Dr. Juan Olate’s journey is a very interesting one. After finishing high school he entered to Aviation School in Santiago. There, he become passionate about flights and stayed for 5 years (1966-1970), obtaining the rank of Military Pilot after doing the courses in the Beechcraft T-34 “Mentor” and Cessna T-37 instructional aircraft. In a span of eight months (July 1970 – March 1971) he changed his military life for university life to embrace the career of Biochemistry at the University of Concepción (1971) having in mind to become a scientist. After graduating as a Biochemist (1977), he decided to take the academy path (teaching and research). He obtained a PhD in 1985 at the University of Chile (1981-1985), working under the mentoring of Dr. Jorge Allende (National Award of Natural Sciences, 1992). Between 1985-1987 he performed a post-doctorate at Baylor College Of Medicine, Texas Medical Center, Houston, USA (1985-1987) learning the nascent areas of Molecular Biology and Molecular Genetics. After his postdoctorate, Dr. Olate come back to the Universidad de Chile to the Biochemistry laboratory where he was previously trained to establish his first research laboratory group (1988-1993). Latter, he was contacted by the Dean of the Faculty of Biological Sciences from the University of Concepción who offers him the position of Associate Professor, with the task of establishing a Molecular Biology laboratory that would allow cloning, expressing and understanding the function of genes and that would serve at the same time as a formative unit for pre and post-graduate students of the biological research area. He accepted the offer and returned to the Universidad de Concepcion (1994). In this new and modern laboratory, using cutting-edge techniques, he continued for 21 years (1994-2015). Dr. Olate’s research focused on the molecular mechanisms that allow communication between cells. During this period, he held several university administrative positions as Biochemistry Department Director, Director of PhD program in Molecular and Cellular Biology, President of the Biochemistry Society of Chile and was an active member of the study groups of CONICYT (1995-1997). In 2013, he was awarded the “Municipal Science Award”, in recognition of his long scientific trajectory, and for his contribution in the Bio Bio region to the scientific knowledge about the function of genes and their relationship with pathologies, and for training and scientific knowledge dissemination. Over the years he mentored more than 30 professionals, 15 doctors, published more than 60 papers in several high impacts journals and presented at numerous international conferences. He also was investigator in five International Cooperation Projects (Human Frontier with Japan and USA, ECOS with France, 3 NIH with USA). In March of 2015, Dr. Olate decided to leave the academy, hung the pipettes and retired. He now is happily enjoying reading, gardening, astronomy and his new house near Termas de Chillán, in a small town located 82 km east of city of Chillán.
