TEDxPunta Arenas

Speakers

Speakers may not be confirmed. Check the event website for the latest lineup.

• Beatrix Schlarb-Ridley

  Director of Innovation and Impact at the British Antarctic Survey

  Beatrix Schlarb-Ridley is Director of Innovation and Impact at the British Antarctic Survey, where she leads efforts to turn polar science into real‑world solutions for climate and society. With a background in biochemistry and a PhD from the University of Cambridge, she has over 20 years’ experience spanning fundamental research, clean technologies and collaborative innovation. At BAS, she heads the Innovation Directorate, driving decarbonisation of polar operations, new partnerships with industry and government, and initiatives that connect research with decision‑makers. She is also a leading voice for inclusion in polar science, serving as Diversity Champion at BAS and co‑chairing the “Diversity in UK Polar Science” initiative. Her leadership has been recognised with an Honorary MBE for services to innovation and inclusion, and she is a Fellow of the Royal Society of Biology.

• Bernd Sierk

  Remote Sensing Scientist

  Bernd Sierk is a remote sensing scientist and physicist specialising in satellite instruments for monitoring greenhouse gases and the atmosphere, currently contributing to Europe’s new CO2‑monitoring satellite mission. He works as a Remote Sensing Scientist at EUMETSAT, helping to develop the Instrument Processing Facility and calibration strategies for the Copernicus CO2M mission, a constellation designed to monitor anthropogenic CO2 emissions from space. Previously, he spent more than a decade at the European Space Agency as an optical instrument and system engineer for missions such as CO2M, Sentinel‑5 and the Earth Explorer candidate CarbonSat, focusing on instrument design, performance modelling and data quality for atmospheric spectroscopy. He holds a PhD in physics from ETH Zürich and has led international research and field campaigns, authoring numerous papers on satellite‑based greenhouse gas monitoring.

• Camila Fernandez

  Professor and researcher, University of Concepción; associated with COPAS Coastal research center

  Is a Chilean oceanographer and academic at the University of Concepción, specializing in marine biogeochemistry and the functioning of ocean ecosystems. Her research examines how nutrient cycles and biological processes regulate ocean productivity and influence global climate systems. Beyond traditional scientific work, Fernández has developed innovative approaches to science communication, creating immersive experiences that integrate art, data, and narrative to make complex ocean dynamics accessible to broader audiences. By bridging scientific rigor with sensory engagement, she challenges conventional boundaries between disciplines and fosters a deeper emotional connection with the ocean. Her work highlights the urgency of understanding marine systems in the context of climate change, while also redefining how knowledge can be shared, experienced, and transformed into collective awareness.

• Eliana Lima da Fonseca

  remote sensing specialist and full professor

  Eliana Lima da Fonseca is a remote sensing specialist and full professor at the Federal University of Rio Grande do Sul (UFRGS) in Brazil, with a PhD in Remote Sensing from the National Institute for Space Research (INPE). Her work focuses on applying satellite and geospatial technologies to study vegetation, urban green spaces and environmental change, using tools such as Google Earth Engine and machine‑learning methods. She is also a researcher with the MapBiomas initiative and a Google Developer Expert in Earth Engine, roles through which she contributes to large‑scale mapping and monitoring of land cover in South America. Eliana has authored numerous scientific papers and book chapters on the use of remote sensing for vegetation analysis, environmental justice in cities and long‑term monitoring of remote regions, including extreme environments such as Antarctica.

• Iván Lara

  Telecommunications professional

  Iván Lara is a telecommunications specialist whose professional trajectory intersects with one of Antarctica’s most critical historical emergencies. As a direct witness to the 1967 volcanic eruption on Deception Island, he experienced firsthand the evacuation of Chilean bases under extreme conditions, where communication systems became essential for coordination and survival. His perspective uniquely combines technical expertise with lived experience, highlighting the strategic role of telecommunications in remote and high-risk environments. Through his story, Lara reflects on resilience, rapid decision-making, and the human capacity to respond collectively when infrastructure collapses. His testimony not only preserves a key moment in Antarctic history but also underscores how connectivity, even in its most basic form, becomes a lifeline in the most isolated territories on Earth.

• Leyla Cardenas

  marine biologist and Dean of the Faculty of Sciences at the Universidad Austral de Chile

  Leyla Cárdenas Tavié is a marine biologist and Dean of the Faculty of Sciences at the Universidad Austral de Chile, director of the South-Sub-Antarctic Science Consortium 2023, and coordinator of the Antarctic Natural Laboratory node. With dual PhDs in Biological Sciences with emphasis in Ecology (Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile) and Biodiversity (Université Pierre et Marie Curie, France), her research explores population genetics and marine species dispersal and adaptation mechanisms using advanced genomic and environmental DNA tools. She pioneered omics technologies as former director of the Austral Omics Center, leading research in sub-Antarctic biodiversity and invasive species detection. Currently, she leads Fondecyt and Fondef projects as principal investigator, serves as associate researcher at the FONDAP IDEAL Center, and has strengthened interdisciplinary research and omics technology applications throughout the south-sub-Antarctic region.

• Marcelo Gutierrez

  Academic at the Department of Oceanography and researcher at COPAS Coastal.

  Marcelo Gutiérrez Astete is an oceanographer, a faculty member at the University of Concepción, and a principal investigator at COPAS Coastal. He has been an associate professor in the Faculty of Natural and Oceanographic Sciences at UdeC since 2013 and a Principal Investigator at the COPAS Coastal center since 2021. His areas of expertise are microbial oceanography, microbial ecology, biogeochemistry, and marine organic matter.

• Osvaldo Ulloa

  Director, Millennium Institute of Oceanography; Professor, University of Concepción

  Is a leading Chilean oceanographer and a global reference in the study of microbial life in extreme ocean environments. As Director of the Millennium Institute of Oceanography and professor at the University of Concepción, his research focuses on understanding how microorganisms thrive in deep-sea ecosystems such as the Atacama Trench—one of the most remote and least explored regions on Earth. His work has revealed how microbial communities sustain nutrient cycles under extreme pressure, darkness, and low oxygen conditions, fundamentally reshaping our understanding of life’s limits and its role in regulating planetary processes. Ulloa’s contributions extend beyond science, influencing global discussions on biodiversity, climate systems, and ocean conservation, while opening new frontiers for exploration and technological development.

• Philippe Tortell

  Professor of Oceanography and Botany at the University of British Columbia and a leading global expert in marine biogeochemistry and polar ocean science

  Dr. Philippe Tortell is a Professor of Oceanography and Botany at the University of British Columbia and a leading marine biogeochemistry expert specializing in polar ocean science. With over two decades researching Arctic and Antarctic regions, his work examines how ocean chemistry and biology interact to regulate Earth's climate through trace gases including carbon dioxide, methane, and nitrous oxide. A Princeton PhD in Ecology and Evolutionary Biology with a McGill degree, Tortell has pioneered innovative measurement techniques using mass spectrometry and autonomous sensing systems now adopted globally. He leads the NSERC CREATE graduate training program and has secured multi-million-dollar competitive funding from NSERC, NSF, and international agencies. As former Department Head and Peter Wall Institute Director, Tortell combines scientific excellence with institutional leadership while communicating ocean climate science to public audiences.

• Rodrigo Jordán

  Leadership consultant, speaker, and expedition leader; founder of Vertical S.A.

  Rodrigo Jordán is one of Chile’s most prominent explorers, mountaineers, and leadership speakers, internationally recognized for leading expeditions to Mount Everest and other extreme environments. With a background in engineering, he has built a career connecting exploration with organizational leadership, focusing on teamwork, trust, and decision-making under uncertainty. His Antarctic experiences provide a powerful framework to understand how individuals and teams operate when facing isolation, risk, and constantly changing conditions. Jordán translates these lessons into insights applicable far beyond exploration, including business, public leadership, and personal development. His talks emphasize the importance of shared purpose, adaptability, and emotional intelligence in achieving collective goals, making his perspective both inspirational and operationally relevant.

• Ximena Araya

  Chilean writer, producer and university professor who builds powerful stories through sound, image and animation

  Ximena Araya Gutiérrez is a Chilean writer, producer and university professor who builds powerful stories through sound, image and animation. Sound engineer trained at EICTV Cuba and Master in Screenwriting at Universidad Finis Terrae, she has led women-centered projects as co-founder and director of Mami Male, a studio dedicated to audiovisual and narrative creations. She has produced award-winning animated content in Chile, coordinated international missions for “Chilean Animation”, and taught executive production to new generations of animators. From short films set in Antarctica to series in development, her work connects territory, gender perspective and industry building, proving that when diverse voices access production tools, stories transform the way we imagine the world.