Biography

I obtained a Degree in Chemistry (Univ. Ramon Llull,1994) and Chemical Engineering (IQS, 1995). After obtaining a Ph D in Organic Chemistry (University of Barcelona, 1999) I joined the group of Lewis Kay in Toronto for a post-doctoral stay (University of Toronto, 2000-2004). I was then recipient of a Ramon y Cajal reincorporation contract at the Parc Cientific de Barcelona (2004-2006) and I currently am a group leader at the Structural Biology Unit of the CIC bioGUNE. My research lines have focused on the application of nuclear magnetic resonance for the study of proteins with biological relevance, with special emphasis on the study of the delicate balance that exists between the dynamics of proteins and their thermodynamic stability and choosing the mechanism of adaptation of life to conditions of extreme salinity and the molecular mechanism of congenital mutations that lead to the appearance of rare diseases as subjects of study.

Research in rare diseases, with a marked applied character, is based on the search for new lines of therapeutic intervention in two families of diseases (porphyria and tyrosinemia). Our research in pharmacological chaperones has allowed us to discover a repositioned drug (ciclopirox), active against congenital erythropoietic porphyria and, possibly, active for other forms of porphyria as well. As a result of this work, ciclopirox has been accepted as an orphan drug against congenital erythropoietic porphyria by the European Medicines Agency (January 2018) and the Food & Drug Administration (FDA, April 2018). The company has also attracted competitive funding, including an ITN grant from the H2020 program.

Another research line developed in our laboratory is the metabolomic analysis of samples for the early biomarker discovery in rare diseases (inborn screening) and for the study of metabolic syndrome (adult population screening). This project belongs to a strategic alliance with Bruker and has the final goal of developing new NMR-based diagnostic and therapeutic applications that can be translated to the clinic in the midterm scenario. We are currently involved in several international applications to get funding form the EU.

The laboratory has also adapted part of the research to respond to the COVID-19 challenge. Specifically, we have participated in SARS-CoV-2 protein production and patient sample handling and analysis.

I am also sensitive to the scientific community managing tasks and, for instance, I have represented Spain at the trans domain of the COST program. I have been awarded the prize of the Real Sociedad Española de Química (2004) and the Spanish NMR group prize (2005). I am currently the president of the Spanish Chemical Biology group.