Francisca Cornejo
Assistant Professor
Biochemist and PhD in Medical Sciences from Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile (2017). She completed her postdoctoral degree at the CIB of Universidad Mayor, where she is currently a principal investigator since 2022. Through murine models and human stem cells, her line of research seeks to elucidate the cellular mechanisms through which glial cells participate in brain development and in the etiology of different diseases that affect it.
PUBLICATIONS
Foncea A, Franchini N, Tobar I, Thienel S, Retamal IN, Cancino GI, Cornejo F. “Ptprd deficiency promotes tau hyperphosphorylation and impairs cognitive function in aged mice”. Biological Research, 2025; 58(1):26.
Cortés BI, Meza RC, Ancatén-González C, Ardiles NM, Aránguiz MI, Tomita H, Kaplan DR, Cornejo F, Nunez-Parra A, Moya PR, Chávez AE, Cancino GI. “Loss of protein tyrosine phosphatase receptor delta PTPRD increases the number of cortical neurons, impairs synaptic function and induces autistic-like behaviors in adult mice”. Biological Research, 2024; 57(1):40.
Cornejo F, Franchini N, Cortés BI, Elgueta D, Cancino GI. “Neural conditional ablation of the protein tyrosine phosphatase receptor Delta PTPRD impairs gliogenesis in the developing mouse brain cortex”. Frontiers in Cell and Developmental Biology, 2024; 12: 1357862.
Cornejo F, Cortés BI, Findlay GM, Cancino GI. “LAR Receptor Tyrosine Phosphatase Family in Healthy and Diseased Brain”. Frontiers in Cell and Developmental Biology, 2021; 9:659951.
Tomita H*, Cornejo F*, Aranda-Pino B, Woodard CL, Rioseco CC, Neel BG, Alvarez AR, Kaplan DR, Miller FD, Cancino GI. “The Protein Tyrosine Phosphatase Receptor Delta Regulates Developmental Neurogenesis”. Cell Reports, 2020; 30(1): 215-228.
Méndez-Ruette M, Linsambarth S, Moraga-Amaro R, Quintana-Donoso D, Méndez L, Tamburini G, Cornejo F, Torres R, Stehberg J. “The role of the rodent Insula in Anxiety”. Frontiers in physiology, 2019; 10:330.
Cornejo F, Vruwink M, Metz C, Muñoz P, Salgado N, Poblete J, Andrés ME, Eugenín J, von Bernhardi R. “Scavenger Receptor-A deficiency impairs immune response of microglia and astrocytes potentiating Alzheimer's disease pathophysiology”. Brain Behavior and Immunity, 2018; 69: 336-350.
Cornejo F, von Bernhardi R. Age-Dependent Changes in the Activation and Regulation of Microglia. Adv Exp Med Biol. 2016;949:205-226.
Eugenín J, Vecchiola A, Murgas P, Arroyo P, Cornejo F, von Bernhardi R. “Expression pattern of scavenger receptors and Aβ phagocytosis by glial cells in culture are modified by acidosis: implications for Alzheimer´s disease”. Journal of Alzheimer’s disease, 2016; 53(3): 857-873.
von Bernhardi R, Cornejo F, Parada GE, Eugenín J. “Role of TGFβ signaling in the pathogenesis of Alzheimer's disease”. Frontiers in Cellular Neuroscience, 2015; 9: 426.
Escobar AP*, Cornejo FA*, Olivares-Costa M, González M, Fuentealba JA, Gysling K, España RA, Andrés ME. “Reduced dopamine and glutamate neurotransmission in the nucleus accumbens of quinpirole-sensitized rats hints at inhibitory D2 autoreceptor function”. Journal of Neurochemistry, 2015; 134(6): 1081-1090.
Cornejo FA, von Bernhardi R. “Class A Scavenger Receptors and their role on glial dysfunction in Alzheimer’s disease”. Revista de la Sociedad Chilena de Farmacología, 2014; 7(3): 7-16.
Murgas P*, Cornejo FA*, Merino G, von Bernhardi R. “SR-A regulates the inflammatory activation of astrocytes”. Neurotoxicity Research, 2014; 25(1): 68-80.
Cornejo F, von Bernhardi R. “Role of scavenger receptors in glia-mediated neuroinflammatory response associated with Alzheimer's disease”. Mediators of Inflammation, 2013; 2013: 895651.
Escobar A del P, Cornejo FA, Andrés ME, Fuentealba JA. “Repeated treatment with the kappa opioid receptor agonist U69593 reverses enhanced K+ induced dopamine release in the nucleus accumbens, but not the expression of locomotor sensitization in amphetamine-sensitized rats”. Neurochemistry International, 2012; 60(4): 344-349.
RESEARCH LINES
Gliogenesis in neurodevelopment
Study of alterations in gliogenesis and glial physiology associated with neurodevelopmental disorders.
Neuroinflammation and tauopathies
Study of the role of microglia in the development and progression of diseases associated with the pathological aggregation of tau protein.
PROJECTS
Active
2022-2025 FONDECYT de iniciación en investigación 11220708 (Investigadora Principal).
2022-2023 ANID Concurso de Fomento a la Vinculación Internacional para Instituciones de Investigación FOVI 220182 (Co-Investigadora).
2021-2025 FONDECYT Regular 1210507 (Co-Investigadora).
Completed
N/A
TEAM
Analía Foncea Asistente de investigación y lab manager, Biotecnóloga.
Nayhara Franchini Asistente de investigación, Biotecnóloga.
Diego Pino Estudiante de tecnología médica, Universidad Mayor.
Solange González Estudiante de Biotecnología, Universidad Mayor.
Antonieta Pérez Estudiante de Biotecnología, Universidad Mayor.
Former Lab Members
Beatriz Gárate Estudiante de Biotecnología, Universidad Mayor.
Isidora Tobar Estudiante de tecnología médica, Universidad Mayor.
Sebastián Thienel Estudiante de tecnología médica, Universidad Mayor.
NETWORK
National
Gonzalo I. Cancino, Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile.
Georgina Renard, USACH.
International
Guillermo Parada, University of Toronto.