Zócalo Germán, Yanina Alexandra

Research interests

Since my appointment to the University (Universidad de la República, Uruguay) as a Teacher-Researcher, I have worked alongside other researchers, maintaining an independent profile. I contributed to the creation and overall direction of the Interdisciplinary Group "Centro Universitario de Investigación, Innovación y Diagnóstico Arterial" (CUiiDARTE), CUiiDARTE-Adults (2010) and CUiiDARTE-Pediatric (2014). This initiative involved introducing non-invasive cardiovascular assessment techniques to the country and implementing comprehensive approaches used for diagnostic purposes; designing and managing a platform for the joint development of research, teaching, outreach, and human resource training, promoting interdisciplinary collaboration and interaction between groups. CUiiDARTE represented an innovation in both product and management, providing diagnostic services either for free or prepaid, thus generating tools for the self-financing of the Center. As a result of this development, we received distinctions in Innovation (NOVA AWARDS, 2012 and 2013). Furthermore, the impact is evident in the scientific publications, human resource training, and outreach activities that followed.

My role in CUiiDARTE focused on the development of activities related to the direction/coordinating of research lines and undergraduate and graduate studies. The work developed shares a common denominator: the study of vascular structure and function as part of a coupled, integrated biomechanical system. The need to answer various questions related to our object of analysis through in-vitro studies using simulators, in-vivo studies on animals and/or humans, and employing non-invasive or invasive approaches required the use of complementary experimental methods, specifically selected and/or designed. The main scientific areas developed have been: a) Physical-mathematical characterization of vascular dynamics and structure-function relationships, b) In-vivo muscle-dependent modulation of vascular function, c) Biomechanical aspects and failure of vascular substitutes, biomechanical validation of cryopreservation techniques and biotherapeutic vascular materials, d) Cardiovascular physiology: development, nutrition, and growth, e) Cardiovascular physiology: healthy and accelerated aging, f) Cardiovascular system, ventricular-arterial coupling, and hemodynamic parameters in the context of exposure to various factors (e.g., associated with increased cardiovascular risk), clinical entities and/or therapeutic interventions, g) Cardiovascular physiology: normal levels and reference values for hemodynamic and cardiovascular parameters. In this context, the study of the cardiovascular system and hemodynamic parameters during growth and development, analyzing the impact of various contexts on them, became an independent research line under my direction. This line gained prominence through results obtained (and published) and the questions raised, transforming into the primary focus of the group. A central aspect of this research has been the identification of nutritional factors (pre- and post-natal), growth trajectories, physical activity, and sedentary behaviors as individual determinants (and potential explanatory factors for inter-individual differences) in physical condition, characteristics, and the hemodynamic, cardiorespiratory, metabolic, and muscular responses to situations involving changes in demands (e.g., increases associated with physical exercise). To advance and improve the quality and quantity of our ability to study and analyze these topics and contribute to answering these questions, we acquired equipment previously unavailable in our area and upgraded tools and approaches. Currently, we are capable of jointly and synchronously assessing responses and adaptations in cardiorespiratory, metabolic, and muscular systems to exercise, components of physical fitness, hemodynamic and biomechanical parameters. Simultaneously, we have made progress in training and the capacity building necessary to advance in emerging topics. In this context, in May 2022, the "Laboratorio de Investigación y Evaluación Biomédica en Reposo y Ejercicio" (LIEBRE; Laboratory for Biomedical Research and Evaluation in Rest and Exercise) was established. It is a multidisciplinary scientific-academic space that I direct, and its founding members include professionals, faculty, and researchers from the Higher Institute of Physical Education, the Department of Imaging (Faculty of Medicine-UdelaR), the Pediatric Cardiology Service (Pereira Rossell Hospital Center), and the Department of Physiology (Faculty of Medicine-UdelaR). At LIEBRE, we conduct research, innovation, outreach, human resource training (undergraduate and graduate, master’s and doctoral programs), diagnosis, and treatment. In its initial phase, we oriented our tasks and research lines towards understanding the relationship between movement, sedentary habits or behaviors, components of physical fitness, quality of life, and health, viewing physical activity and fitness as therapeutic goals and agents. Since its inception, LIEBRE has also served as a scientific-technological platform for other Services, Departments, research groups, and professionals to develop their own projects and/or evaluations with the support and guidance of our team. The primary research lines currently being developed at LIEBRE include: a) Structural and functional adaptations during the continuous 24/7 triad of physical activity, sedentary behaviors, and sleep; b) Non-invasive assessment techniques and tools for physical activity and fitness components, and analysis of their relationship; c) Cardiovascular, respiratory, metabolic, and muscular responses and adaptations associated with different physiological and pathophysiological conditions, observed at rest and/or during physical activity; d) Development of evaluation tools based on non-invasive approaches: contributing to the development of assessment methodologies and reference intervals. Given that the approaches, tools, and evaluation strategies employed at LIEBRE were not available in our region previously, since the beginning of our work in this space, we have focused on accompanying this development with human resource training. In 2023, we conducted the first edition of the annual course on Human Cardiovascular, Respiratory, Muscular, and Metabolic Physiology in Rest and Exercise Response: Theoretical-Practical and Technological Foundations for Non-Invasive Evaluation, aimed at undergraduate and graduate students (both professional and academic).