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.

The activity of the Research Group is articulated on three thematic areas. First, the study of the exploitation and production of salt in Prehistory and Antiquity, and the role of salt resources to understand the transformations of ancient societies. Second, the research on the role of landscapes as durable resources, their integration into territorial planning policies and the realization of proposals for their valuation and exploitation as cultural heritage.

The lab aims to understand how brain process sensory information and how the sensory processing interacts with motor commands. To that end two main lines of research are open. The first one is focus in the basal ganglia, more specifically in the striatum. This nucleus is well known for its role in motor control, and problems in the striatum underlay Parkinson’s or Huntington, among other diseases. Individual striatal neurons can integrate both sensory and motor information.

Cellular and molecular mechanismos underlying early neurogenesis and brain maturation.

The main objective of our laboratory (Synaptic Neuromodulation Lab) is to elucidate the molecular underpinnings underlying neuronal circuit adaptation through plasticity and neuromodulatory mechanisms, and to understand how these processes are altered during natural and pathological aging.

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.

Multidisciplinary group of engineers, architects and chemists focused on the study, experimentation and development of new materials and structures used in construction and rehabilitation and improvement of the existing ones under a performance-based approach The design and implementation of technical systems in general and civil engineering structures in particular must necessarily cover safety, environmental and economic considerations.

The goal of our lab is to understand how brain’s innate immune cells integrate within neural circuits to influence brain function in health and disease. The questions we pursue are grounded in understanding the interplay between brain physiology and the brain’s innate immune system, as a central axis controlling homeostasis and disease. Our ultimate goal is to develop novel approaches for the treatment of chronic neurodegenerative conditions by modulating immunity and neuroinflammation.

Quantum technologies are nowadays one of the most promising technologies for the near future. They exploit quantum effects to develop new techniques in fields like cryptography, metrology, material science, pharmacology and many others, which have the potential to go far beyond the current (classical) state of the art. The group "Mathematics and Quantum Information" at ICMAT works in a wide variety of mathematical problems which are motivated by quantum technologies.