Alex Rovira Cañellas

I am a full time diagnostic neuroradiologist, who gained his MD in 1983 at the Autonomos University of Barcelona. After formal training in Radiology at Vall d’Hebron University Hospital (Barcelona), I undertook a visiting fellowship at Shands Hospital (Gainesville, University of Florida) in 1989. In 1990, I became staff neuroradiologist at the Section of Neuroradiology at Vall d’Hebron Hospital. At present I am Director of the Section of Neuroradiology at University Hospital Vall d’Hebron, Barcelona (Spain).

Institutions of which they are part

Head of group
Neuroradiology

Vall Hebron Institut de Recerca

Radiodiagnòstic (IDI)

General Hospital

Cap de Secció
Radiodiagnòstic (IDI)

Cross-departmental services

Alex Rovira Cañellas

Institutions of which they are part

Head of group
Neuroradiology

Vall Hebron Institut de Recerca

Radiodiagnòstic (IDI)

General Hospital

Cap de Secció
Radiodiagnòstic (IDI)

Cross-departmental services

I am specialized in diagnostic neuroradiology, and head and neck radiology, with a particular interest in demyelinating diseases, stroke, neuro-oncology, and neurodegenerative disorders.
I am currently steering committee member of MAGNIMS (European Multicenter Collaborative Research Network on MRI in MS).
I am on the editorial boards of the Neurology and Neuroradiology, and served as President of the European Society of Neuroradiology (2016-2018), as President of the Spanish Society of Neuroradiology (2009-2015), on the Lucien Appel Prize Award Jury of the European Society of Neuroradiology (2006-2012), as Editor of Neuroradiology in the Spanish Journal of Radiology, as Director of the 10th and 11th Cycles of the Pierre Lasjaunias European Course of Neuroradiology (2008-2012), and as Chairman of MAGNIMS (2012-2018). I am an author/co-author of 520 articles (Scopus; total citations 14,818; h-index: 83), 30 book chapters or monographs, and more than 400 invited conference presentations. I am also the editor of three books: “Essential Radiology” (Panamericana 2019), “Clinical Neuroradiology” (Springer 2019), and “Controversies in Radiology” (Aran 2020). I have been invited as Visiting Professor at University of Toronto, at McGill University (Montreal), at Lysholm Department of Neuroradiology (UCL, London), at Ottawa University, and at the University of North Carolina (Chapel Hill). I am an honorary member of the Paulista Society of Radiology and the Polish Society of Radiology.

Research lines

Advanced quantitative techniques of MR Imaging in the assessment of neurological and neurooncological diseases

The objective of the line is to evaluate the added value of the information provided by quantitative MR techniques, mainly T1 and T2 relaxometry, as well as chemical exchange saturation transfer imaging (CEST) to the study of neurological and neuro-oncological diseases.

IP: Fco. Javier Aymerich Martínez, Alex Rovira Cañellas, Cristina Auger Acosta

Application of MRI imaging to the study of Parkinson's disease

The aim of the line is to evaluate the added value of the information provided by MRI techniques, mainly aimed at the evaluation of melanin, myelin, presence of Fe, structural and functional connectivity in the study of Parkinson’s disease.

IP: Fco. Javier Aymerich Martínez, Alex Rovira Cañellas

Application of MR imaging and spectroscopy techniques to the study of multiple sclerosis

This research line is focused on studying the diagnostic and prognostic value of magnetic resonance imaging variables in multiple sclerosis (MS). Other current interests include the study of the added value of the consideration of cortical lesions in the diagnostic criteria as well as the role of SWI in the differential diagnosis of MS in respect to other diseases that present lesions similar to the ones found in MS

IP: Alex Rovira Cañellas

Application of MRI in multiple sclerosis and other demyelinating diseases

The objective of this research line is to evaluate the value of MRI in the diagnosis of multiple sclerosis and as a marker of progression and treatment response to disease modifying treatments.

IP: Alex Rovira Cañellas, Cristina Auger Acosta

Projects

Automatic detection and analysis of new lesions in serial MR imaging of multiple sclerosis patients

IP: Alex Rovira Cañellas
Collaborators: -
Funding agency: ECTRIMS
Funding: 50000
Reference: ECTRIMS-MAGNIMS_2013-CABEZAS
Duration: 01/05/2014 - 30/04/2015

Diagnostic and prognostic biomarkers in pediatric multiple sclerosis and related demyelinating disorders

IP: Mar Tintore Subirana
Collaborators: Cristina Auger Acosta, Alex Rovira Cañellas, Mireia del Toro Riera, Angela Vidal Jordana, Luciana Midaglia Fernandez, Georgina Arrambide García
Funding agency: Fundació La Marató de TV3
Funding: 100000
Reference: 20141831
Duration: 22/05/2015 - 22/11/2018

Red Española de Esclerosis Múltiple

IP: Xavier Montalban Gairín
Collaborators: Susana Otero Romero, Carlos Nos Llopis, Sunny Malhotra Sareen, Jaume Sastre Garriga, Jordi Rio Izquierdo, Fco. Javier Aymerich Martínez, Ingrid Galán Cartaña, Rosalia Horno Ocaña, Manuel Comabella Lopez, Carmen Tur Gomez, Cristina Auger Acosta, Herena Eixarch Ahufinger, Montserrat Moreno Sánchez, Alex Rovira Cañellas, Mar Tintore Subirana, M Jesus Arevalo Navines, Carmen Espejo Ruiz, Angela Vidal Jordana, Joaquin Castillo Justribo, Mireia Castillo Juarez, Nicolás Miguel Fissolo
Funding agency: Instituto de Salud Carlos III
Funding: 198090
Reference: RD12/0032/0017
Duration: 01/01/2013 - 31/12/2016

Estudio de marcadores biológicos pronóstico en pacientes con síndromes clínicos aislados sugestivos de esclorosis múltiple

IP: Mar Tintore Subirana
Collaborators: Jordi Rio Izquierdo, Rosalia Horno Ocaña, Alex Rovira Cañellas, Joaquin Castillo Justribo, Mireia Castillo Juarez, Georgina Arrambide García
Funding agency: Instituto de Salud Carlos III
Funding: 59229.5
Reference: PI080788
Duration: 01/01/2009 - 30/06/2012