Dr. Salvador Macip, professor of molecular medicine at the Universitat Oberta de Catalunya (UOC) and the University of Leicester (United Kingdom), joins our research center, the Barcelonaβeta Brain Research Center (BBRC), as leader of the new Research Group on Neurodegeneration and Aging BiologyThis new group will investigate the biological mechanisms of aging and its relationship with Alzheimer's and other neurodegenerative diseases, with the aim of developing diagnostic, prognostic and therapeutic tools.
Dr. Macip has more than 25 years of experience in the study of the biology of aging and will bring to our center an innovative approach to improving understanding of the mechanisms that contribute to the onset and progression of Alzheimer's and other age-related neurodegenerative diseases.
"With this new group, we are taking another step towards the future of Alzheimer's research, exploring new strategies for its diagnosis and treatment. Our goal is to transform knowledge into solutions that slow down the disease and improve people's lives," points out Dr. Salvador Macip. “It is a privilege for me to be part of a research centre with a first-class team and such a clear mission: 'a future without Alzheimer's', a future with healthier ageing for everyone." declares the Dr. Macip.
With the addition of Dr. Macip, the BBRC strengthens its position as a reference in research into Alzheimer's and other neurodegenerative diseases. In this sense, the Dr. Arcadi Navarro, director of the Foundation and the BBRC states that “Dr. Macip reinforces our unwavering commitment to cutting-edge research to find solutions to Alzheimer's and neurodegenerative diseases. The commitment to science and innovation remains the key combination to achieve our purpose. It is a pride to add to our team a talent of his caliber, whose international career and dedication to science enrich our mission.»
Pioneering research in the biology of aging
The Research Group on the Biology of Neurodegeneration and Aging will study the Cellular and molecular processes that drive brain decline, with a special focus on the role of senescent cellsSenescent cells are those that age until they stop dividing, but do not die and accumulate, which can contribute to the development of neurodegenerative diseases such as Alzheimer's.
His research will focus on the Development of biomarkers in blood and cerebrospinal fluid to improve prediction of risk and disease progression, as well as new therapies aimed at eliminating these cells and modulating their impact on the brain environment.
With the goal of bringing laboratory advances into clinical practice, Dr. Macip's group will combine animal models, clinical sample analysis and omics technologies to speed up the application of their findings in medicine. His expertise in identifying biomarkers and developing new therapies places them at the forefront of research into neurodegeneration.
The new group joins the other four that the BBRC already has, made up of multidisciplinary teams of clinical professionals and researchers with extensive experience in the pathophysiology of Alzheimer's disease, genetics, data processing and analysis, fluid biomarkers, cognition, neurochemistry and neuroimaging.
About Dr. Salvador Macip
A graduate in Medicine in 1994 and a PhD in Molecular Genetics and Human Physiology in 1998 from the University of Barcelona, Dr. Macip has dedicated his career to studying cancer and aging at prestigious institutions such as Mount Sinai Hospital in New York. Since 2008, he has directed the Cancer and Aging Mechanisms Laboratory at the University of Leicester and, since 2020, he has been the Director of Health Sciences Studies at the Universitat Oberta de Catalunya (UOC). He will combine both jobs with the leadership of this new group at the BBRC.
