VIII International Congress on Research and Innovation in Neurodegenerative Diseases

ESTELA AREA GÓMEZ

Columbia University-Irving Medical Center
The Neurological Institute of New York

I received my Ph.D. from the University of University Autonoma of Madrid (Spain), after which I transitioned into the field of mitochondrial research and neurodegeneration as a post-doctoral research scientist at the Merritt Center in the Neurology Department at Columbia University. In 2014, I joined the faculty of the Neurology department at Columbia University as an Assistant Professor. My laboratory has three major research goals: (i) To understand the role of mitochondria-associated ER membranes (MAM) in the overall lipid homeostasis in neurons; (ii) To understand whether perturbations in mitochondria-associated ER membranes (MAM) and lipid signaling underlie synaptic dysfunction, and/or neuronal death in various disorders, including Alzheimer's disease and Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis; and (iii) To identify lipid biomarkers that either segregate with or predict clinical outcome of neurological disorders, such as Alzheimer's disease, Parkinson's disease, Huntington's disease, amyotrophic lateral sclerosis and Down syndrome. To tackle these fundamental questions, my lab employs multidisciplinary approaches, which range from molecular and cell biology, protein and lipid biochemistry (including state-of-the-art ‘lipidomics’-based approaches) to mouse genetics and behavioral assessments of genetically-modified mice.

ACADEMIC APPOINTMENTS
Assistant Professor in the Department of Neurology

GERMÁN BELENGUER

Universitat de Valencia
CIBERNED

Dr. German Belenguer is currently a post-doc at the MPI-CBG Institute in Dresden. His research has been always focused in adult stem cell biology. Soon after graduating in Biochemistry and Biology at the Universidad de Valencia, he joined the group of Professor Isabel Fariñas in the same university where he worked with adult neural stem cells and obtained his PhD with a work focused in the effects of systemic inflammation on adult neural stem cells in different states. His work was fundamental to establish a novel procedure in the field to isolate and characterize neural stem cells in different states of activation. With this new tool he addressed how neural stem cells transit between quiescent and proliferative states in response to systemic inflammation, opening venues to comprehend the response of adult stem cells to remote injuries. After almost two years as a junior post-doc in the same lab, he moved to the UK to join the lab of Dr. Meritxell Huch at the Gurdon Institute in Cambridge where he participated in different projects exploring how liver progenitors remodel their chromatin to acquire a proliferative state during liver regeneration or the role of Wnt signaling in liver cancer progression. Finally, he moved together with Dr. Meritxell Huch to Dresden where he is continuing his research in understanding liver progenitor heterogeneity and the nature and regulation of their quiescence-activation cycle during liver regeneration.

Mª JESÚS BULLIDO

Universidad Autonoma de Madrid
Centro de Biología Molecular “Severo Ochoa” (CSIC-UAM)
CIBERNED

After her thesis and first postdoctoral years studying the molecular basis of the immune response to viral infections, she began to work in genetics and molecular pathology of the of Alzheimer’s disease (AD), collaborating since then with Dr. Ana Frank of the Hospital La Paz. Among her main scientific contributions, the discovery of functional polymorphisms in the promoter of the APOE gene associated with Alzheimer's disease was a highlight in the field.

In the last years, her team has focused on the functional genomics analysis of pathogenic cell models to search for new risk factors and mechanisms in Alzheimer’s. The team is committed to reinforce the translational aspect of the studies. To this aim, they are engaged in the validation of data obtained in the models by studying genetic, biochemical and metabolic markers in AD patients at preclinical and early stages of the disease that could constitute biomarkers or therapeutic targets. One of her main interests is to evaluate the possible involvement of the herpes simplex virus 1 (HSV 1) in the pathogenesis of the disease. Her team has shown that HSV 1 - further in the presence of oxidative stress is able of inducing the main histopathological markers of the disease, including alterations in the metabolism of the amyloid precursor protein and tau hyperphosphorylation, and that this capacities could be mediated by its effects on the autophagic endocytic lysosomal axis causing a profound alteration of lysosomal function.

She participates in the main consortia for the study of the Alzheimer’s genetic risk factors. She is a member since its creation in 2008 of the EADI European Consortium, which published the first major study of association at the genomic scale –GWAs and later joined the largest network of genomic study of AD (IGAP) worldwide. This has allowed her to be part of the main discoveries on AD genetic risk factors over the last years. She also collaborates with the leading Spanish experts in the genetic study of Alzheimer's disease and dementia, constituted as the Consortium DEGESCO. These collaborations provide a great added value to the individual work of the groups, and allow tackling projects to study the genetic architecture and molecular bases of dementia in the Spanish population.

VALENTÍN CEÑA CALLEJO

Universidad de Castilla-La Mancha
CIBERNED

Born in Barcelona (Spain) in 1957. He received his MD degree in 1980 and his Ph.D. degree in 1982. He spent two postdoctoral periods at the Department of Pharmacology at Downstate Medical Center; New York University (3 months) and at the National Institutes of Health in Washington D.C. at NICHD and NIADDK (4 years). In 1987, he was appointed Assistant Professor of Pharmacology at the University of Alicante (Spain) and promoted to Professor in 1995. He moved to University Miguel Hernández in 1997 and to University of Castilla-La Mancha in 2000 to set up the Medical School where he is currently working. In addition to his academic duties, he has been appointed for several management positions including Director of the Research Institute C.R.I.B. of the University of Castilla-La Mancha and Deputy Director for Network and Cooperative Research of the Instituto de Salud Carlos III (Ministery of Health; Spain).

His research interests have been aimed to 3 main areas: a) to study the molecular mechanisms of neurosecretion and the role that ionic channels, mainly voltage-dependent calcium channels subtypes play in such process, b) the molecular mechanisms involved in neuronal death occurring during neurodegenerative diseases such as Parkinson and Alzheimer disease with a special focus on the mitochondrial mechanisms involved in different neuronal death paradigms like excitotoxicity or autophagy-induced death and c) the use of siRNA introduced in the cells by different nanoparticles, mainly dendrimers, as a new therapeutic approach to different diseases, mainly neurodegenerative diseases and cancer with a special focus on glioblastoma.

He has published 130 papers and has an h-index of 42.

ANTONIA GUTIÉRREZ PÉREZ

Universidad de Malaga

Antonia Gutiérrez has a PhD in Biological Sciences (1991) from the University of Malaga (UMA). After a post-doctoral scientific specialization in the United States, she returned to UMA with a Postdoctoral Reincorporation Contract from the Ministry of Education and Science and, later on, as Associate Professor of Cell Biology, and since 2011 she is Full Professor of Cell Biology, and currently the Head of the Department of Cell Biology, Genetics and Physiology.

Her research has focused within the field of aging and neurodegeneration. Since 2003 she leads a biomedical research group on Alzheimer's disease (AD) in order to: 1) understand the molecular and cellular mechanisms underlying neurodegeneration, with special interest in the role of glial activation in AD pathogenesis, 2) identify potential biomarkers of disease progression, and 3) study the preclinical efficacy of new therapeutic treatments.

Since 2007 she is a Principal Investigator at the Center for Networked Biomedical Research on Neurodegenerative Diseases (CIBERNED), an agency of the Spain Carlos III Health Institute designated as a Center of Excellence within the CoEN International Network at the proposal of the European Union. Her group is part of CIBERNED Program 1 dedicated to Alzheimer's disease and other related dementias (www.ciberned.es). She is also principal investigator of the Andalusian research group NeuroAD (CTS-950) and of the Institute for Biomedical Research of Malaga (IBIMA) within the Neuroscience Area 3 (www.ibima.eu).

She is a member of the Alzheimer Association International Society to Advance Alzheimer's Research and Treatment (ISTAART), the Society for Neuroscience (SFN) of the United States, the Federation of European Neuroscience Societies (FENS) and the Spanish Society of Neuroscience (SENC). She is a scientific reviewer for numerous international neuroscience journals and a member of the committee of expert evaluators of the Alzheimer Association (USA), Medical Research Council (United Kingdom), French National Research Agency (ANR), Spain National Research Agency (AEI), and of the Andalusian Agency of Knowledge (DEVA).

MANUEL GUZMÁN PASTOR

Universidad Complutense de Madrid

Manuel Guzmán studied Biology at the UCM and graduated in 1986 (with a National Award for Completion of Studies) and a PhD in 1990 (with an Extraordinary Doctorate Award). He completed postdoctoral stays at the University of Utrecht (Holland), the Hannah Research Institute in Ayr (UK) and the University of California Irvine (USA). Since 2005 he is a Professor of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology at the UCM. He is currently Vice-Chair of the International Association for Cannabinoid Medicines. His research tries to contribute to the knowledge of the molecular mechanisms that control cell generation and survival, especially in the context of the CNS and cannabinoid receptors (see www.cannabinoidsignalling.com). This work has made it possible to characterize new mechanisms of action and effects mediated by these receptors, as well as to suggest new pathophysiological and therapeutic implications derived from them.

His research work has resulted in 200 scientific publications (h index: WOK = 67, Scopus = 71; total citations: WOK = 14,000, Scopus = 16,000) and 7 international patents, focused on the use of cannabinoids as possible antitumor agents and neuroprotective. He has supervised 22 doctoral theses.

IGNACIO ILLÁN GALA

Hospital de la Santa Creu i Sant Pau. Barcelona.

Ignacio Illán-Gala is a behavioral neurologist with a university degree in Neuropsychology and a Ph.D. in neurosciences. His previous research focused on using biofluid and imaging biomarkers to characterize neurodegenerative dementias. During his Ph.D. at the Sant Pau Memory Unit (Barcelona, Spain), he gained much experience in conventional structural MRI analyses and explored the clinical value of novel imaging biomarkers to improve the diagnosis of frontotemporal dementia. In 2019, he was selected as an Atlantic Fellow for Equity in Brain Health at the University of California San Francisco. This program aims to train the next generation of Brain Health leaders and supported him to obtain pilot funding for his first research project as an independent PI. Dr. Illán-Gala is currently working at the Sant Pau Hospital (Barcelona, Spain), where he leads the frontotemporal dementia clinic. In 2021, he started his new position thanks to the Juan Rodés contract, a prestigious and competitive grant from Carlos III Health Institute to support the most talented clinician-scientists in Spain. Dr. Illán-Gala envisions a world where frontotemporal dementia will no longer exist. Meanwhile, He is deeply committed to improving the clinical care of patients diagnosed with frontotemporal dementia in Spain and developing clinical trials testing novel treatments for this cruel disease.

ALBERTO LLEÓ BISA

Hospital de la Santa Creu i Sant Pau. Barcelona.

Dr. Alberto Lleó is director of the Memory Unit of the Neurology Service of the Hospital de la Santa Creu i Sant Pau.

After graduating, in Medicine and Surgery, at the University of Barcelona in 1995, he completed a specialization in Neurology at the Hospital de la Santa Creu i Sant Pau in 2000. Two years later, he obtained his doctorate in Medicine from the University of Barcelona. He continued his training with a basic research and clinical stay focused on memory and movement disorders at Massachusetts General Hospital (2002-2004), where he combined clinical assignments with research projects.

During his professional career, Dr. Alberto Lleó has combined healthcare work with translational research projects in the field of dementias, and specifically in its molecular aspects and in the development of biomarkers. His contributions include the discovery of new genetic alterations in Alzheimer's disease, the study of the functioning of the gamma-secretase complex, and the evaluation of new biochemical markers in Alzheimer's disease and frontotemporal dementia.

Today, Dr. Alberto Lleó directs a translational group, leads several projects financed by public and private agencies and maintains stable collaborations with numerous national and international groups. He is also coordinator of the Alzheimer program at CIBERNED (Center for Biomedical Research on the Net in neurodegenerative diseases). He is the author of a patent on synaptic markers, 20 book chapters and of more than 250 publications in international journals. He serves in the editorial board of Neurology and Brain Communications.

Mª VICTORIA LLORENS MARTÍN

Centro de Biología Molecular "Severo Ochoa" (CSIC-UAM). Madrid.

I received my Ph.D. from the UCM in 2009 for my research on the effects of physical exercise on adult hippocampal neurogenesis (AHN). In 2010, I joined Prof. Jesús Ávila’s lab at the Center for Molecular Biology “Severo Ochoa” (CBMSO) as a postdoctoral fellow. During that period, I was awarded two postdoctoral fellowships (JAEDoc-2009 and Juan de la Cierva-2012) and investigated AHN alterations in the brains of murine models of Alzheimer’s disease (AD). In 2015, I was awarded a prestigious international “Japan Society for the Promotion of Science (JSPS) Postdoctoral fellowship for foreign researchers”, one of the most competitive research programs in that country. Supported by this fellowship, I undertook a postdoctoral research period at the University of Tsukuba (Japan) (Dr. Hideaki Soya´s lab).

In 2016, I set up my independent laboratory, which focuses on the basic biology and neuroprotective potential of AHN for the treatment of various diseases and the year later I was granted a Ramón y Cajal contract. In September 2020, I was awarded a permanent researcher position as Científico Titular at the CBMSO.

Since the establishment of my own group (“Adult neurogenesis and neurodegenerative diseases”), I have received four prestigious international research grants as principal investigator (an ERC Consolidator Grant (ERC-CoG-2020), two from the Alzheimer´s Association (USA), and one from the Association for Frontotemporal Degeneration (USA)), and one grant from the Spanish Ministry of Economy and Competitiveness. Throughout this period of scientific independence, I have channeled great efforts into establishing a solid international network of collaborators, some of which are among the most prestigious researchers in the AHN field. Although my group is of recent creation, we have reached a notable degree of productivity. Since 2016, we have published 24 papers, of which I am the last author in 15. Some of these studies have been published in high-impact journals such as Nature Medicine, Nature protocols, EMBO J, and the Journal of Neuroscience. A study recently published by our group (Moreno-Jiménez et al., Nature Medicine, 2019), which focused on determining the occurrence of adult neurogenesis in human beings, attracted significant interest from the scientific community (a News and Views review in Nature Medicine, and two Editorials in Nature and Nature Reivews Neurology were published) and the media (The Scientist, The Scientific American, The Guardian, Le Monde, Il Corriere della sera, El Mundo, El País, La Razón, and ABC). This paper has significantly enhanced my research group’s international visibility and has substantially contributed to its consolidation as an international reference in the field of adult neurogenesis. Throughout my career, I have obtained three National Research Awards (CIBERNED Young Investigator Award (2014); “Miguel Catalán” Young Investigator Award (2019); and “Young Female Talent Award of the Spanish Royal Academy of Sciences (2019)).

JOSÉ JAVIER LUCAS

Centro de Biología Molecular "Severo Ochoa" (CSIC-UAM). Madrid.

José Lucas (San Javier-Murcia, 1965) is a Research Professor at the Severo Ochoa-Molecular Biology Center (CBMSO-CSIC & CIBERNED) in Madrid. José studied Biology at the Autonomous University of Madrid (UAM) and obtained his Ph.D in 1993 for his work on the molecular basis of pain performed at Cajal Institute (Madrid). In his postdoctoral period, at Columbia University, in New York (1993-1997) he studied the neurobiology of addiction. Since his return to Spain, in 1998, he works at CBMSO on the molecular basis of neurodegenerative diseases (especially Huntington and Alzheimer's) and psychiatric (such as schizophrenia or autism).

The most important milestones of his research are: the demonstration, by the use of transgenic mouse models, that neurodegenerative diseases are reversible and the discovery that neurodegenerative diseases and autism share molecular mechanisms.

Author of several patents and more than 110 publications in international journals, including the most prestigious such as Nature, Cell, Nature Medicine, Neuron, Brain, JCI, EMBO J or PNAS. He has received various scientific awards and is member of the Royal National Academy of Pharmacy (RANF) and of the Academia Europaea.

CARLOS MATUTE

Achucarro Basque Center for Neuroscience-UPV. Vizcaya.

Dr. Matute is a full professor at the University of Basque Country, School of Medicine (Spain).

He graduated and received his PhD at the University of Zaragoza (Spain) in 1982. He worked as a postdoctoral fellow in neurotransmitter signaling under the supervision of Drs. M. Cuénod and P. Streit (Brain Research Institute in Zurich), and Dr. R. Miledi (University of California in Irvine). His laboratory has focused on the study of novel mechanisms of neurodegeneration and neuroprotection as well as on the contribution of glial cells to neurodegenerative diseases.

JOSÉ RAMÓN NARANJO OROVIO

Centro Nacional de Biotecnología-CSIC. Madrid.

PhD in Medicinal Chemistry (1983), he did his post-doctoral research in the USA (NIMH and Georgetown University) and France (IGBMC, Strasbourg) and was appointed as Staff Scientist at C.S.I.C. in 1986. EMBO Member since 2000, he was Director of the National Center for Biotechnology-C.S.I.C (2003-2007) and Deputy Vice President for Scientific Programming at C.S.I.C (2013-2014). His research is focused on the early mechanisms of neuroprotection, in part controlled by the DREAM protein, which are common to different neurodegenerative diseases and that could be novel targets for therapy. He is serving as Receiving Editor for JBC and is a member of several International Advisory Committees and Reviewing Panels. He has published more than 100 pier-reviewed papers.

XAVIER NAVARRO ACEBES

Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona

Xavier Navarro received the MD degree in 1978 and the PhD degree in 1985 from the Unversitat Autonoma de Barcelona (UAB). He completed his speciality training in Neurology at the University of Barcelona, and in Neurophysiology at the University of Minnesota. He was Assistant Porfessor of the Department of Neurology of the University of Minnesota (1986-1988). He returned in 1988 to the UAB as Associate Professor in the Department of Cell Biology and Physiology, where he is currently full Professor of Physiology since 1999. He has been a founder of the Institute of Neurosciences of the UAB, and the director of the Department (2010-2016). He also serves as scientific advisor of the Institut Guttmann of Neurorehabilitation.

Since 1989 he is coordinating the research Group of Neuroplasticity and Regeneration. His research interests are focused on axonal regeneration, functional restitution after nerve injuries, cell and molecular therapies for spinal cord injuries, neuroprostheses, peripheral neuropathies, neuropathic pain and motoneuron diseases. He has published more than 400 papers in refereed journals and books in these areas of the neurosciences, with an H-index of 62, and directed 29 PhD theses. He has received awards “Ciutat de Barcelona” in 1995, “Josep Trueta” in 2000, ASPAYM in 2009 for his scientific research activities.

JOSÉ ÁNGEL OBESO INCHAUSTI

HM-CINAC. Madrid.

He is the director of the CINAC (Centro Integral de Neurociencias AC) in Madrid, and is a professor of Neurology at the CEU-San Pablo University. He leads a laboratory with a high dedication to the understanding and development of new treatments to treat Parkinson's disease. He was Editor in Chief of the Movement Disorders Journal (2020 IF=10.3), the leading publication in the field of Parkinson’s disease and movement disorders, since 2010 to 2019. He holds the Neurology chair (# 48) of the National Academy of Medicine of Spain, and awarded “doctor of the year” by the ABC daily newspaper in 2017 and Astra Zeneca prize, an honorary award in recognition of excellence in scientific career. Prof. Obeso has published more than 450 articles on the functional anatomy and pathophysiology of the basal ganglia, mechanisms and treatment of dyskinesias in Parkinson's disease , the concept of continuous dopaminergic stimulation and the basis of surgical treatment of Parkinson´s disease. More recently, he is dedicated to decipher the factors underlying selective dopaminergic vulnerability, the effect of focused ultrasound and opening of the blood brain barrier for Parkinson´s disease. His current Hirsch index is 86(ISI) and 108 (Google Scholar). Prof. Obeso has contributed to the education of > 100 neurologists and basic neuroscientists in the field of basal ganglia mechanisms, movement disorders and Parkinson´s disease.

CARMEN PARADAS LÓPEZ

Instituto de Biomedicina de Sevilla (IBIS)-FISEVI

The main purpose of our group is to investigate genetic bases of neuromuscular disorders, field in which I have been interested since the beginning of my doctoral studies, under the supervisión of Dr Isabel Illa at Sant Pau Hospital, which was focused on the utility of quantitative methods of muscular testing, and evaluation of the pattern of muscle involvement by muscle imaging (MRI) in the muscular dystrophies. During this period developed one of the first and outstanding works in the field of neuroimaging and dysferlinopathies (Paradas et al, Neurology 2010). From 2011 to 2013 she developed a second postdoctoral period working in the Neuromuscular Laboratory lead by Dr. Hirano and Dr. DiMauro at Columbia University (NYC, USA). During my postdoctoral studies I worked on genetics of muscular dystrophies and mitochondrial myopathies, which culminated with the description of the first case of an adult patient suffering a mitochondrial myopathy due to mutations in the TK2 gene (Paradas et al, Neurology 2013), the description of the natural history of the myopathy associated to mutations in the Twinkle gene (Paradas et al, JAMA Neurology 2013) and I initiated the description of the role of POGLUT1 in the pathogenesis of the muscular dystrophies. In 2014, I set up my own laboratory at the Institute of Biomedicine of Seville (IBiS), associated to the University Hospital of Virgen del Rocío in Sevilla, where I am research coordinator of the Unit of Neuromuscular Disorders. Special mention deserves the collaboration with H. Jafar-Nejad´s and R.S. Haltiwanger´s groups in USA. Recently, our group has generated the knock-in mouse model harboring a mutation in the POGLUT1 gene, developing projects with public (FIS, Andalucía Government and NIH) and private funding, which paves the way for future functional study and potential therapeutic approaches for this new disease.

Positions and Employment
1997 MD, University of Granada
2001-2003 Research Assistant, University Hospital of Sant Pau, Barcelona, Spain.
2006 PhD, University of Sevilla
1997-2011 Neurologist (Neuromuscular specialist), University Hospital of Virgen del Rocío, Sevilla, Spain
2011-2014 Post-doctoral Fellow, Columbia University Medical Center, New York, USA
2016 Visitant Scientist, National Institute of Neuroscience, NCNP, Tokyo
2014- Neurologist and Research Coordinator (Neuromuscular specialist), University Hospital of Virgen del Rocío/ Biomedical Institute of Sevilla/ University of Sevilla, Sevilla, Spain
Member of World Muscle Society Organization,TREAT-NMD Neuromuscular Network, Carlos III Health Institute and Coordinator of the Health Care Provider University Hospital Virgen del Rocío as National Reference Center of Neuromuscular Disorders (CSUR/EURO-NMD).

ANA Mª. PÉREZ-CASTILLO

Instituto de Investigaciones Biomédicas (CSIC-UAM). Madrid.

Our laboratory is interested in the identification of new therapeutic targets for the treatment of neurodegenerative diseases. For this we have several preclinical models that model Alzheimer's and Parkinson's diseases to identify and analyze possible cell targets that serve to develop new drugs for the treatment of these diseases. With that in mind, we have studied some of the processes that characterize these pathologies, discovering the involvement of several genes such as C / EBPβ, whose gene inhibition has been shown to have a powerful neuroprotective effect in a Parkinson's model. Another of the genes that we have analyzed is that of PDE7, an enzyme involved in the degradation of cAMP. Our results suggest that this gene is expressed early in degenerative processes that affect the dopaminergic neurons of the substantia nigra, as well as promoting the appearance of pro-inflammatory phenomena.

Another of the laboratory's interests is the research on neurogenesis and aging. Regarding this, we are delving into our previous observations that describe the neurogenic effect of certain components of the concoction known as Ayahuasca. We are working on the role of new cell targets involved in neurogenesis, which can expand our knowledge about the cellular mechanisms that can lead to an improvement in adult neurogenesis and therefore be very useful to know the mechanisms associated with this process. and the development of new treatments for aging-related disorders.

JORDI PÉREZ TUR

Institut de Biomedicina de València-CSIC

CSIC’s Research Scientist working in the Institut de Biomedicina de València-CSIC (IBV-CSIC). I got my B.Sc. and Ph.D. from the Universitat de València-Estudi General and Universidad Autónoma de Madrid respectively. I worked as a post-doc in INSERM in Lille (France) , the University of South Florida in Tampa and the Mayo Clinic Jacksonville (both in Florida, USA). After that I started my group at the IBV-CSIC.

My research activities have been focused on the identification of genetic factors related to the appearance of neurological, mainly neurodegenerative, disorders. In that sense, my group has participated in the finding of loci related to several of these diseases such as Alzheimer’s, Parkinson’s or Progressive Supranuclear Palsy. Also, my group has been involved in the finding of genes related to familial forms of Parkinson’s disease and Epilepsy and on the functional characterization of some of them.

MANUEL RODRÍGUEZ DÍAZ

Universidad de La Laguna. Tenerife.

Manuel Rodríguez is a neurologist, doctor in Physiology and Senior Professor in the Department of Basic Medical Sciences of the Faculty of Medicine of La Laguna University. He worked during the 80 and 90 on different aspects of the neurochemical and electrophysiological behavior of dopaminergic cells in animal models of Parkinson’s disease. He studied the ontogenic evolution of dopaminergic neurons, the interaction of the dopamine cell population located in both the right- and left-brain sides and the neurobiology of their adaptation to chronic treatments with dopaminergic drugs. Later, he developed different animal models of Parkinson’s disease identifying subpopulations of nigrostriatal cells with different vulnerabilities to damage. He provided evidence suggesting the increased release of glutamate as a mechanism for explaining how the degeneration of dopamine cells may promote the degeneration of other cells also affected in Parkinson’s disease. In recent years, he has been working on the influence of striatal astrocytes on glutamate dynamics, on the modulation of dopaminergic transmission and on the progress of dopamine cell degeneration. He is currently working on the role of mitochondria in the degeneration of dopaminergic neurons in Parkinson’s disease.

He is the director of the “Neurobiology and Experimental Neurology” research group, which in La Laguna University, has also studied different clinical features of parkinsonian patients (e.g. pneumological disturbances and attention deficits ..), and which has collaborated with other national and international groups in different clinical studies (e.g. neurophysiology of dopamine neurons in parkinsonian patients). He has recently developed new procedures to study the functional activity of human basal ganglia with image methods, showing the connectivity of thalamic centers with other basal ganglia and their influence on their interaction during resting and different motor tasks.

He has authored over 150 peer-reviewed articles published in J. Neurosci., J. Neurochem. Nature Rev Neurosci. Eur. J. Neurosci., Mov. Disorders, Neurology, Trends in Neuroscience, Neuroimage, Annals of Neurology, Neurobiology of Disease, Lancet Neurology, Nature Medicine, Glia, Human Brain Mapping, Neurobiology of Aging, and Aging Cell. He has supervised 21 Doctoral Theses, giving seminars and lectures at Universities, Research Centers and Scientific Meetings, acted as a reviewer for many international Journals and for Spanish and International grants.

CARLOS VICARIO

Instituto Cajal-CSIC. Madrid.

Carlos Vicario is a Doctor in Pharmacy from the University of Salamanca, Spain, and a specialist in Neurobiology and Stem Cells. Dr. Vicario performed Postdoctoral research at the MIT (Cambridge, MA) and the NIH (Bethesda, MD) where he became a Visiting Associate Scientist. He published pioneer articles on the isolation and characterization of neural stem cells (NSCs) and the role of neurotrophins in neuronal differentiation and synaptic maturation.

In 1999 he returned to Spain and joined the Centro de Investigaciones Biológicas-CSIC, Madrid, and in 2001 he obtained a Ramón y Cajal contract and started developing his own research lines. In 2004, he became a Científico Titular / Tenured Senior Scientist and Group Leader at the Cajal Institute of CSIC (IC-CSIC) and in April 2010 he was appointed Investigador Científico. In 2007 Dr. Vicario became a Principal Investigator of CIBERNED.

During these years Carlos Vicario´s group has isolated neural stem cells from the embryonic and adult brain, studied their self-renewal properties, their capacity to differentiate into neurons and glia and the role of growth factors and transcription factors in these processes. More recently, his group has established the technology to reprogram human fibroblasts into induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs) and to differentiate the iPSCs into neurons and astrocytes. These cells are being used as models to study neurodegeneration in Pakinson´s and Alzheimer´s diseases.

Dr. Vicario has authored (under the names of Carlos Vicario and Carlos Vicario-Abejón) 60 articles published in Journal Neuroscience, Neuron, Nature Reviews Neuroscience, Development, Stem Cells, Biomaterials, and Movement Disorders, among other journals, as well as 10 book chapters. The work in his laboratory is being funded by Spanish and European public agencies and by private Foundations.

JAVIER SÁEZ VALERO

Instituto de Neurociencias de Alicante (CSIC-UMH)

Education
• 1990 M.S. Biology, Universidad de Murcia, Murcia
• 1996. Doctor in Sciences, Universidad de Murcia, Murcia (Highest Honour)
• 1996-99. PhD Research, Dept Pathology, Melbourne University, Australia
• 1999. PhD Research, Mario Negri Institute, Milan, Italy
• 2001. Principal Research, Research Unit, Hospital Gral. Universitario de Alicante

Present Position
Research scientist at the Neuroscience Institute of the Universidad Miguel Hernández-CSIC and at CIBERNED and Professor at the Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology of the Universidad Miguel Hernández, Spain.

Current Research Interest
Our group is part of Instituto de Neurociencias (UMH-CSIC) & CIBERNED (Research Networking Centre for Neurodegenerative Diseases) & ISABIAL (Instituto de Investigación Sanitaria y Biomédica de Alicante). Our group is part of the "Society for CSF analysis and clinical neurochemistry". The translational benefits of our research lie in the fact that we aim to clarify the pathological mechanisms behind Alzheimer’s disease but also to define potential diagnostic tools and/or processes with therapeutic relevance.

Our expertise comprises i) biochemical characterization of post-translational modifications for brain proteins, including glycosylation and phosphorylation analysis, as characterization of proteolytic processing; ii) characterization of ligand-receptor interaction associated to signaling pathways; iii) assessment of sustained inhibition of key enzymes such as secretases; iii) molecular analysis of the failures for secretase inhibitors to improve Alzheimer’s disease state.

Recently, we initiated a new research lines in COVID-19 focusing in the host receptor protein ACE2.

Among the studies by our group related to the presentation there are i) cross-talk of Alzheimer’s key proteins Aβ and P-tau, role for the reelin protein. Reelin is a signaling protein that modulates synaptic function and plasticity in the brain. We demonstrate a novel mechanism by which β-amyloid regulates reelin expression and glycosylation, thereby influencing its signaling. Apolipoprotein E, the major genetic risk factor for Alzheimer’s disease is also a ligand for reelin receptors. ii) Development of new cerebrospinal fluid biomarkers, evaluating the diagnostic potential of particular glycoforms of proteins (including Aβ precursor APP), which improve sensitivity and specificity of the biomarkers. We also identify in the CSF several secretases and APP proteolytic fragments.

More than 70 publications in peer-reviewed journals and 5 book chapters. 7 Patent applications. 10 PhD theses.

ISIDRO FERRER

Prof. Emérito
Universitat de Barcelona
Investigador Emérito – Institut d’Investigacio Biomedica de Bellvitge (IDIBELL)

Isidro Ferrer CIBERNED-Instituto de Investigación Biomedica de Bellvitge Main Education/Training: Degree in Medicine (MD), University of Barcelona: 1975; Doctor (PhD) in Medicine, University of Barcelona: 1978; Title of specialist: Pathologic Anatomy, Ministry of Education: 1978; Professor of Pathology, University of Barcelona, Faculty of Medicine, Department of Pathology and Experimental Therapeutics (1996-present); Director of the Institute of Neuropathology and Brain Bank, Service of Pathologic Anatomy, Bellvitge University Hospital, Hospitalet de Llobregat, Barcelona (1995-2016); Director of the HUB-ICO-IDIBELL Biobank (2011-2016) Publications journals: 852; h-index: 82 (year 2019); book chapters: 39. Major significant research outputs: Narcis Monturiol Price for Research of the Catalonia Government, 2003; Research award of the Catalan Institute of Health, 2008; Profile Lancet Neurology: Isidre Ferrer: a revolutionary in neuropathology. Published Online February 21, 2013 http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/; Alfons Maria Jakob silver medal of the German Society of Neuropathology and Neuroanatomy, Hamburg, 2016; Premi Ramon Turró, Societat Catalana de Biologia, Institut d’Estudis Catalans, 2016; Premio Mano Amiga, Fundación Alzheimer León, 2018. Member of the International Society of Neuropathology, European Federation of European Neuropathologic Societies, American Association of Neuropathologists, British Neuropathological Society, International Society of Alzheimer’s disease, International Society of Frontotemporal lobar dementia. Member of the Academia Europea (2018) Member of the advisory board of the journals: Brain Pathology, Frontiers in Aging Neuroscience, Journal of Alzheimer’s Disease, American Journal Neurodegenerative Diseases, International Journal of Neuropathology, Folia Neuropathologica, Journal Epigenetics and Neuroglia, and Associate Editor of the Journal of Neuropathology and Experimental Neurology Director of Doctoral Thesis: 39, University of Barcelona Patent: Marcadores mitocondriales de enfermedades neurodegenerativas. Inventors: M. Barrachina, I. Ferrer, M. Blanch; identification: P201430444; date: 28/3/2014; entity: IDIBELL

LUIS ALFONSO CAMBRE MARTÍN

Licenciado en Documentación por la Universidad de Salamanca y Experto en Gestión de Documentos Digitales en Empresas e Instituciones por la Universidad Camilo José Cela. Desde el año 2001 trabaja en el mundo de las ciencias documentales, aunque desde 2011 su labor se centra en el ámbito de la enfermedad de Alzheimer y otras demencias. Con su labor en el Centro de Referencia Estatal de Alzheimer (Imserso) asesora y apoya al equipo de profesionales del CREA así como a las personas usuarias externas, proporcionado acceso al mundo de la información en el ámbito de la enfermedad de Alzheimer y otras demencias.

Asimismo, es profesor externo en el Máster Universitario en Intervención a Personas con Enfermedad de Alzheimer de la Universidad de Salamanca.

ENRIQUE PÉREZ SÁEZ

Natural de Ávila. Licenciado en Psicología en 2003 y Doctor en Neuropsicología Clínica en 2009 por la Universidad de Salamanca. Desde 2010 trabaja en el Centro de Referencia Estatal de Alzheimer (Imserso), donde combina la atención directa de las personas con demencia, la actividad investigadora en el campo de las intervenciones psicosociales y la actividad docente en seminarios y como tutor de prácticas de diversos másteres universitarios.

Es profesor asociado de la Universidad de Salamanca, formador para Replicar Socialform en Portugal y profesor de posgrado en el Instituto Universitario Miguel Torga en Portugal. Es miembro del Grupo Estatal de Demencias (GED).

ANA LUZ DE ANDRÉS TERÁN

Licenciada en Matemáticas en la Universidad de Salamanca. Máster de Artes Escénicas. Bailarina, profesora y coreógrafa de danza contemporánea. Primer y segundo ciclo de la Society of Russian Stylee Ballet School. Último espectáculo “La Osadía” de la Chana Teatro.

Experta profesional en la aplicación de la Danza y el Movimiento en personas con alzhéimer y otras demencias. Desde 2008, es Responsable del programa pionero de Danza Creativa Terapéutica, en el Centro de Referencia Estatal de atención a personas con enfermedad de Alzheimer y otras Demencias del Imserso. Investigadora principal del estudio «Propiedades psicométricas del Profile of Mood States (POMS) en personas con demencia y su aplicación en la evaluación de los efectos de la danza creativa terapéutica» publicada en la Revista Neurología.

RAQUEL GARCÍA SANTELESFORO

Licenciada en Psicología por la Universidad de Salamanca y Máster en Psicología Clínica por la Asociación Española de Psicología Clínica Cognitivo-Conductual (AEPCCC). Desde 2008 trabaja en el Centro de Referencia Estatal de Alzheimer (Imserso), y en el año 2015 se incorpora al equipo de Intervención con Familias del CREA desempeñando labores de terapia familiar con las familias de las personas con demencia y tareas de docencia dentro del programa de formación de dicho centro. Tutorización de prácticas de alumnos del máster de psicología general sanitaria de la Universidad de Salamanca.

Es autora de diversas guías sobre intervención con personas con demencia, como “Guía para la implantación del uso de tablet en centros de personas con demencia”.

MARÍA ISABEL GONZÁLEZ INGELMO

Licenciada en Psicología y Diploma en Pedagogía Terapéutica por la Universidad de Salamanca. Es en la actualidad Directora Gerente del Centro de Referencia Estatal de Atención a Personas con enfermedad de Alzheimer y otras demencias del Imserso y coordinadora del Grupo Estatal de Demencias.

Participante en la iniciativa Joint Action 2014 con el Proyecto Europeo CHAFEA 2014-2017 sobre modelos de coordinación sociosanitaria en la atención a las personas con demencias y Evaluadora Independiente de Alzheimer Europa.

Fue coordinadora del área sociosanitaria en la Cumbre “Global Alzheimer´s Research Summit, Madrid 2011”, siendo Promotora de la Red Mundial WISDEM, red especializada en el conocimiento de la demencia.

Miembro del comité organizador y científico de investigación sociosanitaria de la Cumbre “Alzheimer´s Global Summit Lisbon 2017”.

En la actualidad es docente en el Master Universitario en “Intervención a personas con enfermedad de Alzheimer” de la Universidad de Salamanca, coordinadora de proyectos de tecnología, en los campos de la estimulación cognitiva y del diseño ambiental para personas con alzhéimer y sus familias cuidadoras.

Responsable de proyectos de investigación en el campo de las demencias, así como colaboradora en guías, publicaciones y documentos técnicos en torno a las demencias.

JESÚS RODRIGO

Licenciado en Ciencias de la Educación. Pedagogo

CEO de la Confederación Española de Alzheimer

Miembro de la Junta Directiva de Alzheimer Europa

Miembro de la Junta Directiva de Alzheimer Iberoamérica

Miembro del Comité Técnico de la Estrategia de Enfermedades Neurodegenerativas del Sistema Nacional de Salud

Miembro del Grupo Estatal de Demencias

Miembro del Consejo Asesor de Levin Consulting and Communication

María Dolores Almagro Cabrera

María Dolores Almagro Cabrera, es hija de una persona enferma de Alzheimer, y a raíz de este diagnóstico, funda junto a otros familiares, la Asociación de Familiares de Enfermos de Alzheimer de Motril-Contigo en agosto de 2010, de la que sigue siendo Presidenta.

Ésta es una Entidad sin ánimo de lucro y cuya finalidad es “Mejorar la Calidad de Vida de las personas afectadas por la enfermedad, tanto de las personas cuidadoras como de las personas enfermas”.

Desde el año 2011 forma parte de la Junta directiva de la Federación Granadina de Alzheimer (FEGRAFA), y desde 2014 es su Presidenta.

Desde 2013 forma parte de la Junta Directiva de la Confederación Andaluza de Alzheimer (CONFEAFA), y desde 2014 es la Tesorera de dicha entidad.

Y desde 2016 es vocal de la Confederación Española de Alzheimer (CEAFA), así como su Controller Jurídico y coordinadora del Comité de Atención Asociativa.

Inés María Losa Lara

Inés María Losa Lara (Tomelloso, 1972), Presidenta de la Federación Regional de Alzheimer de Castilla-La Mancha, Fedacam, es Graduada en Administración y Dirección de Empresas por la Universidad Internacional de la Rioja.

Vinculada a la Asociación de Familiares de Alzheimer de Tomelloso desde sus inicios, hace 22 años, es Presidenta desde 2012, y a través de ella impulsa la atención de las personas con alzhéimer y sus familias desde el Centro de Día San Rafael, único recurso especializado en demencias en la localidad de Tomelloso y su comarca, promoviendo la autonomía personal y la prevención de la dependencia a través de terapias no farmacológicas que tienen como centro de actuación la persona afectada y su entorno cuidador.

Entre 2014 y 2015 es nombrada vocal de la Federación Regional de Alzheimer de Castilla-La Mancha, pasando a ocupar el cargo de Tesorera entre 2015 y 2018, y siendo elegida Presidenta en junio de 2018. Cargo que desempeña en la actualidad, asumiendo la defensa y representación del colectivo afectado ante la administración y las distintas instituciones y organizaciones de la región.

Desde enero de 2019 es tesorera de la Confederación Española de Alzheimer, Ceafa, siendo miembro de su Comité de Acción Política y coordinadora del Comité de Gestión y Control Presupuestario.

Ha participado como ponente en distintas jornadas y foros relacionados con la enfermedad de Alzheimer. Es miembro del comité organizador de las Jornadas de Alzheimer Mary Torres que se llevan a cabo cada año en el Hospital General de Tomelloso.

Otros cargos a lo largo de su trayectoria profesional:
Representante de la Asociación de Alzheimer de Tomelloso en el Patronato de la Fundación Alzheimer España entre 2012 y 2019.

Cheles Cantabrana

Doctora en Sociología de las Políticas Públicas y Sociales (UNIZAR, 2016); Licenciada en Antropología Cultural y Social (2008); Experta Universitaria en Exclusión social, Integración y Ciudadanía (UNED, 2013).

Mi formación y mi vocación social van de la mano y desde enero de 2016 soy presidenta de la Confederación Española de Alzheimer (CEAFA). CEAFA está compuesta por 314 Asociaciones de familiares y 19 Federaciones autonómicas, que cubren el ámbito estatal. Esta red específica de lucha contra el Alzheimer y sus consecuencias atiende anualmente a alrededor de 200.000 familias, proporcionándoles servicios y prestaciones adaptadas a sus necesidades, poniendo el foco en la calidad de vida del binomio paciente-persona cuidadora.

Llego a CEAFA desde AFEDAZ, la Asociación de familiares de personas con Alzheimer de Zaragoza, entidad con la que había comenzado a colaborar en el año 2000, después de que unos años antes acudiera a la misma para obtener respuestas acerca de la enfermedad de mi madre. Obtuve respuestas, apoyo y cuidados. Actualmente soy también presidenta de AFEDAZ y de la Federación Aragonesa de Alzheimer (Alzheimer Aragón).

En representación de CEAFA, soy miembro de las Juntas y Permanentes de diferentes instituciones, entre ellas, el Consejo Estatal de Personas Mayores. En Aragón, pertenezco a la Permanente del Consejo Aragonés de Personas Mayores, al Consejo de la Ciudad y al Consejo de Sanidad de la Comunidad.

Raquel Amigo Moreno

Coordinadora del Biobanco del Hospital Universitari i Politènic La Fe de Valencia (Biobanco La Fe).

Ingeniero Químico, Auditor Jefe Internacional en Sistemas de Gestión de Calidad certificado (International Register of Certificated Auditors, IRCA). Máster en Biobancos destinados a investigación biomédica por la Universidad Católica de Valencia; Máster en Bioética, Deodontología y Calidad Sanitaria por la Universidad de Valencia; Máster en Gestión Sanitaria y Gestión Innovadora de los recursos por la Universidad de Valencia; Máster en Ingeniería de Análisis de Datos, Mejora de Procesos y Toma de Decisiones por la Universidad Politécnica de Valencia. DEA en Estadística y Optimización por el Departamento de Investigación Operativa y Matemática Aplicada de la Universidad Politécnica de Valencia con el trabajo “Estudio de la relación entre percepción olfativa, toxicidad y las asociaciones psicológicas cruzadas” y Diploma de Especialización en Tecnologías Industriales y de Gestión.

Su actividad profesional ha estado enfocada en la implantación, certificación y acreditación de sistemas de gestión de calidad y seguridad de la información, auditoría, consultoría y asesoría, estudios de viabilidad, dirección y organización industrial, lean manufacturing, lean healthcare, six sigma, gestión de riesgos, optimización e ingeniería de procesos. Ha actuado como auditor externo tanto en empresas del ámbito sanitario como el industrial y participado en la implantación de diferentes sistemas de gestión tanto en la sanidad pública como en la privada desde 2008.

Actualmente, es Coordinadora del Biobanco del Hospital Universitari i Politècnic La Fe.

Puso en marcha el servicio y durante sus 10 años de funcionamiento se ha dedicado a su gestión integral desde un punto de vista técnico, legal, ético y social. Miembro del ISBER durante 2012 y miembro actual de la IChemE.

Emilio Marmaneu Moliner

Cuidador, durante 23 años, junto con su familia, de su madre Salomé, enferma de Alzheimer. Ingeniero Técnico Industrial y empresario. Fundador y presidente de la AFA Castellón de ámbito provincial, con delegaciones en varias poblaciones (Castellón, Vinarós, Vall D´Uixo, Onda, Morella, Burriana, Nules, Vila-Real, Alcora, Betxí y Oropesa), que actualmente gestiona 4 Centros de Día y 9 Unidades de Respiro y con los sellos de calidad EFQM 200+, ISO9001 e INACEPS . Fundador y miembro FEVAFA, siendo desde diciembre del 2012 Presidente.

Presidente CEAFA (Confederación Española de Familiares de Enfermos de Alzheimer y otras demencias) desde 2004 hasta 2010. Expresidente de AIB (Alzheimer Iberoamérica). Presidente y fundador de la Fundación Alzheimer Salomé Moliner. Expresidente de la Alianza General de Pacientes. Exmiembro del Consejo Estatal de ONG´s de acción social. Exmiembro del Consejo Estatal de Personas Mayores. Expatrono de la Fundación Española de Enfermedades Neurológicas (FEEN). Exrepresentante de CEAFA en Alzheimer Disease’s International. Exrepresentante de CEAFA en la Confederación Europea de Asociaciones de Familias (COFACE). Presidente sustituto en la Plataforma de Voluntariado de la Comunidad Valenciana.

María del Remedio Pérez Baeza

FORMACIÓN ACADÉMICA

Diplomada en Trabajo Social en 1994 y posteriormente, Graduada en Trabajo Social en 2013, en ambos casos por la Universidad de Alicante (UA)

FORMACIÓN COMPLEMENTARIA

Curso De Aptitud Pedagógica. Universidad de Alicante. 2004.
Master en Formación, Gestión Y Dirección En Autonomía, Dependencia Y Discapacidad. 60 créditos ECTS, UNED. 2013.
Experto Universitario en Ciencias Forenses para Trabajadores Sociales. 20 créditos ECTS, UNED. 2015.
Cursos de: Animador Sociocultural; Coordinador de Voluntariado; Peritos Judiciales; Dependencia; Sistema Básico de Calidad y Gestión de Procesos; ISO 9000: 2015; Responsabilidad y Transparencia.
Asistencia a diversos: Congresos Nacionales, Autonómicos e Internacionales, Conferencias, Jornadas y Mesas Redondas sobre Demencias y Enfermedad de Alzheimer; Foros de Bienestar Social; Congreso Estatal de Trabajo Social y Jornadas Autonómicas de Trabajo Social.

EXPERIENCIA LABORAL:

Trabajadora Social en AFA Alicante desde marzo de 1999.
Tutora de alumnos/as de prácticas de Trabajo Social de UA, desde el 2000.
Docente en Cursos de Formación para cuidadores no profesionales de: Conselleria de Bienestar Social, AFA Alicante, FOREM-CCOO y el Servicio Municipal de Atención a la Dependencia de Alicante y de Mutxamel (Alicante)
Participación en diferentes Mesas Redondas, Jornadas, Charlas,…organizadas por: Universidad de Alicante, diversas ONG’s, Asociación Gerontológica del Mediterráneo, Colegio Oficial de Trabajo Social de Alicante, Colegio Oficial de Farmacia de Alicante, Departamento de Trabajo Social y Servicios Sociales de la Universidad de Alicante, Centros de Salud y Hospital.
Participación como ponente en el “VII Congreso Nacional de Alzheimer”, organizado por CEAFA y en el “X Congreso de Estudiantes de Farmacia” de la Universidad Miguel Hernandez.
Participación en dos Posters presentados en II y V Conferencia Nacional Alzheimer. Bilbao 1999 y Murcia 2005.
Por otra parte en lo referente a mi profesión, desde 2010 he sido Vocal de la Junta de Gobierno del Colegio Oficial de Trabajo Social de Alicante, siendo actualmente, Secretaria del mismo y también representante de los tres Colegios Oficiales de Trabajo Social de la Comunidad Valenciana, en el Observatorio de la Vulnerabilidad del Síndic de Greuges de la Comunitat Valenciana desde 2016.

Rosa Redolat

Catedrática de Psicobiología en la Facultad de Psicología de la Universitat de València. Ha dirigido diversos proyectos de investigación a nivel nacional y autonómico relacionados con factores protectores del envejecimiento cognitivo y del estrés social. Es miembro de la comisión de Ética en Investigación Experimental de la Universitat de Valéncia. En los últimos años ha participado en los programas Prometeo para grupos de investigación de excelencia, habiendo publicado en revistas de prestigio internacional.

Actualmente imparte docencia relacionada con en el estudio de las bases psicobiológicas del envejecimiento e intervención en demencias en diferentes másteres oficiales. También es docente en los programas de Nau Gran en la Universitat de València.

Sus líneas de investigación actuales se centran en el estudio de los efectos del estrés crónico en cuidadores, prevención del deterioro cognitivo y evaluación de intervenciones no farmacológicas en pacientes con Enfermedad de Alzheimer.

Soledad Corachán Smith

Licenciada en el Conservatorio Superior de Música de Castellón en la especialidad de Pedagogía del Canto e instrumentos: violonchelo, Máster Universitario en Musicoterapia en la Universidad Católica de Valencia y Máster universitario en Profesor de Educación Secundaria en la Universidad de Valencia.

Es musicoterapeuta y directora del coro Les Veus de la Memòria de la Asociación Familiares de Enfermos de Alzheimer de Valencia. Además trabaja como docente siendo jefa de estudios en la Escuela de música del colegio Ntra. Sra. de Fátima de Valencia.

Coordinadora del Proyecto Europeo número: 2016-1-ES01-KA204-025313 “AD-GAMING. Desarrollo de una plataforma formativa para la mejora de la calidad de vida de las personas con Alzheimer a través Serious Games”. Ejecutado dentro del programa de ERASMUS+ 2016. Ha asistido a cursos organizados por la Asociación Valenciana de Musicoterapia con profesores nacionales e internacionales en el ámbito de la musicoterapia como: Gustavo Schulz Gattino y a cursos de dirección coral y técnica vocal organizados por la Federación de Coros de la Comunidad Valenciana y la Fundación General de la Universidad de Valencia.

En el ámbito de congresos y comunicaciones ha presentado un póster en el 4º Congreso Internacional de Espacios de Arte y Salud en el Hospital de Denia, Alicante. Ha recibido el Primer Premio Profesionales del Sector de la Fundación Domus Vi con el proyecto “Les veus de la memòria. El poder de la música en personas con Alzheimer”. Ha realizado una comunicación en el IV Congreso Nacional SEMERGEN de Pacientes Crónicos celebrado en el Hospital Universitario Reina Sofía de Córdoba. Ha participado en la mesa redonda “Música y salud: incumbencias e interdisciplina” como parte del programa de Musicoterapia, música y nuevos paradigmas en salud del III Congreso del Grupo Iberoamericano de Investigación en Musicoterapia y como ponente en la actividad cultural organizada por el Hospital Dr. Moliner en la V Semana Cultural. Ha asistido a las I Jornadas Hispano-Lusas de actualización en Investigación Musicoterapéutica celebrada en la Universidad Católica de Valencia San Vicente Mártir.

Colaboradora en las ponencia sobre “Enfermedad de Alzheimer” dentro del ciclo de actividades los miércoles hablamos de salud desde el curso académico 2016/2017 organizadas por la Facultad de Ciencias de la Salud de la Universidad CEU-Cardenal Herrera.

LEOPOLDO CABRERA TORRE

De profesión Ingeniero Superior Industrial, Leopoldo trabajó para grandes empresas como Entel, Arthur Andersen o IBM. A la edad de 52 años recibió el diagnóstico de párkinson, y tras unos meses comenzó a participar en asociaciones de pacientes.

Actualmente es presidente de la Federación Española de Párkinson. Además, Cabrera representa al colectivo párkinson en la junta directiva de la Neuroalianza, del Consejo Español del Cerebro y de COCEMFE.

ALFONSO J. CRUZ-JENTOFT

El Dr. Alfonso J. Cruz-Jentoft es médico especialista en Geriatría y Gerontología. En la actualidad es Jefe del Servicio de Geriatría del Hospital Universitario Ramón y Cajal (Madrid), donde dirige el grupo de investigación de Geriatría del Instituto Ramón y Cajal de Investigación Sanitaria (IRyCIS). Es profesor de Geriatría de la Universidad Europea de Madrid. Su servicio forma parte del European Alzheimer Disease Consortium (EADC).

Es Presidente de la Comisión Nacional de la Especialidad de Geriatría. Fue fundador y Presidente de la European Geriatric Medicine Society (EuGMS), en la que sigue formando parte de su Comité Académico. Desde hace más de un año es Editor Jefe de la revista oficial de la EuGMS; European Geriatric Medicine. Dirige también el European Working Group on Sarcopenia in Older People (EWGSOP) y forma parte del Consorcio Clínico de Envejecimiento Saludable de la OMS. Representa a España en el consejo de la International Association of Gerontology and Geriatrics (IAGG) y ha formado parte de las directivas de otras organizaciones nacionales e internacionales, como la European Academy for Medicine and Ageing (EAMA), la sección de Geriatría de la European Specialist Physicians Union (UEMS-GS) y la Sociedad Española de Geriatría y Gerontología (SEGG). Es miembro del comité editorial de varias de las revistas internacionales de más prestigio de su especialidad (J Am Geriatr Soc, JAMDA, JNHA, Aging Clin Exp Res).

Sus áreas de investigación actuales (en varios casos formando parte de consorcios europeos) incluyen la sarcopenia, la fragilidad, la nutrición y farmacoterapia geriátrica, el uso de medidas no farmacológicas para tratar síndromes geriátricos, la inclusión de los mayores en la investigación clínica y la valoración geriátrica integral.

ADRIANA GUEVARA DE BONIS

Adriana Guevara, es jubilada de la enseñanza pública, en la que ha trabajado 35 años, ocupando puestos como profesora, jefa de estudios y directora.

Desde el año 2005 es la Presidenta de la Asociación Española de Esclerosis Lateral Amiotrófica (adEla), y desde el año 2006, presidenta y fundadora de la Asociación Madrileña de ELA. AdEla es una organización sin ánimo de lucro, de ámbito estatal, que se dedicada a ayudar a las personas con ELA y otras enfermedades de la motoneurona, para mejorar su calidad de vida.

Miembro de una familia con ELA familiar, de los que nueve familiares fallecieron a causa de ELA. En estos momentos, uno de los miembros de la familia está diagnosticado por esta enfermedad.

RUTH BLANCO

Ruth Blanco, Técnico Superior en Administración y Finanzas, es Presidenta de la Asociación Corea de Huntington Española (ACHE) desde el año 2014. En ACHE, realiza labores de representación, interlocución, gestión y dirección de la entidad, así como de asesoramiento en el abordaje de la enfermedad de Huntington. Es miembro del EHDN (European Huntington Disease Network), asistiendo a los tres últimos congresos bianuales celebrados en Barcelona (2014), La Haya (2016) y Viena (2018).

Dentro del ámbito de la salud, la intervención social, y la participación ciudadana, ha participado como ponente en diversas conferencias en colaboración con el Colegio Oficial de Psicólogos, el Ayuntamiento de Madrid, y Media-Lab Prado, entre otras.

El pasado año recogió en nombre de la Asociación el Premio Trastornos del Movimiento en su Modalidad Social otorgado por la Sociedad Española de Neurología.

Agneta K. Nordberg

Professor in Clinical Neuroscience, Karolinska Institutet Director Center for Alzheimer Research Translational Alzheimer Neurobiology, Senior Consultant in Geriatric Medicine, Karolinska University Hospital Huddinge.

Education:

Specialist in Geriatric Medicine, 1984 Licensed to practice Medicine, 1981 MD, 1977 PhD Uppsala University,1971 BPharm Uppsala University.

Previous academically appointments:

1982-92 Lecturer in Pharmacology, Faculty of Pharmacy, Uppsala Univ.1979-82 Research position Swedish Medical Research Council.1979-Associate Professor (Docent) in Pharmacology, Uppsala Univ, 1977-1979 Post doc position, Dept of Pharmacology, Uppsala Univ.

Previous clinical appointments1988-1992 Consultant, Geriatric Clinic, Karolinska Univ Hospital Huddinge,1982-1988 Clinical training in Medicine, Neurology, Family Medicine, Geriatric Medicine.

Other Employments:

1978-1979 AB Kabi, Head of the anti-coagulantia division, Pharmacology section,1979-1982 Swedish Drug Agency, Pharmacology division, physician,1971-1972 Swedish Drug Agency, Pharmacology division.

Commission of trust:

Member of the board of Wennergren Foundation 97- , vice chairman 2005-, Member of ENCP executive committee 2004-2007, Member of Advisory board of Swedish Research Council 1995-2000, 2005- (chairman neurology/psychiatry 08), Member of Board of Research Karolinska institutet 00-01, Chairman National Society for Rearch of Aging 2004-2008, Member of the board of faculty of pharmacy 1986-1992. Member of Nobel Assembly 2010-2015.

Supervision of 25P hD students (dissertations, Supervision of 24 international post doc students. Present supervision: 2 PhD students, 3 international post docs. External PhD thesis examiner (Faculty opponent) for 12 PhD thesis and External reviewer of 13 academically appointments.

Other activities:

Organizer of 16 international symposia and conferences. Member of the advisory boards of the International conference on Alzheimer’s AD/PD conferences 1992-2006, International Conference in progress Alzheimer and Parkinson´s disease 1997-Springfield symposium on Alzheimer therapy 1996- (local organizer in Stockholm 2000 and 2012.

Principle Investigator for more than 15 clinical trials.

Jorge J. Palop

Mechanisms of Network and Interneuron Dysfunction in Alzheimer’s Disease:

Our laboratory seeks to understand the neuronal processes underlying cognitive impairments in neurodegenerative disorders, such as Alzheimer’s disease (AD), and in neuropsychiatric conditions associated with abnormal synchronization of neuronal networks, such as schizophrenia, autism, and epilepsy. We aim to identify molecular, circuit, and network mechanisms of cognitive dysfunction and to develop novel therapeutic approaches to restore brain functions in AD and related disorders. We are particularly focused on understanding the role of impaired inhibitory interneurons in network hypersynchrony, altered oscillatory brain rhythms, and cognitive dysfunction in AD.

To study these complex diseases, my laboratory primarily uses mouse models that recapitulate key aspects of the cognitive dysfunction and pathology of these conditions to dissect network and circuits mechanisms of brain dysfunction in mouse models of AD. We use electroencephalography (EEG), local field potentials (LFP), and single-unit recordings to assess neuron activity in vivo, optogenetic approaches to modulate interneuron function in vivo, genetic and pharmacological manipulations to manipulate specific pathways in vivo, and behavioral assessment to determine the cognitive consequences of our mechanistic interventions.

Translational focus: We hope to translate our basic research to develop novel treatments. We are evaluating the therapeutic potential of interneuron-based interventions by using cell-based therapy and pharmacology. We established formal partnerships with major pharmaceutical and biotechnology companies to develop compounds or identify targets that enhance interneuron function or restore brain rhythms in models of AD and epilepsy. We are currently developing small molecule Nav1.1 activators that increase Nav1.1 currents and interneuron-dependent gamma oscillations in vitro and in vivo to develop novel therapies for conditions with impaired interneuron function, including AD and Dravet syndrome.

Hilal A. Lashuel

Dr. Hilal A. Lashuel received his B.Sc. degree in chemistry from the City University of New York in 1994 and completed his doctoral studies at Texas A&M University and the Scripps Research Institute in 2000. After obtaining his doctoral degree, he joined the Picower Institute for Medical Research in Long Island New York as a research. In 2001, he moved to Harvard Medical School and the Brigham and Women’s Hospital as a research fellow in the Center for Neurologic Diseases and was later promoted to an instructor in neurology at Harvard Medical School. In 2005 Dr. Lashuel moved Switzerland to join the Brain Mind Institute at the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology Lausanne (École polytechnique fédérale de Lausanne, EPFL) as a tenure-track assistant professor in neurosciences. Currently, Dr. Lashuel is an associate professor of life sciences and the director of the laboratory of molecular and chemical biology of neurodegeneration. (LMNN website).

In addition to his appointment at the EPFL, Dr. Lashuel was a visiting Associate Professor at the Department of Neurology and Neuroloigcal Sciences at Stanford University (2012-2013) and served as the Executive Director of Qatar Biomedical Research Institute (QBRI) and a Professor at Hamad Bin Khalifa University from March 2014 – March 2016. During this period, Dr. Lashuel served in several important national committees and boards, including the Qatar Cancer Research Partnership (Co-Chair), Academic Health System Board (member) and Steering Committee (member), Qatar Biobank Board of Trustees (member and Co-Chair of the international advisory committee), Qatar Metabolic Institute (Board Member and Chair of the research working group), Qatar Foundation-Weill Cornell Medical College Joint Advisory Board (Member) and Qatar National Research Fund exceptional grant review committee (a permanent member). He continues to serve as Vice/Co-Chair of the international advisory boards of Qatar Bioban/Qatar Genome and the Qatar Metabolic Institute.

Dr. Lashuel scientific contribution to this field includes i) 123 publications in major peer reviewed journals including Nature, Cell, PNAS, JBC, JACS, and Angewandtie Chemie ii) three patents on novel strategies for preventing protein aggregation and treating autoimmune and inflammatory diseases; iii) more than 200 invited lectures since 2002 and 13000 citations (ISI h index = 50- Google Scholar h-Index =57) since 1996. Dr. Lashuel has received several pre-doctoral and post-doctoral awards and fellowships. He is the recipient of several prestigious research awards including; Human Science Frontiers young investigator research award and the European Research Council (ERC) starting independent researcher grant and the ERC proof of concept award (2013) and the Michael J. Fox Foundation Parkinson’s disease Grand Challenge Award. Dr. Lashuel was named a Young Global Leader by the World Economic Forum in 2012 and as one of the “100 outstanding personalities” in the French speaking part of Switzerland by the Swiss business magazine L’Hebdo in 2009 (Forum des 100).

Raúl Martínez Fernández

Degree in Medicine and Surgery from Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona in 2003. He got his specialist Neurology diploma from Dr Josep Trueta University Hospital of Girona in 2008. Subsequently, he performed a 5-month stage in the Deep Brain Stimulation department of the National Hospital of Neurology and Neurosurgery – Queen Square in London, which is in charge of Professors Patricia Limousin and Marwan Hariz and doctor Tom Foltynie. He went back to Barcelona to work as a permanent consultant in General Neurology and Movement Disorders in the University Hospital Moisès Broggi. After almost three years focused in neurologic clinical practice, he decided to move to Grenoble (France), the birthplace of modern Functional Neurosurgery, where, under the wings of Professors Paul Krack and Elena Moro, he performed a two year clinical and research fellowship focused in Movement Disorders and, specifically, in deep brain stimulation for Parkinson’s Disease. In Grenoble, he started his PhD that he obtained in 2017 by CEU San Pablo University of Madrid, Spain. He complemented his clinical training with a Master’s degree in Movement Disorders from Murcia’s University, validated by the European Credit Transfer System. His interests and main expertise fields are clinical practice and research in Movement Disorders, specifically in Parkinson’s disease, focused on their emotional and behavioral features, as well as the use of advances therapies such as Deep Brain Stimulation and High intensity focused ultrasound. Currently he is a Neurologist at Hospital HM Puerta del Sur, a Clinical Researcher at Centro Integral de Neurociencias A.C (CINAC) and an Associate professor in CEU San Pablo University.

He’s a member of The International Movement Disorders Society, Spanish Society of Neurology, the Spanish Movement Disorders Study Group and the Neurological Society of Madrid.

Ongoing Research Support:

Co-principal Investigator: A Study to Evaluate the Effectiveness and Safety of ExAblate Transcranial MRgFUS Bilateral Subthalamotomy for the treatment of Parkinson’s disease motor features.
Co-principal Investigator: A Study to Evaluate the Effectiveness and Safety of ExAblate Transcranial MRgFUS Bilateral Thalamotomy for the treatment of Medication Refractory Essential Tremor Subjects.
Co-principal Investigator: A Prospective, Randomized, Sham Controlled clinical trial to Evaluate the Safety and Efficacy of ExAblate Subthalamotomy for the treatment of Parkinson’s Disease Motor Features. (CINAC-HM Puerta del Sur, España).
Principal Investigator: A Study to Evaluate the Effectiveness and Safety of ExAblate Transcranial MRgFUS Unilateral Thalamotomy Treatment of Medication Refractory Essential Tremor Subjects.

Alberto Parras

Alberto Parras studied Biotechnology in Universidad Pablo de Olavide, Seville 2010-2015. He obtained his PhD in 2017 from Universidad Autónoma de Madrid for his work under the supervision of Jose J. Lucas on the “Role of CPEB4 in Huntington’s Disease and in Autism Spectrum Disorder". During his thesis he worked in mRNA polyadenylation and translation though HIRE PAT and poly(U) chromatography followed by gene chip analysis in neurodevelopmental disorder (Parras et al. Nature 560:441-6, 2018) and neurodegenerative diseases (unpublished data).

Between 2018 and 2019, he performed a post-doctoral training with Tobias Engel at the Royal College of Surgeons in Ireland, Dublin. He analyzed polyadenylation and RNA binding protein in temporal lobe epilepsy (Parras et al. submitted)

Recently, he joined the Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology of University of Lausanne, Switzerland, as Senior Postdoct in Alejandro Ocampo group, and he is working on aging, cellular in vivo reprogramming and brain diseases.