Cesar Mateo Bastidas Betancourt

EDUCATION

College / University

National University of Colombia

Highest Degree

Bachelor of Science

Major Subjects

Biology

Country

Colombia

Lab Experience

Immunofluorescence, fluorescence microscopy, in-situ hybridization, (q-RT) PCR, paraffin sectioning, molecular cloning, yeast two-hybrid, TALEN construction, and western blot. Analysis: ImageJ, R and Python

Projects / Research

“JAGGED1 has a spatial relation to cell migration, apoptosis and cell proliferation in the chicken hippocampal development”. Bachelor thesis. Institute of Genetics, National University of Colombia

Scholarships / Awards

2021 – 2022:	Stipend by the International Max Planck Research School
2019:	DAAD scholarship for the summer school in Biomembranes and Cell Microcompartments. Osnabrück University, Germany
2016 – 2020:	Undergraduate scholarship due to high academic GPA. National University of Colombia

SCIENTIFIC INTERESTS AND GOALS

My scientific interests are focused on neurodevelopment and how neurodevelopmental traits evolve between species, from the cellular and molecular to the ecological and behavioural points of view. It is fascinating to me how the role between environmental and genetic factors shapes the evolution of the central nervous system and how this can be witnessed by looking at the neurodevelopment, not only in embryonic but also throughout the adulthood. Moreover, I find it captivating how the appearance of neuropsychiatric diseases can be causally tracked back to early brain developmental stages and, therefore, how the genetic basis for many of these diseases lays on several aspects of the cellular and molecular neurodevelopment. Broadening the understanding of these causal phenomena would provide with a clearer view of what causes and what happens in these diseases, ultimately finding more effective ways to tackle them in the clinic.