I completed a degree in Biological Sciences (1993) and a PhD in Neuroscience (1993) at Universidad Complutense in Madrid (Spain) — my home town. I subsequently joined the University of California in San Francisco as a postdoctoral fellow in the laboratory of John L. R. Rubenstein. In 2003, I took a group leader position at the Instituto de Neurociencias in Alicante (Spain), where I worked until 2014. Since then, my laboratory is located at King’s College London.
I have been fortunate to receive a number of awards since establishing my lab in 2003, including EMBO (European Molecular Biology Organization) Young Investigator (2003) and European Young Investigator (EURYI) Awards (2004), Banco Sabadell Award for Biomedical Research (2008), Rey Jaime I Award on Basic Research (2011), FENS/EJN Young Investigator Award (2012), Wolfson Research Merit Award from the Royal Society (2014), and Prix Roger de Spoelberch (2014). In 2017, I received the Ramón y Cajal Medal from the Spanish Royal Academy of Sciences — I am particularly proud of this one. More recently, I have received the IX Remedios Caro Almela Prize in Developmental Neurobiology.
I have dedicated some of my time to science policy. For example, I was selected as one of the 22 founding members of the Scientific Council of the European Research Council (ERC), where I served until 2010. I also serve in several editorial boards, including the Board of Reviewing Editors at Science.
I am currently Professor of Neurobiology at King’s College London, Head of the Centre for Developmental Neurobiology and Director of the Medical Research Council (MRC) Centre for Neurodevelopmental Disorders. I am currently supported by programme grants from the ERC, Wellcome Trust and MRC, as well as awards from the Simons Foundation Autism Research Initiative and the Rosetrees Trust.
Affiliations
Centre for Developmental Neurobiology
The Centre for Developmental Neurobiology at King’s College London is devoted to the study of the mechanisms governing the formation of the brain, both during embryonic development and in postnatal life, when early experience continues to shape the way our brain is constructed.
Centre for Neurodevelopmental Disorders
The MRC Centre for Neurodevelopmental Disorders at King’s College London aims to identify the biological mechanisms underlying developmental brain disorders such epilepsy, autism and schizophrenia, with the ultimate goal of translating this knowledge into clinical advances that change the lives of all those affected.
Funding
Wellcome Trust
One of our main research programmes is funded by a Wellcome Trust Investigator Award (2014-2019). I have recently been awarded a second Investigator Award for the next five years.
European Research Council
Another major research programme in the laboratory is supported by an Advanced Grant from the European Research Council (2018-2023).
Medical research Council
In collaboration with Prof Beatriz Rico, our most translational research efforts are supported by a Programme Grant from the Medical Research Council.