Magdalena Esparza, Carlos Kramm, Ilona I. Concha, Sebastian Brauchi and Maite A. Castro. An impaired expression of ascorbic acid transporter (SVCT2) at cellular surface would contribute to oxidative stress in Huntington's disease. American Society for Cell Biology, Annual Meeting, Philadelphia, USA, December, 2014.
• Adriana Covarrubias-Pinto, Eduardo Papic, Patricia V. Burgos, Maite A. Castro. Constitutive Endocytosis and Endocytic Recycling of the Sodium-dependent Vitamin C transporter 2 (SVCT2) are regulated by ascorbic acid in a Clathrin and Rab11-dependent manner. Chilean Society for Cell Biology XXVIII Annual Meeting, Puerto Varas, Chile, October 2014 and American Society for Cell Biology, Annual Meeting, Philadelphia, USA, December, 2014.
• Eduardo Papic, Adriana Covarrubias-Pinto, Alejandra V. Parra, Aníbal I. Acuña, Ilona I. Concha and Maite A. Castro. Impairment of endocytic trafficking of Sodium dependent Vitamin C transporter 2 SVCT2 in cellular models of Huntington’s Disease. Chilean Society for Cell Biology XXVIII Annual Meeting, Puerto Varas, Chile, October 2014.
• Aníbal I. Acuña, Magdalena Esparza, Carlos Kramm, Felipe A. Beltrán, Alejandra Parra,Carlos Cepeda, Carlos Toro, Rene Vidal, Claudio Hetz, Ilona I. Concha, Sebastián Brauchi, Michael S. Levine and Maite A. Castro. A failure in energy metabolism and antioxidant uptake precede symptoms of Huntington’s disease in mice. 11Th International Conference on Brain Energy Metabolism, Cophenhague, Denmark, May, 2014.

Invited speaker:

November 2020 Invited Speaker at “Club de la Glia”. Argentina.
October 2019 Invited Speaker in Symposium “Glucose and vitamin C transporters in health and disease. A tribute to Juan Carlos Vera”, Chilean Society for Biochemistry and Molecular Biology Meeting, Iquique, Chile.
July 2017 Paracelsus University Invited Speaker, Paracelsus University, Salzburg, Austria.
October 2016 Invited Speaker (Plenary conference) in Rare diseases meeting 2016. Chicago, USA.
August 2016 Invited Speaker in Biochemistry students association annual meeting, Concepción, Chile.
October 2015 Invited Speaker in Minisymposium “Redox Signaling in Neurological Dysfunction”, SfN Meeting, Chicago, USA.
July 2015 Invited Speaker in Symposium “Glial metabolic control by oxygen and oxygen species”, Glial Meeting, Bilbao, Spain.
January 2015 Invited Speaker in CISNe symposium in Biophysics and Neuroscience. Valdivia, Chile.
August 2014 Invited Speaker in “Neuronal circuits symposium”, SCN Annual Meeting, Valdivia, Chile.
May 2014 Biomedicine Department Invited Speaker , Aarhus University, Aarhus, Dinamarca.
Abril 2013 Invited Speaker in “Open Seminars in Basic Science”, CECs, Valdivia, Chile.
Nov 2010 Invited Speaker in Symposium “Advanced Microscopy for Cell Biology”, Chilean Society for Biology Annual Meeting
Sept 2010 Center for Biomedical Research invited speaker “Turning on/off neuronal metabolism”, Universidad Andrés Bello, Santiago, Chile.
Sept 2010 Biochemistry School invited speaker “The ascorbic acid metabolic switch: turning on/off neuronal metabolism ” Universidad Austral de Chile.
Oct 2009 Invited speaker on “A Convergence of Young Minds: Symposium for Early Career Investigators in Neuroscience and Biophysics”. Faculty of Medicine, Universidad Austral de Chile , Valdivia, Chile.
Sept 2009 Faculty of Sciences invited speakers “Turning on/off brain energy metabolism” Universidad Austral de Chile.
July 2008 Invited speaker on “Metabolism and disease workshop” Universidad Austral de Chile.
Sept 2007 Biochemistry School invited speaker “New functions of vitamin C in brain” Universidad Austral de Chile.