Our multidisplinary research team is involves veterinarians, specialists in cell and molecular biology, and orthopaedic doctors with a long history of collaboration.
Team
Drs Rodellar, Zaragoza and Barrachina, and the researchers Alina Cequier, Carmen Cons, Elvira Bernard, Mirta García and Belén Serrano have extensive experience in molecular genetics and cell biology. Dr Albareda is a specialist in traumatology and Head of the Traumatology Department at the Lozano Blesa University Hospital. Dr Romero, Dr Vázquez, Dr Vitoria and Sara Fuente are veterinarians specialised in equine medicine and surgery and work at the Veterinary Hospital of the University of Zaragoza. All members have participated in the development of research projects funded by the Spanish Ministry of Science (2011,AGL2011-28609;2017,AGL2017-84411-P) and directly related to investigating the use of allogeneic MSCs, the results of such projects constituting the basis and starting point for the current Proof of Concept project.
Prof Clementina Rodellar Penella, DVM, PhD
Principal investigator of the Cellequs Project, whose objective is the creation of a bank of equine mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) to provide researchers, veterinarians and companies with well-characterised, high quality equine MSCs. She created the research line on Veterinary Regenerative Medicine in which the group has been working since 2005. Prof Rodellar has recently secured funding from the Spanish Ministry of Science and Innovation to start working on equine induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs). She has published more than 100 articles in peer-reviewed journals and has supervised, in collaboration with other members of the team, a total of 11 PhD students, with three of them currently in execution.
Prof Pilar Zaragoza Fernández, DVM, PhD
Prof Zaragoza has a Degree and PhD in veterinary medicine and she is Professor of Genetics at the University of Zaragoza and director of the consolidated research group LAGENBIO. She has been Transfer and Innovation Vice-president in UNIZAR for 13 years and President of the Office for the Transfer of Research Results (OTRI) at the Conference of Rectors of Spanish Universities (CRUE). She has over 40 years of experience in teaching and research. She has supervised 13 PhD students and has numerous scientific publications and communications at international conferences. Prof Zaragoza has extensive knowledge in research and innovation transfer and a strong network with industry developed by several agreements between companies and university to exploit the results obtained by the research group.
Dr Laura Barrachina Porcar, DVM, PhD
Dr Barrachina has a degree in Veterinary Medicine and a PhD in Biomedical and Biotechnological Sciences (2017) from the University of Zaragoza (Cum Laude, international mention, extraordinary PhD award, Coris Gruart research award 2018). She worked as a postdoctoral researcher in the LAGENBIO group until 2021. In 2022 she joined the Regenerative Medicine Institute (REMEDI) at the University of Galway (Ireland) with a postdoctoral fellowship from the Marie Sklodowska Curie programme (European Commission Horizon 2020). Dr Barrachina’s research focuses on the use of different stem cells to treat joint pathologies in the horse.
Dr Jorge Albareda Albareda, MD, PhD
Head of the Orthopaedic Surgery and Traumatology Service of the University Clinic Hospital of Zaragoza and Head of Studies and President of the Teaching Commission of the University Clinic of Zaragoza. He is also President of the Spanish Society of Hip Surgery and Associate Professor of Orthopaedic Surgery at the University of Zaragoza. Dr Albareda has supervised 12 PhD students and has numerous indexed publications and communications in international and national meetings. He has won the SECOT National Research Award for three years and is also an evaluator of research projects for the Ministry of Science, Innovation and Universities (ANEP). Thanks to his extensive and consolidated experience in human traumatology, both at the clinical and research level, Dr Albareda is key knowledge for translational approach of this project.
Dr Antonio Romero Lasheras, DVM, PhD
Dr Romero is subdirector of the Veterinary Hospital of the University of Zaragoza and Associate Professor of the Department of Animal Pathology, Area of Animal Medicine and Surgery, of the Veterinary Medicine School of the University of Zaragoza. He has a degree and a PhD in Veterinary Medicine by the University of Zaragoza. Dr Romero is a specialist in equine medicine and surgery with extensive experience in the treatment of joint pathologies with regenerative therapies.
Dr Francisco José Vázquez Bringas, DVM, PhD
Dr Vázquez is an associate Professor of the Department of Animal Pathology, Area of Animal Medicine and Surgery, of the Veterinary Medicine School of the University of Zaragoza and member of the LAGENBIO Research Group. He has a degree and a PhD in Veterinary Medicine from the University of Zaragoza and is a specialist in equine medicine, surgery and laparoscopy, highly experienced in the use of equine orthobiologics.
Dr Arantzazu Vitoria Moraiz, DVM, PhD
Dr Vitoria is Associate Professor of the Department of Animal Pathology, Area of Animal Medicine and Surgery, of the Veterinary Medicine School of the University of Zaragoza and member of the LAGENBIO Research Group. She leads an ambulatory equine practice and has extensive experience in the treatment of tendon-ligament injuries in sport horses with regenerative medicine.
Sara Fuente Franco, DVM
Sara Fuente is a veterinarian and associate professor of the Department of Animal Pathology, Area of Animal Medicine and Surgery, of the Veterinary Medicine School of the University of Zaragoza and member of the Research Groups LAGENBIO and GITMI. She has worked as an equine veterinary specialist at Al Marmoom Equine Hospital (United Arab Emirates) and Sycamore Lodge Equine Hospital (Ireland). She is currently developing her PhD on the genetic diversity of the equine Major Histocompatibility Complex (MHC) with the LAGENBIO group.
Carmen Cons Claver, ChE
Carmen Cons has a degree in Chemical Engineering and is in charge of the LAGENBIO Genetic Analysis Service. She has specialised in DNA sequencing and fragment analysis for more than 15 years, guaranteeing her experience in the correct implementation of activities related to genetic marker analysis to establish haplotypes.
Alina Cequier Soler, DVM
Alina Cequier graduated in Veterinary Medicine and is currently working as researcher at the University of Zaragoza while doing her PhD on the optimisation of the use of mesenchymal stem cells in joint pathologies in horses by studying the balance between immunomodulation and immunogenicity of these cells.
Elvira Bernard Roche, DVM
Elvira Bernad graduated in Veterinary Medicine and enrolled in an equine clinical internship at the University of Cordoba, after which she worked as an equine veterinary specialist at Fethard Equine Hospital (Ireland). She is currently working as a researcher at the University of Zaragoza while working on her PhD on the interaction of equine induced pluripotent stem cells with the immune system.
Mirta García Martínez, DVM
Mirta Garcia has a Degree in Veterinary Medicine and works as researcher in LAGENBIO while finishing her PhD related to studying the innate immune response in neurodegenerative diseases (PhD programme in Animal Medicine and Health at the University of Zaragoza). She has extensive experience in molecular biology and animal pathology.
Belén Serrano Pastor, DVM
Belen Serrano graduated in Veterinary Medicine and has recently started her PhD in the Biomedical and Biotechnological Sciences programme at the University of Zaragoza on the use of equine induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSC) in regenerative therapies.
