Four research teams awarded funds from the UANDES-UCN Interdisciplinary Research Competition

The selected research demonstrates the diversity of approaches and issues that can be addressed through inter-institutional collaboration.

The Universidad de los Andes next to the Catholic University of the North announced the results of the Interdisciplinary and Associative Research Competition, which seeks to foster collaboration between different disciplines and actors to more effectively address the challenges of today's society.

The selected teams, which will begin their research in March, are:

1. Dr. Óscar Araneda from the School of Medicine - School of Kinesiology (UANDES), together with Dr. Julio César Escalona Arranz (UCN), will research the "Effects of Phoenix canariensis fruit on pro-oxidant production, oxidative and ergogenic damage in an acute exercise protocol."

2. Dr. Maria Ines Gonzalez of the School of Dentistry (UANDES), in collaboration with Dr. Martha Hengst Lopez (UCN), will study the "Protein and bacterial profile of saliva in children with caries".

3. Dr. María Fernanda Montoya from the School of Social Sciences - School of Education (UANDES) and Dr. Tomás Gabriel Bas (UCN) will analyze the "Perceptions of the educational community on Disability Inclusion in Higher Education."

4. Dr. Maria Isabel Pavez of the Faculty of Social Sciences (UANDES), together with Dr. Siu Lay Lisboa (UCN), will investigate the "Connectivity and intercultural competencies in isolated rural schools: a view from the local knowledge of children".

This joint initiative seeks to strengthen five fundamental aspects of research such as the formation of interdisciplinary teams between both institutions; the promotion of high impact publications; the development of innovative solutions that combine the capabilities of both universities; the generation of new knowledge through interdisciplinary collaboration; and the creation of lines of research with the potential to obtain external national and international funding.

"This competition marks a milestone in the consolidation of interdisciplinary and associative research at our University."Claudia Brizuela, Director of Research at UANDES, pointed out. "The collaboration with Universidad Católica del Norte allows us to bring together skills, experiences and approaches to address complex challenges with innovative and high-impact solutions."he added.

The selected research demonstrates the diversity of approaches and issues that can be addressed through inter-institutional collaboration. "These initiatives not only generate new knowledge, but also contribute to social welfare and to the improvement of the quality of life in several areas."explained Dr. Brizuela.

_{"At UANDES, we are convinced that associativity is key to enhance the impact of research and continue moving towards a more collaborative science with a real impact on society.", he concluded}