• Sensory Biology – Visual System: Retinal Physiology using multi-electrodes / Patch Clamp
• Neurodegenerative process in Alzheimer rodent models: Behavior / Synaptic Plasticity
• Computational Neuroscience and Neural Coding in the retina

• We are interested in the neurobiology of learning and memory, using behavior, biochemistry, and synaptic plasticity to address the etiology of neurodegeneration during aging. For the latter, we have transgenic and natural models to study aging during Alzheimer’s disease. We use multi-electrode electrophysiology to study the structure and function of populations of hundreds of neurons and learn how these are affected during aging and neurodegeneration. We seek results that will lead us to propose repair of the nervous system through gene therapies. We use biochemical methods to evaluate the functional characteristics of the visual system, which is part of the nervous tissue, and computational tools to understand the mechanisms of neuronal coding. Another area of my interest is complexity science, and I coordinate several multidisciplinary activities at the Institute of Complex Systems in Valparaiso, Chile (www.sistemascomplejos.cl)

1. Escobar MJ, Alexandre F, Viéville T, Palacios AG. (2023). Bio–Inspired Robotics. In Rapid Roboting Recent Advances on 3D Printers and Robotics Editors: F Auat, P Prieto, G Fantoni. Pag 161-194.
2. Gonzalo Valdivia, Alvaro O. Ardiles, Claudia Salazar, Abimbola Idowu, Hey-Kyoung Lee, Michela Gallagher, Adrian G Palacios and Alfredo Kirkwood. ” mGluR-dependent synaptic plasticity in rodent models of Alzheimer’s disease and aging”. Front. Synaptic Neuroscience. Vol 15:1123294. https://doi.org/10.3389/fnsyn.2023.1123294
3. Duran-Aniotz et al. 2023. The unfolded protein response transcription factor XBP1s ameliorates Alzheimer’s disease by improving synaptic function and proteostasis. Molecular Therapy. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ymthe.2023.03.028
4. Cabral-Miranda F et al. 2022 Unfolded protein response IRE1/XBP1 signaling is required for healthy mammalian brain aging The EMBO Journal 41:e111952 https://doi.org/10.15252/embj.2022111952
5. J Araya-Arriagada, S Garay, C Rojas, C Duran-Aniotz, A G. Palacios, M Chacon & L E. Medina. Scientific Report Multiscale entropy analysis of retinal signals reveals reduced complexity in a mouse model of Alzheimer’s disease. Sci Rep 12, 8900 https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-022-12208-2
6. Paloma A Harcha, Tamara López-López, Adrian G Palacios, Pablo José Saez. 2021. Pannexin channel regulation of cell migration: focus on immune cells. Frontiers in Immunology. Review. Immunol., 16 December 2021 https://doi.org/10.3389/fimmu.2021.750480
7. Stefan Mihalas, Alvaro Ardiles, Kaiwen He, Adrian Palacios and Alfredo Kirkwood. 2021 A Multi-subcellular Compartment Model of AMPA Receptor Trafficking for Neuromodulation of Hebbian Synaptic Plasticity. Synaptic Neurosci. https://doi.org/10.3389/fnsyn.2021.703621
8. Joaquin Araya, Felipe Bello, Gaganashree Shivashankar, David Neira, Claudia Duran-Aniotz, Monica L Acosta, Maria Jose Escobar, Claudio Hetz, Max Chacon, Adrian G Palacios. Functional Changes on the Retinal Ganglion Cells in a Mouse Model of Alzheimer Disease Are Linked with Neurotransmitters Alterations. J Alzheimers Dis 2021 Mar 13. doi:10.3233/JAD-201195.
9. Daymara Mercerón-Martínez, Cristobal Ibaceta-González, Claudia Salazar, William Almaguer-Melian, Jorge A Bergado-Rosado, Adrian G Palacios. Alzheimer’s disease, Neural Plasticity and Functional Recovery. J Alzheimers Dis. 2021 Jan 13. doi: 10.3233/JAD-201178
10. Ana Silva, Cecilia Tomassini, Julieta Zurbrigg, Adrián G Palacios, Verónica Amarante, Cecilia Bouzat. Gender inequality in Latin American Neuroscience community. IBRO Neurosci Rep. 2021 Jan 31; 10:104-108. doi: 10.1016/j.ibneur.2021.01.006.
11. Lily YL Chang, Nicolas Palanca-Castan, David Neira, Adrian G Palacios, Monica L Acosta. Ocular Health of Octodon degus as a clinical marker for age-related and age-independent neurodegeneration. Frontiers in Integrative Neuroscience. 15(6). https://doi.org/10.3389/fnint.2021.665467
12. Herzog R, Morales A, Mora S, Araya J, Escobar M-J, Palacios AG, et al. (2021) Scalable and accurate method for neuronal ensemble detection in spiking neural networks. PLoS ONE 16(7): e0251647. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0251647
13. KS Jagannatha Rao, Gabrielle Britton, Luisa Lilia Rocha Arrieta, Norberto Garcia-Cairasco, Alberto Lazarowski, Adrián Palacios, Antoni Camins Espuny, Ricardo B Maccioni. Translational Research and Drug Discovery for Neurodegeneration: Challenges for Latin America. Journal of Alzheimer’s disease: JAD. 2021 Jun 3. doi: 10.3233/JAD-210245.
14. N Palanca-Castan, PA Harcha, D Neira, AG Palacios (2020). Chromatic pupillometry for the characterization of the pupillary light reflex in Octodon degus. Experimental Eye Research, 107866.
15. Lily Yu-Li Chang, Alvaro O Ardiles, Cheril Tapia-Rojas, Araya J, Nibaldo C Inestrosa, Adrian G Palacios, Monica Liliana Acosta. (2020) Evidence of synaptic and neurochemical remodeling in the retina of ageing degus. Frontiers in Neuroscience 14, 161.

Book Chapters

• Palacios AG, Cosmelli D, Cohen-Varela A. (2011). Un recorrido junto a Francisco Varela. Pag. 11-22. Edit. Adrian Palacios y Amy Cohen-Varela. La ciencia del ser: Las rutas de Francisco Varela. Editorial Universidad de Valparaiso. 320 p.
• Cessac B, Palacios A. Spike train statistics from empirical facts to theory: the case of the retina, in “Modeling in Computational Biology and Biomedicine: A Multidisciplinary Endeavor”, F. CAZALS, P. KORNPROBST (editors), Lectures Notes in Mathematical and Computational Biology (LNMCB), Springer-Verlag, 2013.
• Juan Pablo Cárdenas, Gastón Olivares, Fabiola Cabrera, Rodrigo Alfaro, Daniel Goya, Horacio Samaniego, Jorge Gibert, Adrián G. Palacios. (2014). Redes complejas: un caso de estudio sobre la colaboración científica. En Las Rutas de la Complejidad. Eds. Bustos, Marquez y Palacios. Pag. 177-210.
• Las Rutas de la Complejidad. (2014). Editores: Edmundo Bustos Azócar, Pablo Marquet Iturriaga y Adrián Palacios Vargas. Ediciones Instituto de Sistemas Complejos de Valparaiso. ISBN 978-956-9478-00-0. 236 paginas

Outgoing Grants

• 2020-2024 Fondecyt Regular #1200880 Contribution of the Unfolded Protein Response in Retinal Neural Circuits during Aging and Neurodegeneration. PI Adrian Palacios.
• 2019- FONDEQUIP EQM190032 Fortalecimiento del área de la neurociencia interdisciplinaria: adquisición de un equipo de electrofisiología multi (4225) electrodo de ultima generación para el estudio de circuitos (redes) de neuronas.
• 2019-2021 Equipe Associée MAGMA, INRIA, France. EQA-041903. Bruno Cessar PI, A.Palacios, co-PI. https://team.inria.fr/biovision/associated-team-magma/
• 2017-2021. FONDECYT # 1171228 “Electrophysiological assessment of glucose neurotoxicity mediated by oxidative/nitrosative stress in bipolar cells of organotypic retinal explants”. Oliver Schmachtemberg PI. Adrian Palacios Co-Investigador.
• 2017-2022. Proteostazer-1: una terapia genica enfocada a disminuir la neurodegenracion y aumentar la function cognitive en la enfermedad de Alzheimer. Dr. Claudio Hetz. Subdirector. Palacios. FONDEF IDEA A.
• 2011-20121 Instituto Milenio: Centro Interdisciplinario de Neurociencia de Valparaiso

Outgoing Collaborations

Computational Neuroscience: INRIA (F. Alexandre, T. Vieville, B. Cessac), Maria Jose Escobar , UTFSM.

Alzheimer Disease (A. Kirkwood , Hopkins U, USA, M. Acosta, U Auckland, Claudio Hetz, UCH)

Outreach

El aporte del Romanticismo al conocimiento de la Neurociencia. Academia de Ciencia. 2012.

Adrián Palacios: La importancia de los modelos. 2012

Que sabemos de memoria y vision?. 2012.

Roedor chileno se convierte en modelo para estudiar el alzheimer y otras enfermedades. El Mercurio. 2012.