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PROF. Dr. MANUEL FRESNO
Manuel Fresno (1952) is Professor of Microbiology and Head of the research group of immune activation in the CBMSO of the Universidad Autonoma de Madrid (UAM) and CSIC. He was director during four years of this center, which includes more than 70 research groups at 5 departments. After obtaining his Ph.D in Biochemistry in 1977 at the UAM, he moved to the United States where he was Assistant in the Department of Pathology, Harvard University, Boston. He has also been Director of the Institute of Molecular Biology and Department of Molecular Biology both from UAM. In 2010 he found and was Scientific Director of Diomune, an SME Pharma Biotech until 2021.
Research Lines: a) Characterization and regulation of immune response against protozoan parasites (T. cruzi and Leishmania); b) Inflammation and disease; c) Activation of the Immune System Dr. Fresno has extensive experience in the study of both innate and acquired immunity "in vitro" and "in vivo" including molecular and cellular mechanisms. Also he has extensive experience in Parasitology, specifically in the alteration in immune response parasitic protozoa infections "(T. cruzi and Leishmania) and Virology (HIV-1) and its implications for pathogenesis and therapy including the design and evaluation of immunomodulators and description of its mechanism of action as well as in the design of Vaccines He completed his PhD under the direction of Dr. David Vazquez on the synthesis of proteins and ribosomal activity, leading to the discovery of new antibiotics. Noteworthy, the published results of the thesis 40 years ago are still are being cited today Later he moved to the US and where he was appointed Assistant Professor at Harvard Medical School two years later, helped contribute to the characterization of subpopulations of T lymphocytes by cloning them. Upon returning to Spain was the first to bring the Molecular and Cellular Immunology to a basic research center in Spain. More recently, his main scientific contributions are related to the regulation and role of cyclooxygenase-2 and prostaglandins in various inflammatory diseases, including cancer. In a pioneering work, the group described the expression of Cox-2 in T cells and its regulation by NFAT and involvement in cancer. In the last years his research is also focused on a new a complex Transcription factor TCFL5 in the immune system and leukemia. As a consequence of his work he has many exploited patents and created and Spin off DIOMUNE, SL, that is now applying for a clinical trial in humans based on his studies on TLR in inflammation. He has been the principal investigator of more than 78 competitive projects of national or international public and private agencies (EU: 8, Spanish Ministry: FIS, REDES 38, NIH- USA)/ Latin America: 5, Local governments: 13, Private Pharmaceutical companies: 18, Private foundations: 3). Also during his scientific/academic career he has directed a total of 37 doctoral theses and currently directs 5 and many TFGs and Master’s Thesis. Many of them direct already their own groups in Academic and Industry and some are Full Professor or Associate Professor in leading institutions as CNIC or Tufts University He actively participates in the training of students and researchers with an average of 300 hrs/year teaching in undergraduate and postgraduate courses, tutoring of students, participation in Faculty committees, etc.
Doctoral theses directed and presented since 2004: 19 doctoral theses. Total Citations: over 110,000 citations without self citations. Average citations in the last 5 years: approx 450/year (including around 10 citations /year of his PhD publications (1975-1977)) . Publications in D1: 4% and Q1: 60% H Index: 57.
Manuel Fresno is the author of more than 290 scientific articles (71 from January 2009, 26 as senior author) in international journals and 23 book chapters and books in its field. Highlight items are: Nature (1), Nature Immunol (2) Cell (2) J. Exp. Med. (6), EMBO J. (1), Circulation (1), J. Biol. Chem (16), J. Immunol. (20), J. Virol. (5), Eur. J. Immunol. (14), Blood (1), Cancer Res (2), Cardiovascular Res (1), Oncogene (3), AIDS (2), J. Clin. Invest. (2), J Infect Dis (4), Trends Parasitol. (1), Trends Molecular Medicine (2), Immunology Today (1), Progress in Neurobiology (1), PLos Pathogens (1), Oncotarget (3), J. Cell Sci (1), JACI (1), Biochem. J. (2), Cell Reports (1). Sci Transl Med (1), J. Allergy Clin. Immunol (2), Cell Report (1), EMBO Molecular Medicine (1), Front Inmmunol (5), among others.
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Funding (18)
SAF2016-75988-R
SAF2013-42850-R
BIOIMID
HOMIN - 317057 - FP7-PEOPLE-2012-ITN
RD12/0018/0004
S2010/BMD-2332