Susana Lissette Peña Martinez, MD

• Clinical
• Trainee
• Structural Variants
• Collaboration
• Dementia
• Education
• Genetics of Parkinson’s
• Molecular Biology
• GWAS
• Movement Disorders

I work as an internist, neurologist and researcher. Among the lines of research of interest are neurodegenerative diseases, cancer and microbiota, as well as the relationship between cancer and neurodegenerative diseases.

My training has consisted of the basis of internal medicine and neurology. After that, I did a master’s degree in research, with which I have been acquiring tools in the realization of research projects.

I have also been building links with international researchers by making external collaborators in the area of Chagas disease, chronic diseases, neurodegenerative diseases and molecular biology.

Among the investigations carried out, I have participated in collaboration with researchers from Guatemala and the Dominican Republic to carry out a research study of the detection of heart failure in outpatients; collaboration with Japanese researchers in a project funded by JICA for the research of patients with Chagas disease.
Since 2018, we began to work with the LARGE PD consortium, with whom we carried out the development of the clinical and genetic profile of patients with Parkinson’s disease in El Salvador, in collaboration with the University of UNAB, where the molecular biology laboratory has been installed for the extraction, purification and quantification of DNA.

In addition, I work as an advisor for postgraduate research papers in the specialty of internal medicine and neurology.

Currently, I work as a full-time neurologist/internist at the National Hospital of San Rafael, where I attend outpatients, patients admitted with neurological diseases.

I am particularly interested in researching neurodegenerative diseases, as well as the relationship between them. This interest drives my commitment to participate in multicenter studies and collaborations about genetic and molecular aspects. By getting involved in such collaborative efforts, I aspire to contribute to the development of innovative therapeutic strategies and improve our collective understanding of these complex diseases. I am excited to continue my research path and expand my knowledge through links between researchers in the region to continue improving the understanding of diseases in our population.
I am currently studying as a fellow in movement disorders, hybrid modality, at CETRAM, Chile