Members

Group Leader

Ismael Galve-Roperh

After his studies in Biological Sciences, Ismael did his PhD investigating the signalling pathways controlling neurotrophin production and release by astroglial cells (Dept of Biochem and Mol Biol, School of Chemistry, Complutense University Madrid). These research activity raised his interest on the role of sphingolipids in the regulation of neuron cell survival that was followed by a post-doctoral stay at Georgetown University (S. Spiegel lab) investigating the rheostat ceramide/sphingosine 1-phosphate that controls the balance between cell death/proliferation. Once returned to the Dept. of Biochem. and Mol. Biol (UCM) he joined the group of Manuel Guzmán as Assistant professor and as researcher of the Ramón y Cajal program. During this time he was involved in the study of the antitumoral action of cannabinoids against gliomas and the signalling mechanisms coupled to CB₁ receptors. Since 2008, he is Associate professor. Within the research group of Cannabinoid Signalling and since 2001, Ismael leads the research program on the regulatory role of the endogenous cannabinoid system in neurogenesis, which investigates the role of cannabinoid signalling in different pathophysiological conditions of the adult nervous system but also its regulatory role in cortical development. In parallel, he has been actively involved in research projects regarding the neuroprotective role of CB₁ and CB₂ cannabinoid receptors in Huntington’s disease, neuroinflammation and excitotoxicity. Ismael is actively engaged in different Neuroscience societies (International Society for Neurochemistry, Federation of European Neuroscience Societies, Erasmus+, CannaLatan (Unión Iberoamericana de Universidades) or the Colombian Observatory of Medical Cannabis fostering students training by the organization of scientific schools and academic exchange programs.

Predoctoral Researchers

Samuel Simón

Samuel graduated in 2017 from Universidad Complutense de Madrid (UCM) in Biology. During the career, he completed an internship at the Biomedical Research Institute of Salamanca and obtained a Collaboration Grant from the Ministry in the Faculty of Biology (UCM) to study the role of efrines and Ephs in MSCs. He completed his Final Degree Project studying the effect of dexamethasone and kanamycin in a murine model. He finished in 2018 the Master’s Degree in Biochemistry, Molecular Biology and Biomedicine, presenting a Final Master’s Project based on the intracerebral transplantation of MSCs, enhancing the anti-inflammatory effect of MSCs with a synthetic cannabinoid in a temporal stroke model. Samuel obtained in 2019 a contract for predoctoral researcher of the Community of Madrid, having recently obtained a predoctoral contract for training in health research (PFIS) by the Carlos III Health Institute. He is currently doing the Doctoral Thesis based on the study of the CB1 receptor in embryonic development as well as its role in different pathologies and its possible involvement in adult neurogenesis.

Alba Huerga

Alba graduated in Biochemistry from the Balearic Islands University (UIB) in 2016. She later moved to Madrid, where she completed a Master’s Degree in Neurosciences at the Universidad Complutense de Madrid. She carried out her Master’s Thesis on the molecular basis of neuronal plasticity at the Severo Ochoa Molecular Biology Center (CBMSO). Then she joined to work as a graduate of technical and professional activities in the CBMSO in a scientific project about the molecular basis of schizophrenia. She joined our group in March 2018 with a fellowship of the Community of Madrid. Now she develops her PhD, focused on the study of the role of the endocannabinoid system in neural development.

Aníbal Sánchez

Aníbal graduated in Biochemistry from Universidad Complutense de Madrid (UCM) in 2018. He did his Final Degree Project studying the immunomodulatory properties of leek and its effects on the functionality of the respiratory epithelium and the allergic response. After graduating, he completed a Master’s Degree in Neuroscience at Universidad Complutense de Madrid (UCM), at which time he joined our group to carry out his Master’s Thesis on the role of the cannabinoid receptor CB1 in oligodendroglial cells during postnatal development. In 2019 he obtained a grant from the Foundation Tatiana Pérez de Guzmán el Bueno to carry out his doctoral thesis, which focuses on investigating the role of the oligodendroglial CB1 receptor both during development and in animal models of demyelination.