Fabiola Leon Velarde

Fabiola Leon-Velarde Servetto (June 18, 1956) is a Peruvian physiologist who has devoted her research to the biology and physiology of high altitude adaptation. Born in Lima, Peru the daughter of Dr. Carlos Leon-Velarde Gamarra and Juana Servetto Marti from Uruguay. Under the mentorship of high altitude physiologist Dr. Carlos Monge Cassinelli, she obtained a BSc. in Biology (1979), an MSc (1981) and DSc (1986) in physiology at Cayetano Heredia University in Lima, Perú. She is currently President (Rector) of Cayetano Heredia University (UPCH).^[1] She was previously Vice-President for Research of UPCH and Chairwoman of the Department of Biological and Physiological Sciences at the same University. She has also been Vice-President of the International Society for Mountain Medicine and, during nine years has been doing collaborative research with the Human Respiratory Section of the Laboratory of Physiology of the University of Oxford in the United Kingdom, where she has been invited as "Fellow" of the "Queen's College". At the moment, she is also Associated Investigator of ARPE/UFR of Medicine of the University of Paris XIII in France.

She has been a consultant in diverse national and international institutions, including the International Center of Research for Development (CIID) of Canada, on the health problems in the Andean Region and of the International Labor Organization (OIT). In the last years she has participated as a Consultant in the Antamina Mining Project and at the Andean Organism of Health. At the present time, she is Review Committee member of the National Council of Science and Technology [CONCYTEC], the National Agency for Scientific and Technological Promotion (SECYT-FONCYT) and the International Foundation for Science (IFS).

Dr. Leon-Velarde has a vast scientific production that has been published in more than 80 abstracts and more than 100 peer-reviewed articles in international scientific journals. She is also author of chapters in several books about altitude sickness and related topics particularly in the Andes. She is a member of important scientific societies such as The American Physiological Society and the Academy of Sciences of Latin America.

Dr. Leon-Velarde is a founding member of the judging panel of PODER's Think Tank of the Year Awards that aim to celebrate the good work done by think tanks in the country.

Dr. Leon-Velarde is the mother of one son, Gianpiero Leoncini Leon-Velarde.

Bibliography (from 2000 onwards)

1. León-Velarde F., M. Vargas, M. Rivera-Chira y C. Monge C. Futbol y aclimatación a la altura. [Acta Andina]. 8(1/2): 23-29, 1999/2000.
2. León-Velarde F., A. Gamboa., J.A. Chuquiza, W.A. Esteba, M. Rivera-Ch. and C. Monge C. Hematological parameters in high altitude Andean Residents living at 4355, 4660 and 5500 meters above sea level. [High Altitude Med&Biol]. 1(2): 97-104, 2000.
3. León-Velarde F., M. Rivera-Chira, J-A. Palacios, R. Tapia, Huicho L., and C. Monge C. Relationship of ovarian hormones to hypoxemia in women resident of 4,300 m. Am. J. Physiol. Regul. Integr. Comp. Physiol. 280(2): R488-R493, 2001.
4. Vargas, M., D. Jimenez, F. León-Velarde, J. Osorio and J.P. Mortola. Circadian patterns in men acclimatized to intermittent hypoxia. Respir Physiol. 126: 233-243, 2001.
5. Monge C., León-Velarde F., and A. Arregui. Chronic mountain sickness. In: High Altitude. An Exploration of Human Adaptation. Series: Lung Biology in Health and Disease. Edited by C. Lenfant. Marcel Dekker, Inc. N.Y. pp. 815–838, 2001.
6. Gamboa, A., F. León-Velarde, M. Rivera-Ch, M. Vargas, J-A. Palacios and C. Monge C. Ventilatory and cardiovascular responses to hypoxia in Andean natives living at sea level. [High Alt. Med. & Biol]. 2(3): 341-349, 2001.
7. Huicho, L., I.G. Pawson, F. León-Velarde, M. Rivera-Chira, A. Pacheco, M. Muro, and J. Silva. Oxygen saturation and heart rate in healthy school children and adolescents living at high altitude. [Am. J. of Hum. Biol.] 13:761-770, 2001.
8. León-Velarde F. and J. Reeves. International Working Group for Chronic Mountain Sickness. Meeting Minutes. In: Hypoxia from Genes to the Bedside, Advances in Exp. Med. & Biol. Chapter 28. Vol. 502: 439-440, 2001.
9. Keyl, C., A. Schneider, A. Gamboa, L. Spicuzza, N. Casiraghi, A. Mori, R.
10. Tapia Ramirez, F. León-Velarde, L. Bernardi. Modulation of autonomic cardiovascular function in Andean high-altitude natives with and without chronic mountain sickness. J. Appl Physiol. 2003 94(1): 213-219, 2003.
11. Gamboa A, León-Velarde F, Rivera-Ch M, Palacios J-A, Pragnell T.R, O’Connor D. and Robbins P.A. Acute and sustained ventilatory responses to hypoxia in high altitude natives living at sea level. [J. Applied Physiol.] 94(3): 1255-1262, 2003.
12. Rivera-Ch M, Gamboa A, León-Velarde F, Palacios J-A, O’Connor D. and Robbins P.A. High altitude natives living at sea level acclimatize to high altitude like sea level natives. [J. Applied Physiol.] 94(3): 1263-1268, 2003.
13. León-Velarde F, Gamboa A, Rivera-Ch M, Palacios J-A, and Robbins P.A. Peripheral chemoreflex function in high altitude natives and patients with chronic mountain sickness. [J. Applied Physiol.] 94(3): 1269-1278, 2003.
14. Fatemian M, Gamboa A, León-Velarde F, Rivera-Ch M, Palacios J-A, and Robbins P.A. Ventilatory response to CO2 in high altitude natives and patients with chronic mountain sickness. [J. Applied Physiol.] 94(3): 1279-1287, 2003.
15. Gamboa J, Macarlupu JL, Rivera-Chira M, Monge-C C, León-Velarde F. Effect of domperidone on ventilation and polycythemia after 5 weeks of chronic hypoxia in rats. [Respir Physiolo Neurobiol.] 135(1):1-8, 2003.
16. León-Velarde F. Pursuing International recognition of Chronic Mountain Sickness. [High Alt. Med. & Biol]. 4(2): 256-259, 2003.
17. Brutsaert TD, Parra EJ, Shriver MD, Gamboa A, Palacios JA, Rivera M, Rodriquez I, León-Velarde F. Spanish genetic admixture is associated with larger VO2max decrement from sea level to 4,338 meters in Peruvian Quechua. [J Appl Physiol.] 95(2) : 519-528, 2003.
18. Maggiorini M, León-Velarde F. High-altitude pulmonary hypertension : a pathophysiological entity to different diseases. [Eur Respir J.] 22 : 1019-1025, 2003.
19. León-Velarde F, McCullough RG, McCullough RE, Reeves JT; CMS Consensus Working Group. Proposal for scoring severity in chronic mountain sickness (CMS). Background and conclusions of the CMS Working Group. Adv Exp Med Biol. 2003;543:339-54.
20. Bernardi L, Roach RC, Keyl C, Spicuzza L, Passino C, Bonfichi M, Gamboa A, Gamboa J, Malcovati L, Schneider A, Casiraghi N, Mori A, León-Velarde F. Ventilation, autonomic function, sleep and erythropoietin. Chronic mountain sickness of Andean natives. Adv Exp Med Biol. 2003;543:161-75.
21. Monge C. C. y F. León-Velarde. El Reto Fisiológico de Vivir en los Andes. Tomo 177. Travaux del Institut Francais d'Etudes Andines (IFEA). Editores, IFEA/ Universidad Peruana Cayetano Heredia. Lima, 2003, IFEA/UPCH. p.p. 435.
22. Spicuzza L, Casiraghi N, Gamboa A, Keyl C, Schneider A, Mori A, León-Velarde F, Di Maria GU, Bernardi L. Sleep-related hypoxaemia and excessive erythrocytosis in Andean high altitude natives. [Eur Respir J]. 2004; 23(1):41-46.
23. Brutsaert TD, Parra E, Shriver M, Gamboa A, Palacios JA, Rivera M, Rodriguez I, León-Velarde F. Effects of birthplace and individual genetic admixture on lung volume and exercise phenotypes of Peruvian Quechua. [Am J Phys Anthropol]. 2004; 123(4): 390-398.
24. Reeves JT and León-Velarde F. Chronic Mountain Sickness: Recent studies of the relationship between hemoglobin concentration and oxygen transport. [High Alt. Med and Biol]. 2004; 5(2): 147-155.
25. Claydon V.E., L.J. Norcliffe, J.P. Moore, M. Rivera-Ch, F. León-Velarde, O. Appenzeller and R. Hainsworth. Orthostatic tolerance and blood volumes in Andean high altitude dwellers. [Exp Physiol]. 2004; 89(5): 565-571.
26. Mejia OM, Prchal JT, León-Velarde F, Hurtado A, Stockton DW. Genetic association analysis of chronic mountain sickness in an Andean high altitude population. [Haematologica]. 90(1):13-19, 2005.
27. Claydon VE, Norcliffe LJ, Moore JP, Rivera M, León-Velarde F, Appenzeller O, Hainsworth R. Cardiovascular responses to orthostatic stress in healthy altitude dwellers, and altitude residents with chronic mountain sickness. [Exp Physiol]. 90(1):103-110, 2005.

References

External links

• Servetto's Education and Research Information
• Acceptance into the National Academy of Sciences
• El Comercio - "Fabiola León Velarde, the first rector of the Cayetano"
• El Comercio - "Scientists Should Not Go"