Institute of Biomedical Technologies
The University Institute for Regional Development (IUDR) at the University of La Laguna is a center for research and specialized training. The Institute's primary objective is to promote an open research platform of the highest academic caliber within the broad framework of its constituent areas of knowledge. Currently, the IUDR includes professors and researchers from the fields of Law, Economics, Statistics, Operations Research and Computer Science, and Geography at the University of La Laguna, and also involves researchers from other national and international institutions and universities.
- The definition of this program is shaped by the characteristics of the Canary Islands due to their history and geographical location. The current genome of the Canarian population stems from North African aboriginal heritage, which, together with European influence from the 15th century onward, forms a genome unique in the world. Furthermore, many pathologies have a genetic component influenced by the island context, due to the founder effect and the lack of infrastructure that historically fostered inbreeding. The research groups participating in this program are focused on studying the molecular basis of cancer and rare metabolic diseases. In the case of cancer, the objectives of these groups are to advance prevention, diagnosis, the identification of biological causes, and the development of effective treatments, with the aim of transforming this serious health problem into a chronic condition rather than a fatal disorder. Furthermore, although rare diseases affect only a limited population (fewer than 2,000 individuals in Europe), the number of different diseases is very large (more than 5,000), meaning the total number of affected patients could reach over 30 million in the European Union. In the medium and long term, this program aims to develop personalized medicine and strengthen collaborations with industry.
List of groups (click to expand information)- Checkpoint in response to DNA damage and human diseases (Dr. Veronique Smits)
- Replicative stress and tumorigenesis (Dr. Raimundo Freire Betancor)
- Genomics and health (Dr. Mª del Mar del Pino Yanes)
- Genomic instability and cancer (Dr. Félix Machín Concepción)
- Molecular pathology of rare and metabolic diseases (Dr. Eduardo Salido Ruiz)
- Genetic variation and disease (Dr. Carlos Flores Infante)
- Developmental Biology (Dr. Pablo Martín Vasallo, Dr. Julio T. Ávila Marrero)
- BioLab – Early pharmacological profiling of small molecules (Dr. José M. Padrón Carrillo)
- Clinical, genetic and molecular epidemiology (EpiGeM) (Dr. Itahisa Marcelino Rodríguez, Dr. Víctor García Tagua)
- Personalization of cancer treatments (Dr. Fernando Gutiérrez Nicolás)
- Chromatin Metabolism (Dr. Jonay García Luis)
- This program is dedicated to research into the biological basis of major human diseases and the search for new therapies to treat them. Given that the severity of most of these diseases increases dramatically with age and the aging population in the European Union, the economic consequences of these pathologies are enormous. Furthermore, most age-related diseases have a complex course and affect various bodily systems, thus requiring a preventative approach, a comprehensive therapeutic strategy, and strict lifestyle management.
List of groups (click to expand information)- Chronic kidney disease, diabetes, and kidney transplant complications (Dr. Esteban Porrini, Dr. Domingo J. Hernández Marrero)
- Inflammatory and neoplastic diseases of the gastrointestinal tract. Prevalent liver diseases (Dr. Manuel Hernández Guerra de Aguilar)
- Pathophysiology of mineralocorticoids (Dr. Diego Álvarez de la Rosa Rodríguez)
- Drug delivery systems (Dr. Araceli Delgado Hernández)
- Research in kidney and cardiovascular disease (Dr. Juan F. Navarro González)
- Inflammatory response and tissue damage in rheumatoid arthritis (Dr. Federico Díaz González)
- Pathophysiology of mineral metabolism (Dr. Javier Donate Correa)
- Telomeric integrity in aging and cancer (Dr. Jonathan Barroso González)
- This program integrates research groups studying the biology and pathology of the nervous system, with a particular emphasis on neurodegenerative diseases, the molecular and cellular bases of neuronal vulnerability, the development of animal models for studying the genetic basis of neurodegeneration, and the analysis of global brain function and the biological basis of cognition. At the cellular and molecular level, the role of specific membrane proteins (ion channels and transporters) and signaling molecules in different types of excitable cells is studied using electrophysiological, molecular, and morphological approaches. An emerging platform within this program is dedicated to the development of novel animal models of neurodegenerative diseases. Several lines of research focus on analyzing the human brain as a whole using electrophysiological and neuroimaging techniques. Together, this approach ensures a holistic view of the human nervous system that, once scaled up, will be useful in the search for new therapies for neurodegenerative diseases.
List of groups (click to expand information)
A. Cellular and molecular neurobiology
- Molecular basis of human channelopathies (MOLCAN) (Dr. Teresa Giráldez Fernández)
- Molecular mechanisms in neurodegeneration (Dr. Ángel Acebes Vindel)
- Animal models of neurodegeneration (Dr. Abraham Acevedo Arozena)
- Neuronal vulnerability and plasticity (Dr. Tomás González Hernández)
- Neurology and Experimental Neurobiology (NE) (Dr. Manuel Rodríguez Díaz)
B. Clinical and Cognitive Neuroscience
- Brain Imaging Laboratory (Dr. Niels Janssen)
- Electrical engineering and bioengineering (Dr. Ernesto Pereda de Pablo)
- Cognitive neuroscience and psycholinguistics (Dr. Horacio A. Barber Friend)
- Neurochemistry and Neuroimaging (Dr. José Luis González Mora)
- Clinical neuroscience (Dr. Julio Plata Bello)
- AFM-NANO – Advanced Functional Materials and Nanoscience (Dr. David Díaz Díaz)