I completed my undergraduate studies in Biochemistry at the University of Concepcion, Chile and earned my graduate degree in Neuroscience from the Albert Einstein College of Medicine in New York. As a graduate student working with Dr. Michael Bennett, I had the privilege to conduct summer research at the Marine Biological Laboratory (MBL) in Woods Hole MA, where I was also a student in the Neurobiology course. I conducted my postdoctoral training at Columbia University, where I was also an Associate Research Scientist. I am currently an Associate Professor in the Biology department of the university of Maryland at College Park. Since 2008, I have also been a faculty in the electrophysiology section of the Neurobiology course at the MBL. My long-term research goal is to understand the mechanisms by which neuromodulation regulates the activity of neuronal networks. Specifically, my lab uses olfaction as a model system to learn how neuromodulators such as noradrenaline and acetylcholine influence sensory processing and cognition. To achieve this goal we use electrophysiological and molecular techniques, including targeted expression of optogenetic and chemogenetics probes, to precisely control the activity of neuromodulatory neurons that regulate activity in olfactory circuits. In addition, one of the most rewarding aspects of my academic career is the teaching and training of young scientists. Since joining the university of Maryland, several undergraduate, graduate and high school students have received training in my lab.