Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona
Xavier Navarro
The Universitat Autonoma de Barcelona (www.uab.cat) is a major public university dedicated to research and teaching, that offers a full and diverse range of study programmes, including experimental sciences, health sciences, technological studies, social sciences, and humanities. The UAB coordinates a potent scientific and technological center (the Esfera UAB), promotes new business projects, directs its activities towards the socio-economic surrounding, and disseminates newly acquired knowledge. The UAB is therefore a breeding ground for quality research and a centre for the dissemination of knowledge and technologies. The Institute of Neurosciences of the UAB is devoted to the study of normal and pathological function of the nervous system. It is composed by twenty research groups comprising a unique multidisciplinary center in Spain.
The Group of Neuroplasticity and Regeneration of the Institute of Neurosciences of the Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona is a multidisciplinary research group working on regeneration and functional recovery after peripheral nerve and spinal cord lesions. The members of the group have combined expertise in microsurgery, neurophysiology, morphology, cell culture, molecular neurobiology and bioelectronics. The group has also cooperative research projects in clinical neurosciences, particularly on nerve repair therapies, and on neural plasticity after brain and spinal cord lesions.
The main research lines of the group are related to:
• Regeneration and reinnervation after peripheral nerve injuries
• Physiopathology and treatment of neuropathic pain
• Evaluation and physiopathology of neuromuscular disorders: metabolic and drug-induced neuropathies, motoneuron diseases in experimental models
• Development of biocompatible artificial nerve grafts, including Schwann cell transplants
• Glial cell and stem cell transplants for the repair of spinal cord injuries
• Evaluation of neural interfaces for neuroprostheses in rehabilitation of the injured nervous system
• Plasticity of the central nervous system after acute and chronic injuries
Xavier Navarro Professor and head Nerve regeneration, electrophysiology, microsurgery
Enrique Verdú Associate professor Immunohistochemistry, glial cultures, spinal cord
Esther Udina Lecturer Nerve regeneration, electrophysiology, morphology
Elena Valderrama Professor Electronics, electrophysiology
Meritxell Vivó Postdoc Immunohistochemistry, molecular biology
Caty Casas Postdoc Molecular biology, stem cells
Teaching environment
The UAB is offering over 500 postgraduate programmes, including Master’s degrees and postgraduate programmes (including 81 official master degrees), specialised training courses, and doctoral (PhD) programmes, that covers all areas of knowledge and with research, academic and/or professional specialisations. The UAB Campus offers an unique opportunity for multidisciplinary training and education. The doctoral programmes are aimed at researchers and academic professionals, and are backed by the international recognition the UAB has received in quality and innovation in research. More than 12000 students are pursuing postgraduate programs at the UAB.
The PhD Program in Neurosciences (http://servet.uab.es/neurociencies/) has long-standing experience and has received the Award for Quality from the Spanish Ministry for Education and Science. Courses in the program cover basic and applied disciplines in neurosciences, and have to be completed within 2 years together with a research work that is evaluated by an internal committee. Each PhD student is integrated in one research group in which a senior advisor guides the development of the PhD thesis, that on finalization is judged by an external committee. About 25 new students are enrolled in the Neuroscience program each year.
Relevant recent publications:
• Navarro X, Vivó M, Valero-Cabré A. Neural plasticity after peripheral nerve injury and regeneration. Progr Neurobiol 2007, 82:163-201.
• Penas C, Guzmán-Lenis MS, Verdú E, Forés J, Navarro X, Casas C. Spinal cord injury induces endoplasmic reticulum stress with different cell-type dependent response. J Neurochem 2007, 102:1242-1255.
• López-Vales R, Forés J, Navarro X, Verdú E. Olfactory ensheathing glia graft in combination with FK506 administration promote repair after spinal cord injury. Neurobiol Dis 2006, 24:443-454.
• López-Vales R, Forés J, Verdú E, Navarro X. Acute and delayed transplantation of olfactory ensheathing cells promote partial recovery after complete transection of the spinal cord. Neurobiol Dis 2006, 21:57-68.
• Udina E, Rodríguez FJ, Verdú E, Espejo M, Gold BG, Navarro X. FK506 enhances regeneration of axons across long peripheral nerve gaps repaired with collagen guides seeded with allogeneic Schwann cells. Glia 2004, 47:120-129.
