Fernando Giraldez Orgaz

Studies and academic degrees:

Date of Birth, 10 ^th June, 1952, (Buenos Aires, Argentina).
Nationality : Spanish

Current Position.
Professor of Physiology and Developmental Biology.  Dept. Ciències Experimentals i de la Salut (CEXS), Universitat Pompeu-Fabra, Barcelona, Parc de Recerca Biomèdica de Barcelona (PRBB). Phone: 933 160 838 Email: fernando.giraldez@upf.edu

Degrees and research training. M.D. (1975) and Ph.D. (1979) University of Valladolid. Post-doctoral training at the University of Cambridge (UK) 1979-1983.

Teaching and Academic Experience . Full Professor since 1989. Director and Chairman of the Department of Biochemistry, Molecular Biology and Physiology 1992-1996 and CEXS-UPF 2003-2007, Vice-Rector of Research, Universidad de Valladolid 1998-02.

Research lines and projects . Group leader of the Developmental Biology Group, CEXS-Universitat Pompeu Fabra. Parc de Recerca Biomèdica de Barcelona (PRBB). Work funded by national agencies, MEC, MCIN, FIS.
Specific areas of research: Neuroscience and Developmental Biology: The development of sensory organs, molecules for cell signalling in development. Current projects study the properties of otic progenitors, and the initial steps in the generation of auditory neurones and sensory hair cells. Cell-communication and intrinsic factors governing cell fate are studied on mouse and chick embryos, combining genetic, molecular and embryological techniques.

Scientific results. Cited 2.010 times, h-index=25.  Published more than seventy papers and review articles in international books and journals, including Nature, PNAS , USA, Development, Developmental Biology, , Journal of Physiology, Neuroscience. And others. More than 50 seminars, talks and plenary lectures in universities and research institutes, ICRF (Oxford), Kings College (London), Boston University School of Medicine, EMBL-Heidelberg, Cambridge University, New York University, Freiburg, Umëa, Instituto Cajal, Juan March workshops, CECS-Chile, Centro de Biología Molecular (CBM-CSIC), Centro Nacional de Biotecnología (CNB-CSIC), as well as a number of communications and talks in scientific meetings and symposia.

Other scientific activities. Expert and panel member for ANEP, ANECA, FCT (Portugal), Ministry of Education and CSIC. Referee for the American J. Physiol., European J. Physiol., J. Physiol., Development, Developmental Biology, Int.J.Devel. Mech. Devel., Devel. Dyn. J. Neurosci. Res.  PLoS ONE. Advisor and referee of FONCYT (Argentina), Welcome Foundation, National Science Foundation (USA), BBSRC, and other funding agencies.   

Supervisor of twelve PhD students and member of more than fifty PhD committees, acting as external examiner at the University of Nottingham, Universidade de Lisboa, and as opponent at Umea University. Member of national and international scientific societies, including SENC-IBRO, SEBBM-FEBS, BSDB, SDB, SFN, Fellow of Clare Hall College (Cambridge). Founder member of the Spanish Society of Developmental Biology (SEBD), and the Spanish Biophysical Society (SBE).

Recent Publications

PUJADES, C., KAMAID, A., ALSINA, B. & GIRALDEZ, F. (2006)   BMP4  regulates the development of hair-cells by modulating progenitor cell survival Devel. Biol. 29:55-67           

NEVES, J., KAMAID, A., ALSINA, B., & GIRALDEZ, F. (2007) Differential expression of Sox2 and Sx3 in neuronal and sensory progenitors of the developing inner ear of the chick. Journal of Comparative Neurology  503:487-500                                                                       

GIRALDEZ, F. & FRITZSCH, B. (2007) The molecular biology of ear development - "Twenty years are nothing" Ear Development Special Issue, Ed. by Giraldez & Fritzsch, Int. J. Devel. Biol. 51: 429-438 

ABELLÓ, G., KHATRI, S., GIRALDEZ, F. & ALSINA, B. (2007) Early regionalization of the otic placode and its regulation by the Notch signaling pathway. Mech. Devel. 124(7-8):631-45

BELL, D., STREIT, A., GOROSPE, I., VARELA-NIETO, I., ALSINA, B. & GIRALDEZ, F. (2008) Spatial and temporal segregation of auditory and vestibular neurons in the otic placode. Developmental Biology  322:109-120

KAMAID, A. & GIRALDEZ, F. (2008) Btg1 and Btg2 expression during early chick development. Developmental Dynamics 237:2158-2169

ALSINA, B., GIRALDEZ, F. and PUJADES, C. (2009) Patterning and cell fate in ear development. Int. J. Dev. Biol. 53: 1503-1513

ALSINA B., GARCIA-LOMANA, VILLÀ J., GIRÁLDEZ F. (2009). Developmental Biology and Mathematics: the rules of an embryo AMS-RSME: Contemporary Mathematics: Mathematics, Developmemntal Biology and Tumour growth  Ed. by F Giraldez and MA Herrero

ABELLÓ G., KHATRI S. , RADOSEVIC M. , SCOTTING P.J , GIRÁLDEZ F. , ALSINA B. (2010) Independent regulation of Sox3 and Lmx1b by FGF and BMP signaling determines the neurogenic and non-neurogenic domains in the chick otic placode Devel. Biol. 339 : 166-178    

KAMAID, A., NEVES, J. and GIRALDEZ, F. (2010) Id gene regulation and function in the prosensory domains of the chicken inner ear: a link between BMP signaling and Atoh1. J.Neuroscience 30(34):11426-11434

NEVES, J., PARADA, C., CHAMIZO, M. And GIRALDEZ, F. (2011) Jagged1 regulates the restriction of Sox2 expression in the developing chicken inner ear: a mechanism for sensory organ specification. Development 138: 735-744