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Meritxell Genesca Ferrer

I am a senior investigator at the infectious diseases department where I lead projects focused on defining protective immune responses against pathogens in order to develop new therapies. I have mainly worked on cervicovaginal mucosa immunity, a tissue with a high impact on public health as the portal of entry for sexually transmitted infections such as HIV. The knowledge acquired during my scientific career has served to expand my research towards the understanding of immune protection against pathogens in other tissues, such as against SARS-CoV-2 in the lung.

Institutions of which they are part

Main researcher
Infectious Diseases
Vall Hebron Institut de Recerca

Meritxell Genesca Ferrer

Institutions of which they are part

Main researcher
Infectious Diseases
Vall Hebron Institut de Recerca

I am a senior investigator at the infectious diseases department where I lead projects focused on defining protective immune responses against pathogens in order to develop new therapies. I have mainly worked on cervicovaginal mucosa immunity, a tissue with a high impact on public health as the portal of entry for sexually transmitted infections such as HIV. The knowledge acquired during my scientific career has served to expand my research towards the understanding of immune protection against pathogens in other tissues, such as against SARS-CoV-2 in the lung.

Dr. Meritxell Genescà is an expert on cervical mucosal immunology and infectious diseases. She obtained the Extraordinary Award from the Autonomous University of Barcelona as a Doctor in Veterinary Medicine (2000). After obtaining her PhD in physiology (2001-2004, IIBB-CSIC), she was contracted by the University of California first as a postdoctoral researcher and then as an Associate Researcher Immunologist. For the next six years, she worked on the top animal model for HIV sexual transmission studies and specialized in mucosal immunology. In 2011, she joined the Institut d’Investigació Germans Trias i Pujol in Badalona, through a Ramón y Cajal contract, before moving to her current institution in 2017. Dr. Genescà is interested on defining the nature of protective immune responses against pathogens that use the cervicovaginal mucosa as their portal of entry, such as HIV. Her group collaborates with several basic and clinical research groups in order to conduct translational comparative medicine in the following areas: 1) HIV reservoir characterization in the cervical tissue and new strategies for its elimination; 2) Sexually Transmitted Infections and increased risk of co-infection; 3) Adjuvants and biomarkers of mucosal immunity; 4) Tissue explant models to study host-pathogen interaction and immunity (including SARS-CoV-2).
She is a member of the international Society for Mucosal Immunology (SMI), the Spanish group for AIDS study (GESIDA) and the Spanish HIV/AIDS Network (RIS). Moreover, she has participated in many dissemination activities, such as career orientation and continuous education for seniors, among others. Her track record includes over 35 articles in major international scientific journals (https://orcid.org/0000-0001-6413-3812) with an h-index of 20, numerous presentations in international meetings and several fellowships and awards. She is also actively involved in teaching and student training.

Projects

Desenvolupament de noves nanopartícules funcionals dirigides al nòdul limfàtic per a l'eliminació del reservori latent de VIH

IP: María José Buzón Gómez
Collaborators: Ibane Abasolo Olaortua, Félix Pumarola Segura, Juan Lorente Guerrero, Laura García Latorre, Jordi Temprana Salvador, Joaquin Seras Franzoso, Marc Pellicer Sarasa, David Perea Pérez, Simon Schwartz Navarro, Jordi Navarro Mercadé, Sandra Mancilla Zamora, Zamira Vanessa Diaz Riascos, Judit Grau Exposito, Meritxell Genesca Ferrer, Fernanda Raquel Da Silva Andrade, Diana Fernandes de Rafael
Funding agency: Fundació La Marató de TV3
Funding: 199998.75
Reference: 20180510
Duration: 10/05/2019 - 31/12/2022

Novel CD1d ligands to reactivate dormant HIV and shift inflammation towards effector immunity

IP: Meritxell Genesca Ferrer
Collaborators: -
Funding agency: GILEAD SCIENCES SLU
Funding: 49973
Reference: GLD18-00008/TXELL_GENESCA
Duration: 01/03/2019 - 11/03/2023

Targeting Myeloid-Derived Suppressor Cells to prevent HIV/STI acquisition

IP: Meritxell Genesca Ferrer
Collaborators: Maria Cristina Centeno Mediavilla, Nuria Laia Rodriguez Mias, Yannick Hoyos Mallecot, Josep Castellví Vives, Laura Mañalich Barrachina, María José Buzón Gómez, Maider Arando Lasagabaster, Bibiana Planas Ribas, Cristina Mancebo Perez
Funding agency: Fundació La Marató de TV3
Funding: 199685
Reference: 20181410
Duration: 10/05/2019 - 31/12/2022

Caracterización de los reservorios VIH latentes de la mucosa genital femenina y estrategias para eliminarlos

IP: María José Buzón Gómez
Collaborators: Meritxell Genesca Ferrer, Laia Perez Lasarte
Funding agency: Generalitat de Catalunya - Departament de Salut
Funding: 103807.4
Reference: SLT002/16/00353
Duration: 04/04/2017 - 31/12/2019

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