External Scientific Committee The External Scientific Committee is responsible for advising on the scientific activities of the Foundation and guaranteeing their scientific quality. This body does not hold any managerial or representative functions in the Foundation. The External Scientific activity is formed by minimum of three and a maximum of eight scientists of international prestige and recognised competency in the research areas of the Foundation. Under no circumstances may they be researchers attached to or who regularly collaborate with the Foundation. President Secretary Prof. Ernest Arenas Head of the Division of Molecular Neurobiology in Department of Medical Biochemistry and Biophysics of Karolinska Institute Stockholm (Sweden). Members Prof. Francisco Fernández Avilés Scientific Director of the CIBERCV. Professor and Director of the Department of Cardiology of the Hospital Universitario Gregorio Marañón i Universidad Complutense de Madrid. Prof. Carmen Ayuso Scientific Director of the Instituto de Investigación Sanitaria. Chief of the Genetics Service of the Fundación Jiménez Díaz. Prof. María Blasco Marhuenda Director of the Molecular Oncology Program in the Centro Nacional de Investigaciones Oncológicas. Prof. Carlos Diéguez González Professor of Physiology and Director of the Department of Physiology of the Faculty of Medicine and Odontology of Santiago de Compostela. Scientific director of the CIBEROBN. Prof. Stanislav Dusko Ehrlich Professor at the University College London (United Kingdom). Prof. Michael Manns Director of the Department of Gastroenterology, Hepatology and Endocrinology at the Medical School of Hannover (Germany). Prof. Benoit Nemery Professor of Toxicology and Occupational Medicine. President of the Leuven Department of Public Health. Faculty of Medicine KU Leuven (Belgium). Prof. Marina Pollán Director of National Epidemiology Center (CNE-ISCIII). Scientific Director of CIBERESP (ISCIII). Prof. Ronit Satchi-Fainaro Head of the Cancer Research and Nanomedicine Laboratory and Director of the Cancer Biology Research Center at Tel Aviv University (Israel). Ms. Valentina Strammiello Head of Programmes and oversees the EPF project portfolio and Youth Strategy. (Belgium) Prof. Johan Van Eldere Professor of Microbiology at KU Leuven. Head of International Relations at UZ Leuven. Member of the Steering Committee of the European University Hospitals Alliance (Belgium).