Scientific Vicedirection
Dr. Laura García Bermejo, is the Scientific Subdirector of IRYCIS.
Dr. M Laura García Bermejo has a PhD in Cell Biology & Genetics, Head of the Biomarkers and Therapeutic Targets lab and core facility, vice-director of the Ramón y Cajal Health Research Institute (IRYCIS), co-chair of the Biomarkers Platform of the European Infrastructure of Traslational Research (EATRIS) and associate professor of Physiology, at the School of Medicine of Alcala University. She is also the Executive President of the Scientific Committee of IRYCIS, and member of both the Innovation and Education Committees.
Dr García Bermejo has 26 years of experience in research, particularly translational research along the 17 years working at Ramón y Cajal University Hospital. Due to so many years working together in multidisciplinary teams including worldwide recognized KOL in several clinical disciplines (Nephrology, Oncology, Infectious Diseases or Cardiology, among others), she is an intangible value of the translational research in biomedicine and more specifically in biomarkers.
- Brief examples of the research lines she is devoted to: i) Kidney diseases: novel biomarkers of acute kidney injury (AKI) in UCI patients and cardiac surgery with cardiopulmonary bypass. Particularly miRNAs, using several appropriate in vitro an in vivo models as well as human samples and a set of patented miRNAs with probe predictive and diagnostic value. Novel AKI pathophysiological mechanisms eliciting new potential therapeutic approaches in this context. Circulating miRNAs as biomarkers for Aki treatment response. Novel circulating biomarkers of Chronic Kidney disease and miRNAs as key mediators of kidney fibrosis, highlighting novel therapeutic targets in the disease, using several appropriate in vitro and in vivo models as well as human samples. Circulating miRNAs useful in hemodialysis as response markers to EPO resistance and nutritional complements. ii) Vasculitis: molecular characterization of renal vasculitis, particularly immune populations and pathways, regulated by miRNAs. Soluble immune-inflammatory molecules and serum miRNAs as accurate biomarkers of renal vasculitis progression, using human samples and in vitro models. iii) Cancer: studying molecular mechanisms underlying cancer development and progression, particularly pancreas cancer, colon cancer and renal carcinoma, using several appropriate in vitro an in vivo models as well as human samples- In these contexts, several miRNAs signatures has been validated as accurate biomarkers of early diagnosis, prognosis and response to treatment. iv) Infectious diseases: identifying miRNAs associated with HIV latency and miRNAs responsible for CD8 cytotoxicity. v) Gastroenterology: novel mechanisms involved in intestinal and renal alterations associated with liver cirrhosis and serum miRNAs as useful biomarkers of cirrhosis treatment and pancreatitis prognosis and evolution. vi) Nanomedicine: collaboration with nanobiology groups regarding the development and characterization of nanoparticles as useful tools for diagnosis or drug (miRNAs) delivery in different clinical contexts such as cardiovascular diseases, HIV or cancer.
- She has participated in 48 grants including European grants (10), and is principal investigator in 22. She was also involved in translational projects involving big pharma such as AMGEN, ASTELLAS, Roche, Bayer and MSD. She is the inventor of 13 patents, many of them already approved and in PCT extension and transferred or licensed to investors. She has participated in 6 clinical trials, published 52 international articles (D1: 14, Q1: 27) and 3 books, with a H index of 27, i10 index of 34 and total number of citations of 2,419.