The ICREAs

ICREA Research Professors form a vibrant community of scientists and researchers in all areas of knowledge that contribute to the advancement of humankind by exploring, interpreting and questioning. Have a look and learn about their amazing discoveries and findings here:

Fidora Riera, Alexander

Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona (UAB)

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Fidora Riera, Alexander
Research Professor at
Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona (UAB)
Humanities
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Research interests

Fidora studies the intercultural dimensions of medieval thought and, in particular, the cultural contacts between Judaism, Christianity and Islam. He focuses on medieval epistemology and the relations between philosophy and theology. His research interests include: Reception, interpretation and transformation of philosophical and theological translations from Arabic in medieval Europe; Latin philosophy into Hebrew; Polemics, controversial theology and interreligious dialogue in the Middle Ages; Consequences of the confrontation between the three religions of the Book for the formation of European cultural identity (ERC-Research Projects "Latin Philosophy into Hebrew" (2008-2012) and "The Latin Talmud" (2014-2019), now continued with funding from the Spanish Ministry of Science and Innovation).

Key words
Philosophy, Cultures and cultural diversity

ORCID
: 0000-0001-5163-0369

RESEARCHER ID
: AAA-5046-2020
Florian, Maria Carolina

Institut d'Investigació Biomèdica de Bellvitge (IDIBELL)

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Florian, Maria Carolina
Research Professor at
Institut d'Investigació Biomèdica de Bellvitge (IDIBELL)
Life & Medical Sciences
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Research interests

Dr. Florian's research in the past years strongly challenged the concept that aging is an irreversible process. Since 2016, in her team they investigate the role of epigenetics and of the stem cell microenvironment in driving aging of somatic stem cells. Dr. Florian’s lab focuses on understanding cellular and molecular mechanisms of somatic stem cell aging, supporting the development of new therapeutic strategies to preserve the regenerative capacity of stem cells over time and to limit or prevent the development of age-related disorders and extend lifespan.

Key words
stem cells, ageing, microenvironment, epigenetic, chromatin, cell polarity, symmetry of division, leukemia, regenerative medicine

ORCID
: http://orcid.org/0000-0002-5791-1310

RESEARCHER ID
: AAH-5309-2019
Gabaldón Estevan, Toni

Barcelona Supercomputing Center - Centro Nacional de Supercomputación (BSC-CNS)

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Gabaldón Estevan, Toni
Research Professor at
Barcelona Supercomputing Center - Centro Nacional de Supercomputación (BSC-CNS)
Life & Medical Sciences
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Research interests

My main research interest is to understand the complex relationships between genome sequences and phenotypes and how these two features evolve within and across species. I generally use large-scale phylogenetics and molecular evolution approaches that allow looking at the evolution of genomes from the perspective of all of their genes, and apply these analyses to a variety of biological questions related to the evolution and function of biological communities, organisms, organelles, pathways, and families of protein-coding and non-coding genes. I have a special interest in understanding processes related to human pathogenesis. Through collaborations with experimental groups, I apply comparative genomics to discover new mechanisms and genes involved in interesting processes, especially those of clinical relevance. Given our exposure to new types and scales of data, my group has had the need to develop novel bioinformatics tools to fill in existing gaps.

Key words
comparative genomics, evolution, phylogenomics

ORCID
: 0000-0003-0019-1735
Galán-Mascarós, José Ramón

Institut Català d'Investigació Química (ICIQ)

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Galán-Mascarós, José Ramón
Research Professor at
Institut Català d'Investigació Química (ICIQ)
Experimental Sciences & Mathematics
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Research interests

Our research team is devoted to the development of alternative inorganic materials with the desired chemical and physical properties for applications in the fields of Renewable energy and circular economy. In Renewable Energies, we are working in the development of stable, efficient and low-cost new catalysts and platforms for the production of solar fuels. In Materials Sciences, we are designing new materials and processess for viable carbon capture and utilization.

Key words
Coordination chemistry, Supramolecular Chemistry, Molecular materials, Renewable Energies

ORCID
: 0000-0001-7983-9762

RESEARCHER ID
: O-7196-2014
Gámez Enamorado, Patrick

Universitat de Barcelona (UB)

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Gámez Enamorado, Patrick
Research Professor at
Universitat de Barcelona (UB)
Experimental Sciences & Mathematics
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Research interests

Cancer and Alzheimer's disease (AD) represent two major chronic diseases that are in the top ten leading causes of mortality worldwide and their incidence will increase exponentially in the coming decades, as the result of population ageing. His current research interests are aimed at applying novel photochemical and nanotechnological strategies for the development of efficient diagnostic and therapeutic tools (for theranostic, drug delivery, photochemotherapeutic applications) against these two important public health issues (www.nanobic.eu).

Key words
medicinal inorganic chemistry - bio-inorganic chemistry - amyloid-beta - photochemistry - ruthenium - Reactive oxygen species (ROS) - structure-targeted biomolecular recognition - Photodynamic therapy - theragnostics - nanoparticles

ORCID
: 0000-0003-2602-9525

RESEARCHER ID
: B-3610-2012
García Parajo, Maria F.

Institut de Ciències Fotòniques (ICFO)

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García Parajo, Maria F.
Research Professor at
Institut de Ciències Fotòniques (ICFO)
Engineering Sciences
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Research interests

Our research focuses on the development of advanced optical techniques to the study of biological processes at the single molecular level on living cells. We focus on the development and application of different forms of super-resolution microscopy as well as nanophotonic-based approaches to reach spatial resolutions around 10nm on intact cells. Fluorescence correlation spectroscopy in ultraconfined volumes, and multi-color single particle tracking are exploited to gain access to dynamic processes down to the microsecond time resolution. Using these combined approaches, we aim at understanding how spatiotemporal compartmentalization of biomolecules inside cells regulates and control cell function. This fundamental question has important implications for health and disease, touching the fields of cell biology and immunology. Most recent research focuses on the fields of nano-mechanobiology at the level of the cell membrane and liquid-liquid phase separation in living nuclei.

Key words
BioNanoPhotonics; Cell membrane biology and biophysics; single molecule fluorescence detection; super-resolution nanoscopy; single molecule dynamics

ORCID
: orcid.org/0000-0001-6618-3944