Our research focuses on understanding the signaling pathways related to chronic inflammatory diseases, particularly the IL-23/IL-17 axis, which plays a key role in conditions like psoriasis, inflammatory bowel diseases, multiple sclerosis, and rheumatoid arthritis. We aim to uncover new mediators of cytokine signaling and develop therapeutic tools to interfere with these pathways. Recent findings have shown how IL-23 influences pathogenic T cell migration and controls protein synthesis and metabolism to induce pathogenic functions.

Gene expression (GE) is a coordinated process that comprises different linked steps like transcription, RNA processing, export to the cytoplasm, translation and degradation of mRNAs. Regulation of gene expression is vital to establishing the metabolic activities in every cell in all organisms, and allows their adaptation to both stress and developmental processes. Deficiencies in gene expression lead to a wide spectrum of severe human pathologies.

In January of 2015 I took possession of my position as Titular Scientist at CNB and in July 2016, the laboratory was equipped and staff trained and functional to work with the pathogen Staphylococcus aureus. In our group we explored the cellular organization of S. aureus and its implications in infective processes.

Although difficult to appreciate at their fair value, the interactions of living beings through chemical compounds are present in all ecosystems, including agricultural ecosystems. These interactions can be both facilitative and pernicious and take place inter- and intra-specifically, among very diverse taxonomic groups. In natural ecosystems, allelopathies play a key role in the biotic associations which are possible, and are currently relevant for their role in the emergence of invasive plants.

We aim to understand the molecular mechanisms by which lipids regulate membrane protein activities and function and the impact of such lipid/protein assemblies in a subset of human diseases (cancer, neurodegenerative) and to map membrane protein-lipid interactome networks in the cell. The long-term objective is to obtain the cell blueprint that will help to understand and overcome biological processes and their consequences in human diseases.

Our research is focused in understanding protein translocation through membrane pores and on the biotechnological applications of such processes.

Our main goal is to explore the origins of the complexity on the biologic systems, searching for possible underlying universal laws in the emergence of structures in nature . To do this, we use complex networks, statistical physics, computational theory and , more recently , synthetic biology .

Our research is based on the study of human genetic variation and its diversity. The purpose of the studies carried out in our group is to interrogate the information of the genomes (human or of close species) to understand the dynamic of the genome (and of the different parts of it) and thanks to it, to unravel the dynamics of human groups. Our studies focus on understanding the history of humankind, from the African origin of modern humans, to the formation of specific populations through migration and possible admixture events.

We study a fundamental question in neuroscience: how neuronal circuits are refined by environmental cues to produce adaptive behaviors? Circuit refinements involve maturation of selected synaptic connections and elimination (“pruning”) of others and are most prominent during critical periods—a stage of postnatal brain development when synapses have a high potential for undergoing plasticity. This malleability allows early experience to modify the architecture of neural circuits, providing a foundation for future learning.