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:

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    Alejo Rodríguez-Fraticelli
    Rodriguez Fraticelli, Alejo E
    Research Professor at
    Institut de Recerca Biomèdica (IRB Barcelona)
    Life & Medical Sciences
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    Research interests

    Hematopoiesis has long been modeled as a stepwise hierarchical process, where all blood arises from a group of rare multipotent stem cells. In recent years, we have made major contributions that have challenged this paradigm, revealing an extensive heterogeneity among individual stem cells and their differentiation trajectories. To study heterogeneity, our lab develops advanced genetic tools that allow the simultaneous recording of progeny and state for thousands of single cells at a time. Using these methods, termed single-cell lineage tracing, we have uncovered distinct gene regulatory states linked with heritable fates during regeneration. More recently, we have been focused on how these differences in fate behaviors arise during development and how they influence cellular responses to leukemic mutations and aging. We propose that mapping cellular phylogenetics will lead to a revolution in understanding and treating disease.

    Key words

    "Lineage tracing" "Single-cell" "Hematopoiesis" "Stem Cell" "Clonal analysis" "Regeneration" "Self-renewal"

    ORCID

    : 0000-0002-4017-8714

    RESEARCHER ID

    : AAG-7462-2020
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    Ángel Rodríguez Nebreda
    Rodriguez Nebreda, Angel
    Research Professor at
    Institut de Recerca Biomèdica (IRB Barcelona)
    Life & Medical Sciences
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    Research interests

    The group investigates how external signals are interpreted by cells to modulate their proliferation, differentiation and survival, focusing on the p38 MAPK pathway. Current work addresses the role of p38 MAPKs in tumor development and chemoresistance mechanisms both by regulating the fitness of the cancer cell and by controlling the cross talk between cancer cells and stromal cells in the tumor microenvironment. We use a combination of biochemical approaches and chemical tools with studies in established cell lines and primary cell cultures, as well as in vivo experiments using mouse models. Our goal is to identify therapeutic opportunities based on the modulation of p38 MAPK signaling. We are also performing screenings to find actionable targets that can be used to boost current therapeutic approaches and to design new targeted therapies for highly heterogeneous and chemoresistant tumors.

    Key words

    MAP kinase, CDK regulation, signaling network, stress response, cancer cell homeostasis, tumor microenvironment, mouse model, chemotherapy resistance, targeted therapy

    ORCID

    : 0000-0002-7631-4060
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    César Rodríguez Nebreda
    Rodríguez Ranero, César
    Research Professor at
    Institut de Ciències del Mar (CSIC - ICM)
    Experimental Sciences & Mathematics
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    Research interests

    My scientific goal is to conceptually advance our understanding of fundamental processes of rifting, passive margins evolution, seafloor spreading, and subduction systems. I am particularly interested on the processes that govern the relations between the behaviour of earthquakes, long-term tectonics, and fluid flow. For this end, I strive to obtain the best quality observations by personally leading field acquisition, analysis, and processing of data. I have specialized in complex, multi-disciplinary experiments, coordinating teams of multi-national scientists to acquire data during cruises that have produced major breakthroughs, and leading drilling projects for ground-truthing to test competing models.  With my group, I work on the development of bleeding-edge geophysical methods that yield novel observations of interest for basic science as well as for technological transfer to industry stake holders.

    Key words

    Rifting, Continental Margins, Subduction Zones, Mid Ocean Ridges, Tectonics, Earthquakes.

    ORCID

    : 0000-0002-5204-545X

    RESEARCHER ID

    : B-9165-2009
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    Diana Roig Sanz
    Roig Sanz, Diana
    Research Professor at
    Universitat Oberta de Catalunya (UOC)
    Humanities
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    Research interests

    Her research interests deal with cultural and global literary history and sociology of translation from a digital humanities approach and her successive projects have been based on a consistent and fruitful research line on cultural transfer and the circulation of cultural goods, in which she has strived to challenge and revise former scholarly interpretations and develop new original approaches. 

    Key words

    Global Studies / Networks and Cultural Mediation / Sociology of Translation / Cultural Analytics and Digital Humanities

    ORCID

    : 0000-0002-6353-7708

    RESEARCHER ID

    : AAL-2938-2021
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    Xavier Ros Oton
    Ros Oton, Xavier
    Research Professor at
    Universitat de Barcelona (UB)
    Experimental Sciences & Mathematics
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    Research interests

    My research interests are on Partial Differential Equations (PDE), a vast and very active field of research in both pure and applied mathematics. PDE are used in essentially all sciences and engineering, and have important connections with several branches of pure mathematics. I work mainly on topics related to the regularity of solutions to nonlinear elliptic/parabolic PDE. This is one of the most basic and important question in PDE theory: to understand whether all solutions to a given PDE are smooth or if, instead, they may have singularities. Some of my main contributions have been in the context of free boundary problems. These are PDE problems that involve unknown/moving interfaces, such as ice melting to water (phase transitions). From the mathematical point of view, they give rise to extremely challenging questions, and their study is closely connected to geometric measure theory. In particular, the study of free boundary problems has a strong geometrical flavor.  

    Key words

    elliptic and parabolic PDEs; Calculus of Variations; free boundary problems; integro-differential equations.

    ORCID

    : https://orcid.org/0000-0003-1046-168X
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    Joan Rosell
    Rosell Llompart, Joan
    Research Professor at
    Universitat Rovira i Virgili (URV)
    Engineering Sciences
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    Research interests

    I am interested in the use of fluid dynamics for designing nanomaterials. We use electrostatic fields to force liquid masses to eject tiny jets, which are then used to make nanodroplets (by electrospray) and nanofibers (by electrospinning). Both by experiment and by computer modeling, we aim to 1) understand the precise mechanisms underlying the fluid dynamic processes involved, 2) devise new nano-fluidic strategies to create functional structures (e.g., ‘smart’ particles for nanobiomedicine), 3) characterize the properties of such structures, 4) engineer ways to assemble them into larger functional supra-structures, e.g. high resolution 3D printing for assembling nanofibers into scaffolds for growing cells into living tissues, and (v) develop strategies to demonstrate how these processes can be scaled up so they can ultimately benefit humankind. I am also interested in the monitoring of contextual variables using sensors to predict and reduce the transmission of respiratory diseases, particularly in school classrooms.

    Key words

    electrospray, electrospinning, electrohydrodynamics, electrohydrodynamic printing, nanodroplets, nanofibers, nanomaterials

    ORCID

    : 0000-0002-5288-9150

    RESEARCHER ID

    : I-4120-2015