We focus on the study of the dynamics of biological systems combing experimental, theoretical and computational tools. Our main interests are: Nonlinear regulation in pathways and its impact on disease treatment Regulation of stem cell differentiation during developmental processes Stochasticity and effect of perturbations in gene expression

Cancer stem cells (CSCs), also known as tumor-initiating cells or tumor-propagating cells, constitute a biologically unique subset of stem-like cells within the bulk tumor cell population. These cells are believed to be important in metastasis and chemoresistance, and they are hypothesized to be key drivers of the multistep process of oncogenesis, giving rise to the clonogenic core of tumor tissues. In my laboratory, we study CSCs in the context of pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC), the 4th leading cause of cancer related deaths in developed countries.

The Advanced Electronic Materials and Devices Group joined the ICN2 in September 2015. The group focuses on the material sciences and technology aspects of novel electronic materials, with a strong emphasis on carbon materials, such as graphene, as well as other 2D materials (MoS2). The group also works towards the development of technological applications based on these materials in such as electronics, bioelectronics and biosensing, energy storage and conversion, etc.

Our group is focused in the study of the cellular processes and molecular mechanisms underlying the regulation of synaptic transmission. We are particularly interested in the ability of neurons to regulate the synaptic strength over time, a process called synaptic plasticity, which is crucial both during physiological and pathological conditions of the Nervous System (NS). In our studies, we apply several functional and structural approaches to the experimental animal models, including: a. Extra and intracellular (patch- clamp technics) recordings of neuronal electrical activity. b.

The group is committed to explore, obtain, study and optimize new materials 2D materials (graphene and TMDCs), 0D nanostructures, thin films and heterostructures for optoelectronics, magnetoelectronics and, recently, quantum technologies. Currently: development of materials for thermoelectric applications, new photovoltaic solar cells, biodetection and optical imaging and, recently, a disease diagnosis system based on Brillouin spectroscopy. Studies of a fundamental nature, always with the focus on applications, but also with an applied aspect.

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.

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.

Our research group investigates the evolutionary mechanisms shaping aquatic ecosystems, both marine and freshwater, and aims at characterizing their biodiversity. We investigate the evolutionary history of aquatic systems, and the different processes generating biodiversity. We use taxonomical, morphological, ecological, behavioral and genetic data to understand the past and future evolutionary trajectories of the aquatic systems. We are particularly interested in the future perspectives.

The research group was created in February 2018. At present, it is formed by a staff scientist, a post-doctoral researcher and by one predoctoral contractor. The rest of the staff is hired for work and services in charge of collaborative projects with companies in the sector and a national project. Currently VIENAP group is focused on the study of viticultural and oenological techniques that improve the quality of grapes and wine.