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Marta Martínez Vicente

I am senior researcher at the VHIR, I’m a Principal Investigator at the Neurodegenerative Diseases Group and I head the Autophagy and Lysosomal Dysfunction lab.

Institutions of which they are part

Main researcher
Neurodegenerative Diseases
Vall Hebron Institut de Recerca

Marta Martínez Vicente

Institutions of which they are part

Main researcher
Neurodegenerative Diseases
Vall Hebron Institut de Recerca

I am senior researcher at the VHIR, I’m a Principal Investigator at the Neurodegenerative Diseases Group and I head the Autophagy and Lysosomal Dysfunction lab.

I obtained a degree in Chemistry/Biochemistry and a PhD in Biochemistry by the University of Valencia. From 2004 to 2008, I worked as a postdoctoral researcher at the laboratory of Dr. Ana Maria Cuervo at the Albert Einstein College of Medicine (New York, USA), focusing on the role of autophagy in neurodegenerative diseases and aging.
I obtained in 2010 a tenure-track position as Miguel Servet I in the Neurodegenerative Diseases Group of the VHIR and since January 2016 I became VHIR Senior Researcher (Miguel Servet II-A).
Currently, the efforts of my team are devoted to study the role of autophagy in neurodegeneration. Alterations in the autophagy process have been associated with neurodegenerative diseases including Parkinson’s, Huntington’s and Alzheimer’s disease and has been shown to be one of the main causes that contribute to neuronal death in these pathologies. Our efforts are currently directed to: 1) Study the role of the autophagic and lysosomal dysfunction in Parkinson’s disease; 2) Development of new therapies for Parkinson’s disease based in the restoration of lysosomal glucocerebrosidase (GBA) activity; 4) Unravel the link between Parkinson and lysosomal storage diseases, 4) Characterize the defective lysosomal-mediated turnover of mitochondria and aggregates in Huntington’s disease and its contribution to neurodegeneration.
I’ve been able to turn my group into a reference group in the study of autophagy in neurodegeneration and aging. This position is endorsed by our publications, projects, dissemination activities and participation in scientific organizations. Bibliographic parameters: h-index: 31. Citations: >12.000, Publications: 49 scientific articles and mean impact factor/publication in the last 6 years = 10.6. I’ve been PI of several research projects funded by public agencies like ISCIII and MINECO as well as private entities as the Michael J. Fox Foundation, the Silverstein foundation and the BBVA Foundation, in addition I have also been PI in several collaboration agreements with private biotech companies.
I’m member of the Network Center for Biomedical Research in Neurodegenerative Diseases (CIBERNED), member and part of the management committee (board member) of the Spanish Autophagy Network (SEAFAGIA), member and part of the management committee of the European COST TRANSAUTOPHGAY network, member and part of the Scientific Advice Committee of the Women in Autophagy (WIA), member of the Spanish Society of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology (SEBBEM), and member of the Association of Women Researcher and Technologists (AMIT). As member of theses scientific societies I participated in the organization of national and international scientific conferences and I am member of the Editorial Board of Cells (ISSN 2073-440). I am in possession of the accreditation of Associate Professor/Researcher by the Agència per a Qualitat del Sistema Universitari de Catalunya (AQU).

Projects

Desarrollo de una nueva terapia de reemplazo enzimático basada en nanotecnología para la enfermedad de Parkinson: restablecimiento de la actividad glucocerebrosidasa lisosomal mediante nanoconjugación enzima-polímero de GBA (NANO-ERT).

IP: Marta Martínez Vicente
Collaborators: Eddie Pradas Gracia, David Moreno Martinez, Jordi Riera Heredia, Marta Montpeyó Garcia-Moreno, José Antonio Arranz Amo, Maria Camprodon Gomez, Laura Castillo Ribelles, Clara Carnicer Cáceres
Funding agency: Fundación Banco Bilbao Vizcaya Argentaria
Funding: 124047.74
Reference: BBVA/INVESTIGACIO/MARTINEZ
Duration: 01/05/2020 - 30/07/2023

Restabliment de l'activitat GBA en la malaltia de Parkinson mitjançant noves estratègies terapéutiques de nanoconjugació de proteïnes

IP: Marta Martínez Vicente
Collaborators: Eddie Pradas Gracia, Laia Perez Lasarte
Funding agency: Fundació Institut de Recerca HUVH
Funding: 50649.27
Reference: VHIR/BEQUESPREDOC/2019/PRADAS
Duration: 01/04/2020 - 31/03/2023

Titol Tesi Doctoral: Caracterización de la difusión lisosomal en la enfermedad de parkinson asociada a mutaciones en GBAY desarrollo de nuevas estrategias terapeuticas mediante chaperonas farmacológicas

IP: Marta Martínez Vicente
Collaborators: Marta Montpeyó Garcia-Moreno, Miriam Izquierdo Sans, Laia Perez Lasarte
Funding agency: Ministerio de Educación, Cultura y Deporte
Funding: 65688
Reference: FPU18/05595
Duration: 15/10/2019 - 14/10/2023

Therapeutic target of GCase enzyme in Parkinson's disease with novel pharmacological chaperones

IP: Marta Martínez Vicente
Collaborators: Marta Montpeyó Garcia-Moreno
Funding agency: Michael J. Fox Foundation
Funding: 263858.59
Reference: GCASE_MJFF-SILVERSTEIN2018
Duration: 14/12/2018 - 31/12/2021

Related news

Dr. Miquel Vila, head of the Neurodegenerative Diseases research group at VHIR, is the co-chair of the local organising committee. And Dr. Ariadna Laguna, principal investigator of the same group, is a scientific ambassador.

Researchers describe the molecular mechanisms by which the GBA gene, the main genetic risk factor, associates with the accumulation of α-synuclein in neurons.

It is the project “New Nanotechnological Therapy for Parkinson’s disease: Nose to Brain Delivery of GBA-Polymer Nanoconjugates (nanoGBAtoBrain)”.

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