Félix A. Urra, PhD
Principal Investigator
I studied Pharmaceutical Chemistry, working as an undergraduate in the lab of Dr. Jorge Ferreira in mitochondrial bioenergetics. I then obtained a Ph.D. in Pharmacology and hold a postdoctoral fellowship at University of Chile. Currently, I am Assistant Professor at Faculty of Medicine (University of Chile), Principal Investigator of MPB Lab (founded in 2019), Director of Chilean team of Snake Venom Research and Drug Discovery, and Co-founder and Editor-in-Chief of Chilean Bulletin of Herpetology.
My research has been focused on studying the role of calcium and non-essential amino acids in the rewiring of mitochondrial bioenergetics during the proliferation and migration of cancer cells. Moreover, I am interested in identifying new bioactive compounds with mitochondrial action and exploring synthetic compounds or toxins from snake and amphibian´s secretions. For this, we evaluate cellular metabolism in real-time using XFe96 technology, RNA-seq analysis, metabolomics, and microscopy-based methods.
With over 50 ISI scientific publications and book chapters, I have led and participated in national (17) and international (7) projects. Our scientific work has been recognized multiple times, including receiving the Young Researcher Banco Santander Fellowship (2019), being named one of the 100 Young Leaders in Chile by Sábado Magazine (2023), and being selected to join the Frontier Science Program group 2025-2027 by the Chilean Academy of Sciences (2025).
Sebastián Fuentes-Retamal
Postdoctoral fellow
Ph.D. in Pharmacology, University of Chile. Working on the role of alpha-KGDH in triple-negative breast cancer cell migration.
Karen Dubois-Camacho
Postdoctoral fellow
PhD in Biomedical Sciences, University of Chile. Working on the targeting of mitochondrial bioenergetics to alleviate inflammation in colitis-associated macrophages
Juan Pablo Millas Vargas
PhD student
Chemist, PhD student in Sciences Of Bioactive Products, University of Talca. Working on synthesis of bioactive mitochondria-targeted compounds as antiplatelet and anticancer agents.
Yarcely Rodriguez
PhD student
PhD student in Sciences of Bioactive Products, University of Talca, studying new small molecules as Complex I inhibitors with migrastatic effects in breast cancer cells.
Diego Mendez
PhD student
PhD student in Biomedical Sciences, University of Talca. Studying the role of mitochondrial bioenergetics on platelet activation.
Jessica Astorga
PhD student
PhD student in Biomedical Sciences, University of Chile. Working on the role cholesterol and mitochondrial bioenergetics in activation of the inflammasome in IBD
Yarela Herrera
PhD student
PhD student in Biomedical Sciences, University of Chile. Working on transcriptomics of venom gland of rear-fanged snakes and molecular mechanism of action of toxins.
Gonzalo Ramirez-Negrete
PhD student
PhD student in Biomedical Sciences. Studying the effect of alpha-ketoglutarate/succinate signaling in breast cancer cells
Catalina Cerda
Research Assistant
Studying the role of cytoskeleton-associated proteins on mitochondrial metabolism in migrating breast cancer cells
Catalina Carrasco
Undergraduate student
Studying the effect of chemotherapeutics on mitochondrial bioenergetics of breast cancer cells
Sofia Cayuqueo
Undergraduate student
Working on effects of chemotherapeutics on mitochondrial bioenergetics in breast cancer cells.
Research Assistant
Undergraduate student
Studying the effect of FDA-approved metabolic drugs on mitochondrial bioenergetics and migration of breast cancer cells
Juan Pablo Salazar
Undergraduate student
Medical student, University of Chile. Focused on mitochondrial metabolism in cancer cell migration.
José M. González
Undergraduate student
Studying the role of cardiovascular drugs on mitochondrial metabolism in cancer cells
Javiera Urra
Undergraduate student
Medical Technologist from University of Chile, studying the new metabolic inhibitors on mitochondrial morphology.
Maria Ignacia Velázquez
Undergraduate student
Medical student, University of Chile. Focused on mechanisms of drugs with mitochondrial action.
Visiting International Students
PhD students: Gabriela Amado (UNMSM - Peru, 2025), Jorge Petro (Universidad de Antioquia - Colombia, 2023), Daniela Sasovsky (Universidad Nacional del Nordeste - Argentina, 2023). Master students: Paulina Arboleda (Universidad de Antioquia - Colombia, 2025), Alex Proleón (Universidad Nacional Mayor de San Marcos - Peru, 2022), Daniel Torrejón (Universidad Nacional Mayor de San Marcos - Peru, 2022), Bruno Miranda (Universidad Nacional Mayor de San Andrés - Bolivia, 2022)
Lab Alumni
PhD students: Héctor Montecino Garrido (2020-2023).
Master students: Gonzalo Ramirez-Negrete (2024-2025), Ana Belén Tenorio (2021-2023), Charlotte Palominos (2019-2022).
Undergraduate students: Gabriela Duran (2023-2024), Ignacio Contreras (2023-2024), Catalina Cerda (2023-2024), Francisca Chihuan (2023-2024), Victor Andrades (2022-2023), Fernanda Soriano (2023), Lilian López (2023), Francisco Llancamán (2023), Paulina Venturelli (2020), Pablo Correa (2019-2022), Nicole Cousinard (2020-2022), Mathias Mellado (2019).