Tools for Advanced Medicine

At IRYCIS 6 Priority Research Areas are established, each one coordinated by 2 directors, with a basic mission to: i) ensure the achievement of the objectives set for their area overall; ii) guarantee communication and collaboration between the different research groups; iii) guide the emerging groups and the associate clinical researchers to achieve their progressive integration into the consolidated group level.

A common objective of this area is to generate and validate tools with clinical utility for the diagnosis, prognosis and treatment of different pathologies. The translational nature of the groups should be highlighted that allows collaborations with the majority of the Hospital's clinical services and transversal vocation backed by various collaborations with other IRYCIS groups. This is the IRYCIS area with the highest percentage of groups coming from the university.

Leaders

Dr. Mª Elena Martín Palma

Graduate in Biological Sciences from the Autonomous University of Madrid (1987) and PhD in 1993 (UAM). My research career began at the Ramón y Cajal Hospital, where I was a predoctoral researcher (1989-1992) and postdoctoral researcher (1993-1996). Later, I worked as an associate professor and postdoctoral researcher at the University of Alcalá (1994-1999). Since 2000, I have been a researcher at IRYCIS.

My lines of research have focused on the regulation of protein synthesis in conditions such as cerebral ischemia, oxidative stress and hypoxia, as well as on the study of translation in cancer. Among my contributions in this last line, the characterization of the MNK1b isoform and its role in cancer, especially in triple-negative breast cancer, stands out. Furthermore, within the line of research aimed at the selection and characterization of aptamers for diagnostic and therapeutic use, in collaboration with Dr. Víctor Manuel González, we have selected and characterized a large number of aptamers, including aptamers against MNK1b that have demonstrated antitumor and antimetastatic activity both in tumor lines and in murine models of breast, lung and pancreatic cancer. One of these aptamers directed against TLR4 for the treatment of ischemic stroke, obtained in collaboration with the group of Dr. Ignacio Lisazoain (UCM) and the companies Aptus Biotech and Aptatargets, has completed phase IIa.

Committed to training, I have directed 12 doctoral theses, supervised 7 final degree and master's projects and am part of the IRYCIS Training Committee. I have participated in 31 research projects (12 as PI) and published 67 international articles (one third in Q1). In addition, I have 9 patents and more than 90 conference presentations.

Contact: m.elena.martin(ELIMINAR)@hrc.es
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Dr. Mª Elena Martín Palma

Senior Researcher Aptamers & Head of UCS Cell Cultures
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Dr. Gemma Pascual González

Academic background: Degree in Biology (Universidad de Alcalá, 1996). PhD in Sciences (UAH, 2003). Doctorate Award (UAH). Master in University Teaching (UAH, 2010).

Professional experience: Predoctoral Fellow Research Staff Training, UAH (1998-1999). (1998-1999). Pre-doctoral scholarship holder for University Teacher Training, MEC (1999-2003). Researcher hired doctor. General Foundation of the UAH (2003-2004). Postdoctoral contract researcher CAM (2004-2006). Contracted researcher Juan de la Cierva MEC (2006-2007). Postdoctoral contract researcher CIBER-BBN, (2007-05/2017). Associate Professor of Histology, UAH (2008-05/2017). Visiting Professor, UAH (01/06/2017-19/05/2019). Profesor Titular de Universidad (20/05/2019-Act.) POSITIVE ANECA evaluation: Profesor Ayudante Doctor/Contratado Doctor/UniversidaD privado 2006. National accreditation Profesor Titular de Universidad 2013.

Teaching activity: Degrees of Medicine and Pharmacy of the UAH (1998-Act.). Dept. of Medicine and Medical Specialties, Histology Area. Master in Phlebology and Lymphology, UAH 2009-2012/2017. Doctoral Programs UAH and University of Zaragoza. Teaching stay: Higher Polytechnic School of Zaragoza, Doctoral Program Mention excellence, MEC 2012. Teaching stay: National Autonomous University of Mexico, 2018. Direction of 4 Doctoral Thesis and 6 TFGs Medicine. A five-year teaching period granted UAH (2008-2018).

Scientific and technological activity: SCOPUS citations: 1755. H-index: 23. Participation in 29 research projects, 2 European and 6 as PI. Participation in 15 R&D contracts with companies, 4 as PI. Researcher of CIBER-BBN (2007-Act.) and GIBBYC-UAH (Biomedical Research Group in Biomaterials and healing of the University of Alcalá). Since 2017, he is part of the network of the Ramón y Cajal Institute for Health Research (IRYCIS). Author/co-author of 138 papers published in national/international journals and book chapters. 239 communications to mainly international congresses. Research stays in prestigious international centers: Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, USA; Institut de Biologie et Chimie des Proteins, Lyon, France; Hopital Bichat-Claude Bernard, Paris, France; Mount Sinai Hospital and School of Medicine, New York, USA, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México. Three sexenios of research awarded CNEAI (1998-2015).

Advisory, consultancy and management activities: Organization of R&D activities: organization of international congresses: XIX Latin Meeting on Vascular Research (2003), XIII National Congress of the SEHIT. First International Congress of Histology and Tissue Engineering (2005), 5th Elastin European Meeting (2008). R&D Management: Administrative management of the group at CIBER-BBN (2007-Act.). Scientific Coordinator of the NANBIOSIS-ICTS Unit. Infrastructure on Production and Characterization of Nanomaterials, Biomaterials and Systems in Biomedicine. U17. (2008-Act.). Evaluator of research projects ANEP- adjunct in the surgical area, (2011-Act.) and the Andalusian Public Foundation Progreso y Salud, Junta de Andalucía, (2013-Act.). Evaluator of articles in JCR journals. Scientific Committee of the Sociedad Hispanoamericana de Hernia (SOHAH), (2013-Act.). Editorial Committee of the Journal of the SOHAH (2013-Act.). Member of the Spanish Society of Histology and Tissue Engineering (SEHIT), (2015-Act.).

Contact: gemma.pascual(ELIMINAR)@uah.es
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Dr. Gemma Pascual González

Head of IRYCIS Group
See CV