MITO-MAP
Mitochondria
Mapping Altitude Physiology
MITO-MAP
Mitochondria
Mapping Altitude Physiology
She conducts studies in both animals and humans at high altitude, including the Jungfraujoch research station (3,400 m) in Switzerland and the cities of La Paz (3,600 m) and El Alto (4,100 m) in Bolivia.
Her work explores how hypoxia influences brain energy metabolism and the interaction between blood vessels, astrocytes, and neurons. She also investigates, at the molecular, morphological, and functional levels, the role of hypoxia-inducible factors in brain maturation and their neuroprotective effects in models of perinatal brain injury.
Prof. Schneider’s research on hypoxia extends to brain and cancer metabolism, respiratory control, synaptogenesis, myelination, and cognitive function. In recognition of her contributions, she was awarded Bolivia’s First Prize in Science in 2021. She also examines sex-specific effects on brain metabolism and function in animal models of neurodevelopmental disorders and in adolescents living at very high altitudes in Bolivia and Kyrgyzstan.
She supervises PhD and MSc students across her affiliated institutions and leads high-altitude expeditions aimed at understanding the impact of chronic hypoxia on adolescent cognition.
Dr. Christian Arias Reyes is a Bolivian cell and molecular biologist specializing in mitochondrial physiology, hypoxia adaptation, and the molecular foundations of high-altitude biology. He is currently a postdoctoral fellow at Seattle Children’s Research Institute (USA), an Associate Researcher at Universidad San Francisco Xavier (Bolivia), and an Associate Lecturer at the Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México (Mexico).
His academic path includes studies in Biology at the Universidad Mayor de San Andrés (Bolivia), Medical Genetics at the Universitat de Valencia (Spain), and a Ph.D. in Cell and Molecular Biology from Université Laval (Canada), where he established his expertise in mitochondrial physiology and experimental models of hypoxia.
Dr. Arias Reyes’ research integrates basic and translational approaches to understand how mammals respond to low-oxygen environments at physiological, cellular, and molecular levels. Using comparative rodent models, he has identified acclimatization strategies to hypoxia, highlighting adaptive shifts in mitochondrial function and bioenergetic efficiency in critical organs such as the brain and liver.
His current work focuses on mitochondrial plasticity within neural circuits and its role in sustaining brain function under chronic hypoxic stress. To uncover the molecular pathways driving these adaptations, he leverages high-resolution respirometry, biochemical, molecular, and “multiomics” strategies, including transcriptomics, proteomics, and metabolomics, to dissect the regulatory networks that govern cellular responses to hypoxia. This comprehensive approach advances our understanding of oxygen-related vulnerability and informs the development of potential therapies for neurodevelopmental and neurodegenerative diseases, including Parkinson’s disease and Leigh syndrome.
In parallel, he collaborates with clinicians across Latin America to study the peculiarities of the physiopathology of different illnesses in high-altitude populations. His research has helped redefine clinical benchmarks for oxygen therapy and provided crucial insights into the unique vulnerabilities and strengths of highland communities.
Dr. Arias Reyes has been awarded the Pew Latin American Fellowship in the Biomedical Sciences in 2025. He is the recipient of Bolivia’s Plurinational Science and Technology Prize in 2021 and was named scholar of the Emerging Leaders of the Americas Program in 2017.
Cristian also provides scientific and technical guidance to institutions and research teams as needed.
As part of MITO-MAP’s international mission, Cristian coordinates the logistical and scientific aspects of visits by collaborators, students, and scientists traveling to La Paz to study high-altitude physiology. He organizes travel arrangements, accommodation, local transportation, and laboratory access.
He plans and supervises fieldwork activities at high altitude, including securing research permits, overseeing the transport of specialized equipment, and enforcing safety protocols for operations under hypoxic conditions.
Cristian acts as the main liaison between visiting teams and Bolivian institutions to streamline administrative tasks, ethical approvals, and collaborative agreements. He organizes technical workshops, scientific seminars, and public engagement events to strengthen academic exchange. Additionally, he supports the management and reporting of research data in close collaboration with project leaders and plays a key role in expanding MITO-MAP’s local and international networks to advance sustainable, high-impact research on life under chronic hypoxia.
Professor Edith M. Schneider (UZH/ETH) is a neuroscientist with extensive experience in neurodevelopment, neurophysiology, and cognition. She leads a research group at the University of Zurich (UZH) and the University Hospital Zurich (USZ). She is an associate professor at Laval University (Canada), the Private University of Santa Cruz de la Sierra (UPSA), and the Catholic University of La Paz (Bolivia). As a Swiss-Bolivian citizen raised in La Paz (3,600 m), her research interests focus on the effects of altitude on metabolism, development, and brain function.
Cristian Iriarte serves as the Scientific Coordinator of MITO-MAP. He oversees the planning, execution, and monitoring of scientific projects, ensuring they align with defined objectives, timelines, and protocols.He establishes and maintains strategic partnerships with academic, governmental, and private institutions—both nationally and internationally—to foster scientific collaboration and knowledge exchange. He manages research funds to ensure their efficient and transparent use and promotes the dissemination of findings through publications, conferences, and outreach activities.
With a strong international background, she completed a research fellowship at the Institut Universitaire de Cardiologie et de Pneumologie de Québec (Canada) as a scholarship recipient of the prestigious Emerging Leaders of the Americas Program (2018). There, her research focused on the evolution and role of hypoxia-inducible factors (HIF), investigating the neuroprotective role of erythropoietin and mitochondrial function in experimental models of hypoxia. Her contributions to publications in this area have helped advance the understanding of bioenergetic efficiency and metabolic strategies in response to hypoxic stress. Her research experience also includes an internship in the Molecular Biotechnology Unit at Linköping University (Sweden), and she has served as a research associate on agroecology and sustainability projects with the Research Institute of Organic Agriculture (FiBL). In these projects, she applied molecular tools to study resilience in biological systems, a concept she translates to her work in high-altitude physiology.
She currently leads and coordinates research teams across multiple projects, including studies on the genetic diversity of Andean crops and the ecology of small mammals along altitudinal gradients. As President of the Bolivian Society for Molecular Biology, Karen has established herself as a leader in promoting biological and molecular sciences in Bolivia, organizing national congresses and facilitating scientific collaboration networks. This experience in managing research teams and scientific consortia enriches her approach to hypoxia research, enabling her to integrate scales ranging from the molecular to the ecosystem level. Her fieldwork in Bolivia spans from functional ecology to agrobiodiversity, applying ecological approaches alongside genetic and bioinformatic tools, which provides her with a unique, integrative perspective for studying the complexity of life at high altitudes.
She complements her research profile with active work in scientific outreach and environmental education, reflecting her commitment to knowledge transfer and public science communication.
Karen Losantos-Ramos is a Bolivian molecular biologist. Her work seeks to decipher the molecular mechanisms underlying adaptation to extreme environments, with a particular interest in the biology of hypoxia and the physiological resilience of high-altitude Andean populations, aiming to understand the universal principles of adaptation.
Dr. María de los Ángeles Salcedo Ríos is a Bolivian physician specializing in integrative medicine, phytomedicine, homeopathy, and complementary therapeutic systems. Her work bridges traditional healing knowledge with modern clinical practice, positioning her as one of Bolivia’s most active leaders in the scientific and professional development of natural and complementary medicine. She currently serves as South American Coordinator of the International Forum for Promoting Homeopathy (India), Vice President of the Sociedad Latinoamericana de Fitomedicina, and Director of the postgraduate programs in Reiki and Homeopathy at Universidad Loyola de Bolivia.
She is also founder and Executive Director of Healing Vibrations and General Manager of Fitolab, where she develops, validates, and refines phytopharmaceutical products.
Dr. Salcedo holds a degree in Medicine and Surgery from Universidad Privada del Valle (Bolivia), a Master of Science in Public Health with a concentration in Epidemiology from the Universidad Mayor de San Andrés (Bolivia), and advanced postgraduate training across Latin America and Europe in phytotherapy, therapy neural, naturopathy, homeopathy, dermocosmetics, psych-aromatherapy, and integrative nutrition. Her formation includes clinical training in Argentina and Cuba, as well as specialized programs in Spain, Chile, Peru, and Belgium, granting her a uniquely multidisciplinary medical background.
Her research focuses on the clinical validation of plant-based therapeutics and integrative interventions for mental health, dermatological conditions, chronic pain, and stress-related disorders. She has led randomized, double-blind clinical trials assessing the effectiveness of Hypericum perforatum in minor depression, Camelia sinensis in acne, and Reiki in neuropathic pain, along with studies evaluating Bach flower therapies, psychophysiological stress markers, and the diagnostic potential of Kirlian electrophotography. Across these projects, she integrates epidemiology, clinical design, and traditional botanical knowledge to build evidence-based frameworks for complementary medicine.Dr. Salcedo is also deeply engaged in academic work.
She has taught research methodology, phytomedicine, Bach flower therapy, homeopathy, and Reiki across universities and professional institutes in Bolivia and abroad. She has supervised postgraduate theses in maternal and perinatal health and has contributed to developing training programs in traditional and complementary medicine. Her national and international presentations include invited lectures in India, Italy, Brazil, Argentina, Chile, Peru, and Mexico, covering topics ranging from medicinal plants to integrative dermatology and the intersection of traditional healing with modern clinical science.Her contributions have been recognized with distinctions from the Escuela Médica Homeopática Argentina, the Asociación Profesional Española de Naturopatía y Bioterapia, municipal honors from the City of Sucre, and acknowledgments from the Bolivian Ministry of Health for her dedication to strengthening traditional medicine within public health systems. She is the author of several publications, including scientific articles on phytocosmetics and integrative approaches to chronic conditions, and she serves on editorial committees reviewing international research in natural ingredients and phytocosmetics.Through her clinical work, scientific contributions, and educational leadership, Dr. Salcedo has played a pivotal role in promoting an evidence-based, culturally grounded approach to integrative medicine in Latin America, advancing the dialogue between ancestral wisdom and contemporary biomedical research.
Dr. José Antonio Viruez-Soto is a Bolivian physician and intensivist with a distinguished career in Critical and Intensive Care Medicine, with a strong academic foundation and extensive leadership experience at national and international levels.
He earned his Medical Degree from the Universidad Mayor de San Andrés in La Paz, Bolivia, and subsequently specialized in Critical and Intensive Care Medicine at Hospital Obrero Nº1 of the Caja Nacional de Salud. Dr. Viruez-Soto pursued further expertise with a High Specialization in Critical Care in Obstetrics at the Hospital General de México Dr. Eduardo Liceaga under the Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México (UNAM), and complemented his clinical training with a Master’s Degree in Bioethics from the Universidad Europea Miguel de Cervantes in Spain.
Dr. Viruez-Soto is currently the President of the Bolivian Society of Critical and Intensive Care Medicine (La Paz Branch). He has also served as Director of the Department of Critical Care Medicine of the Latin American Thoracic Association (ALAT) (2022–2024). His commitment to advancing critical care has led him to pioneer several initiatives, including the founding of the Medical Residency in Critical and Intensive Care Medicine at Hospital del Norte in El Alto, one of the world’s highest-altitude hospitals. He has also played a key role as Founding Director of the Experts Committee in Critical Care in Obstetrics of the Panamerican and Iberian Federation of Critical and Intensive Care Medicine (2017–2019), and as a founding member of both the Altitude Medicine Experts Committee of the same Federation and the Altitude Critical Care Experts Committee of the Bolivian Society of Critical and Intensive Care Medicine.
In his professional practice, Dr. Viruez-Soto is a Critical Care Physician at the Adult Critical Care Unit of Hospital del Norte and Head of the Intensive Care Unit at Hospital Agramont, both in El Alto, Bolivia. His work focuses on obstetric critical care, trauma, and high-altitude intensive medicine, areas where he has contributed significantly as a lecturer, editor, and author in both national and international forums.Through his academic dedication, clinical leadership, and contributions to research and education, Dr. Viruez-Soto has established himself as a leading voice in critical care medicine in Latin America, particularly in the unique context of high-altitude and obstetric critical care.
