Project leaders
The PMed4HB project involves a multidisciplinary team of 22 researchers from 5 centers of research excellence in the Spanish state. The principal investigators from each center contribute extensive and complementary expertise in the field of liver diseases and cancer, as well as in the development of innovative models with the patient always at the center of research. This provides an excellent opportunity to study hepatoblastoma with a synergistic and innovative approach.
Professor Dr. Malu Martinez-Chantar possesses extensive experience in the field of liver biology and disease, with a remarkable track record of high-level productivity. She has consistently received support from competitive sources, both nationally and internationally. Additionally, she plays a pivotal role as the coordinator of the Translational Area at the National Institute for the Study of Liver & Gastrointestinal Diseases and serves on the SAB of various national and international research centers. Dr. Martinez-Chantar is also a proactive participant in research and development programs with pharmaceutical companies.
Dr. José J. G. Marín is a professor and director of the Department of Physiology and Pharmacology at the University of Salamanca since 1998. He is also the founder and director of the "Experimental Hepatology and Drug Vectorization (HEVEPHARM)" laboratory, affiliated with the University of Salamanca, the IBSAL, and CIBERehd. He has published over 300 articles in books and journals, co-invented 6 national patents, and co-authored a clinical guide. He has contributed to the training of over 150 young researchers, supervising over 100 theses and master's theses, and directing 55 doctoral theses (3 of which are still in progress). He serves as an evaluator for research projects submitted to national and international agencies.
Dr. Matías A. Ávila is Professor of Biochemistry, co-director of the Solid Tumors Program and director of the Hepatology Laboratory at CIMA, University of Navarra, Pamplona, Spain. His research interests include the cellular and molecular mechanisms of the hepatic response to acute injury and regeneration, as well as the epigenetic mechanisms of chronic liver disease progression and carcinogenesis. The identification of novel biomarkers for the early diagnosis and pharmacological targets in hepatobiliary malignancies is also pursued in his laboratory.
Dr. Pau Sancho-Bru is Group Leader of the Liver Cell Plasticity and Tissue Repair group at IDIBAPS, and Associate Professor at University of Barcelona. His group is conducting translational research in liver diseases, investigating the role of cell plasticity in wound healing and carcinogenesis. One of the main research interests of his group is assessing the potential of stem cells for biomedical and biotechnological applications and particularly to develop 3D organotypic in vitro systems for disease modeling and drug development.
Dr. Carolina Armengol has over 20 years of experience in studying childhood liver cancer. She is the head of the "Childhood Liver Oncology Group" (cLOG), which she founded in 2010 at the Germans Trias i Pujol Research Institute (IGTP), affiliated with the CIBERehd group of which she is also the leader. Her research group, cLOG, is a pioneer in translational research on childhood liver cancer in Spain and is recognized as a reference group internationally. Her research has always focused on directly studying patient samples to better understand the disease and apply the results to clinical practice.
BENEFICIARIES AND PARTNERS
