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:

Christou, Paul

Universitat de Lleida (UdL)

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Christou, Paul
Research Professor at
Universitat de Lleida (UdL)
Life & Medical Sciences
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Research interests

Our programs rely on our unique multi-gene/multi-pathway engineering capabilities to generate plants with high value recombinant pharmaceuticals for human health and veterinary medicine; cereals with enhanced nutrition, and novel strategies of sustainable agriculture with emphasis on developing countries, poverty alleviation and food security. A major focus is plant synthetic biology and genome editing. Our group is involved in training and capacity building in plant biotechnology focusing on developing countries. We also develop tools, methodology and a comprehensive understanding of the essential mechanisms underpinning the creation and performance of genome edited plants for the application of synthetic biology to major crops. During 2021 a major focus has been the use of plants to combat SARS-CoV-2.

Key words
Applied plant biotechnology. plant molecular biology, cereal crop biotechnology, developing country applications, food security, metabolic engineering, molecular pharming, biotic and abiotic stress tolerance, HIV, SARS-CoV-2
Clements, Rebekah E

Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona (UAB)

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Clements, Rebekah E
Research Professor at
Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona (UAB)
Humanities
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Research interests

Rebekah is a cultural historian of Japan, specializing in the Tokugawa period (1600-1868). Her research focuses on language, society, and the characteristics of Japanese early modernity, as understood in the broader context of East Asia. She is currently working on Korean exiles present in Japan following the Imjin War of 1592-1598. This work takes place within her project funded by the European Research Council, "The Aftermath of the East Asian War of 1592-1598" (2018-2023). The Aftermath project is a large scale attempt to understand the legacy of the Imjin War, also known as the East Asian War of 1592-1598 and Toyotomi Hideyoshi’s Invasions of Korea. This conflict involved over 500,000 combatants from Japan, China, and Korea; up to 100,000 Korean civilians were removed to Japan. It was the largest conflict of the world of the sixteenth century and involved the largest successful overseas landings in world history by that date.

Key words
17th-19th century East Asia, East Asian networks, Cultural history of early modern Japan, History of translation, roots of cultural nationalism

ORCID
: 0000-0003-2597-0882
Corbera Elizalde, Esteve

Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona (UAB)

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Corbera Elizalde, Esteve
Research Professor at
Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona (UAB)
Social & Behavioural Sciences
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Research interests

I am a political ecologist building knowledge on the environmental and wellbeing outcomes of climate change and biodiversity conservation policies and producing scientific findings that inform global policies for sustainable land use. I employ multiple quantitative and qualitative methods to investigate 1) the social-ecological and behavioral effects of policies aimed at conserving biodiversity and mitigating climate change, such as payments for ecosystem services, the UN Reducing Emissions from Deforestation and Degradation (REDD) framework, and biodiversity offsets; 2) the implications of global change for the vulnerability and resilience of farming communities, and their capacity to adapt; and 3) the politics of knowledge production in conservation and environmental science and policy. My research in these fields draws on data from multiple levels, from multi-actor views gathered ethnographically to secondary information collected for quantitative assessments.

Key words
sustainable land-use, biodiversity conservation, rural development, vulnerability, institutions, livelihoods

ORCID
: 0000-0001-7970-4411

RESEARCHER ID
: C-5368-2015
Coroleu Lletget, Alejandro

Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona (UAB)

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Coroleu Lletget, Alejandro
Research Professor at
Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona (UAB)
Humanities
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Research interests

Classical and Comparative Literature: Latin literary culture in Europe (ca. 1500 - ca. 1700) Intellectual History and Renaissance Studies: Hispanic, Italian and European Humanism The reception of Greek and Roman literatures in early-modern Iberia (1450-1600). In December 2022 I completed a monograph provisionally entitled Latin political propaganda in the War of the Spanish Succession and its Aftermath, 1700-1740, to be published by Bloomsbury.

Key words
Comparative Literature, Intellectual History, Renaissance Studies
Cortés Closas, Alfred

Institut de Salut Global Barcelona (ISGlobal)

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Cortés Closas, Alfred
Research Professor at
Institut de Salut Global Barcelona (ISGlobal)
Life & Medical Sciences
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Research interests

The central research interest of my team is epigenetic variation in Plasmodium falciparum, i.e., heritable differences between genetically identical parasites that result in transcriptional and phenotypic variation. We study the chromatin-based mechanisms involved in the epigenetic regulation of variantly expressed genes, and the role of epigenetic variation in the adaptation of parasite populations to changes in their environment. We combine genome-wide approaches with studies on specific variantly expressed genes that control important processes in parasite biology. Among these, we are especially interested in the genes that regulate solute uptake and sexual conversion. Regarding the latter, one of our current research priorities is understanding how some asexually-growing parasites “decide” to convert into sexual forms, which are necessary for malaria transmission. We also investigate the transcriptional response that secures parasite survival at febrile temperatures.

Key words
Plasmodium falciparum, malaria, erythrocyte invasion, epigenetics, variant gene expression, chromatin, sexual conversion, gametocytes, heat-shock response

ORCID
: http://orcid.org/0000-0003-0730-6582
Cosma, Maria Pia

Centre de Regulació Genòmica (CRG)

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Cosma, Maria Pia
Research Professor at
Centre de Regulació Genòmica (CRG)
Life & Medical Sciences
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Research interests

Main interests of Cosma's group are to dissect mechanisms and factors controlling somatic cell reprogramming and tissue regeneration in mammals. We are investigating gene networks and reprogramming factors controlled by the activation of Wnt/ß-catenin pathway. Furthermore, by using super resolution microscopy we made discoveries on the remodelling and looping of the chromatin fiber during the reprograming process. The activation of Wnt pathway controls regeneration in response to damage in lower and higher vertebrates. We found that the Wnt/ß-catenin signalling is also key to control cell-fusion-mediated regeneration in mammals. We recently showed that human Muller glia cells can fuse with mesenchymal stem cells. The resulting hybrids can differentiate in retinal neurons in human retinal organoids. Moreover we identified the interactions between the chemokine receptors and specific chemokines able to enhance migration and integration of transplanted cells into the retina.

Key words
stem cell, reprogramming, Wnt/beta-catenin signalling, regeneration, super resolution microscopy, gene network, chromatin,