Overview

Education
B.Sc. P. Catholic University of Chile - Faculty of Biological Sciences, Santiago, Chile (2011)
PhD P. Catholic University of Chile - Faculty of Biological Sciences, Santiago, Chile (2017)
Postdoctoral Fellow , New Jersey Medical School-Rutgers University; Newark, NJ (2017-2021)

Professional Activities and Honors
2021- Member, American Physiological Society
2017- Member, American Heart Association
2018- Member Society General Physiologist
2015- Member, Biophysical Society
2015- Member, Latin American Biophysical Society (SOBLA)
2015-17 Student Instructor in Physiology, P. Catholic University of Chile
2010-11 Research Assistant, P. Catholic University of Chile

Honors

2023 American Heart Association Research Supplement to Promote Diversity in Science.
Award Postdoctoral Fellow to Dr. Pia Burboa (23DIVSUP1054931, 2023-2025)
2023 Young investigator Award, Best Short Talk, Gordon Research Conference, Nitric
Oxide signaling. Ventura, California.
2022 Career Development Award (2022-2025), American Heart Association (Award number:
932684)
2018-20 American Heart Association Postdoctoral Fellowship (Award number:
18POST33960107),
2017 Award for Best Thesis in Biology and Health Sciences, Academic Research Vice-Rectory,
Pontifical Catholic University of Chile.
2017 Award for Best PhD Student Generation 2012 in Department of Physiology, Faculty of
Biological Sciences, Pontifical Catholic University of Chile
2015 Visiting Fellowship awarded by CONICYT (Chile) to work in Dr. Jorge Contreras's
laboratory, New Jersey Medical School, Rutgers University, Newark, New Jersey
2015 International Gap Junction Conference 2015, Valparaiso, Chile, Award for Best Basic
Research Work.
2014 Travel Award, Pontifical Catholic University of Chile, Experimental Biology, San Diego, USA
2013 Travel Award, CONICYT (Chile). Experimental Biology, Boston USA.
2012-16 National scholarship (CONICYT) for PhD studies in Biology, major in
Physiological Sciences at the Pontifical Catholic University of Chile (2012-2016)
2011 Society of Physiological Science of Chile. Award for Best Basic Research Work.
2011 Best Oral Presentation in International Gap Junction Conference 2011, Ghent, Belgium.

Education

PHD, 2017, Pontifica Universidad Catolica de Chile

Languages

Spanish

Relevant Publications

Burboa, P. C., Puebla, M., Gaete, P. S., Duran, W. N. & Lillo, M. A. Connexin and Pannexin Large-Pore Channels in Microcirculation and Neurovascular Coupling Function. Int J Mol Sci 23, doi:10.3390/ijms23137303 (2022). PMID: 35806312

Lillo MA, Himelman E, Shirokova N, Xie LH, Fraidenraich D, and Contreras JE. S-nitrosylation of connexin43 hemichannels elicits cardiac stress-induced arrhythmias in Duchenne muscular dystrophy mice. JCI Insight. 2019;4(24).

Lillo MA, Gaete PS, Puebla M, Ardiles NM, Poblete I, Becerra A, et al. Critical contribution of Na(+)- Ca(2+) exchanger to the Ca(2+)-mediated vasodilation activated in endothelial cells of resistance arteries. FASEB J. 2018;32(4):2137-47.

Lillo, M. A., P. S. Gaete, M. Puebla, P. C. Burboa, I. Poblete and X. F. Figueroa (2021). "Novel Pannexin- 1-Coupled Signaling Cascade Involved in the Control of Endothelial Cell Function and NO-Dependent Relaxation." Oxid Med Cell Longev 2021: 2678134. doi: 10.1155/2021/2678134. PMID: 33688389

Himelman, E*., J. Nouet*, M. A. Lillo, A. Chong, D. Zhou, X. H. T. Wehrens, G. G. Rodney, L. H. Xie, N. Shirokova, J. E. Contreras, and D. Fraidenraich. "A Microtubule-Connexin-43 Regulatory Link Suppresses Arrhythmias and Cardiac Fibrosis in Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy Mice." Am J Physiol Heart Circ Physiol (* equal corresponding author). PMID: 36206047

Lillo, M. A. and J. E. Contreras (2021). "Opening the floodgates: An emerging role for Connexin-43 hemichannels in the heart." Cell Calcium 97: 102410. PMID: 33965755

Himelman E, Lillo MA, Nouet J, Gonzalez JP, Zhao Q, Xie LH, et al. Prevention of connexin-43 remodeling protects against Duchenne muscular dystrophy cardiomyopathy. J Clin Invest. 2020;130(4):1713-27. PMID: 31910160

Figueroa XF, Lillo MA*, Gaete PS, Riquelme MA, and Saez JC. Diffusion of nitric oxide across cell membranes of the vascular wall requires specific connexin-based channels. Neuropharmacology. 2013;75:471-8. *Biochemistry thesis

Arteriolar endothelial connexin hemichannels regulating vasomotor tone

My research efforts currently focus on defining A) the role of endothelial connexin hemichannels on [Ca2+] increases (in isolated arteries and in vivo microvascular models) B) the contribution of S-nitrosylated connexin hemichannels to regulating vasomotor tone and C) whether connexin hemichannels interact with endothelial calcium-activated potassium channels, which will be crucial in endothelial hyperpolarization, a key process to regulate vasomotor tone in resistance arteries.