Head of the Unit

Head of the Geriatrics Department at the University Hospital of Navarra (HUN), Scientific Director of the Navarra Institute for Health Research (IdiSNA), Professor at the Public University of Navarra (UPNA), at the University of Navarra (UNAV) and at the European Academy of Geriatric Medicine (EAMA).

Gradurated in Medicine and Surgery from the University of Navarra (UNAV) in 1996, completed surgical residency training in England (Colchester General Hospital – 1997), specialist in Geriatrics (Getafe University Hospital - 2002) and PhD from UPNA (2008). Postgraduate Expert in Probability and Statistics from UNED, expert in Health Services Research at the University of Alcalá, expert in Promotion and Management of European R&D Projects and expert in Advances in Health Systems Management.

Member of the CIBER of frailty and healthy aging of ISCIII and of the Board of the European Academy of Geriatric Medicine. Spanish representative to the European Union Geriatric Medicine Society and Vice President of the Spanish Society of Geriatrics and Gerontology.

In the field of research, he has authored 214 scientific publications. I have participated in 26 research projects at regional, national and European levels, where we recently led a European project within the SUDOE call. He has participated in more than 40 international conferences and more than 80 national ones that have allowed me to present results of these investigations.
 
He serves as Editor-in-Chief of the Spanish Journal of Geriatrics and Gerontology (REGG), a consultant and reviewer for various journals at an international level, and an evaluator of national and international Research Projects. I have supervised 8 doctoral theses and I currently have 9 in development.
 

I comleted my PhD at the Biomedical Research Centre of the Navarra Health Service, under the supervision of Dr Garcia-Foncillas (Department of Oncology, CUN) and Dr Lera (Department of Surgery, Hospital of Navarra). My PhD research was on the mutator phenotype and prognosis in colorectal cancer patients. I received training in the prestigious PEBC-IDIBELL, headed by Dr Manel Esteller, where I learned basic techniques for epigenetic studies and collaborated in a study of the involvement of epigenetic alterations of the WRN gene (PNAS, 2006) and MBD family proteins in cancer (Oncogene, 2008). My current duties cover the areas of research and healthcare, respectively. In the research area, I lead Molecular Pathology Research Group in Navarrabiomed, dedicated to identifying novel epigenetic alterations with diagnostic, prognostic or predictive value in cancer, especially breast, colorectal and gynaecological cancers. We study gene hypermethylation, deregulation of miRNA expression, and histone acetylation by molecular techniques (global methylation and miRNA expression, pyrosequencing, etc.) for the study of nucleic acids (DNA and RNA) and protein, and in vitro techniques for functional studies (proliferation, invasion, etc.). The Group has received competitive funding from regional (Health and Industry Departments, Government of Navarra), national (MINECO) and European (RefBio,
 
RefBioII, Onconet-Interreg Sudoe) sources, among other funding agencies. We have made significant discoveries of epigenetic alterations of prognostic value in brain tumours, and breast and gynaecological cancers. I am the President of the Scientific Committee of the Navarrabiomed Tumour Biobank since 2013. In the area of diagnosis and healthcare, I have been the Head of the Molecular Pathology Laboratory in the Department of Pathology since 2009. We analyse the validated biomarkers for the diagnosis and prediction of response to cancer treatments of patients with solid tumours by different methodologies including NGS. The results obtained in our laboratory are used for immediate clinical decision-making.
 

World's Top 2% Scientists (Stanford University)

I completed my bachelor's studies in Biological Sciences at the University of Navarra in 1988. Subsequently, I earned my PhD in Microbiology at the Center for Molecular Biology (CSIC-UAM) of the Autonomous University of Madrid in 1992. Afterwards, I spent three years conducting research in the laboratory of Professor Pascale Cossart at the Pasteur Institute, focusing especially on the actin-based motility genetics of Listeria monocytogenes. In 1997 I returned to Spain as a microbiology professor at the Public University of Navarra (UPNA) in Pamplona. The following year, in 1998, I obtained a permanent academic position in microbiology and began my research line dedicated to the study of bacterial biofilm formation at the Institute of Agro-Bio Technology, a mixed center between UPNA/CSIC. In 2008, I obtained a Chair in Microbiology through the habilitation process and, at the end of 2015, assumed the position of director of Navarrabiomed, a recently created biomedical research center located in Pamplona. I have always been aware of the need and importance of transferring research results to society. Therefore, in 2011 I co-founded the biotechnology company RECOMBINA S.L. (Pamplona). I have been Principal Investigator in nine consecutive nationally funded projects, funded by the Spanish Ministry of Economy, Industry and Competitiveness, as well as in four European Union grants (6th and 7th Framework Programs). Throughout my career, I have supervised 19 PhD students; several of whom currently lead their own research groups. Currently, the Microbial Pathogenesis Unit is currently focused on investigating: The global function of the sensory system of two components in Staphylococcus aureus.
The c-di-GMP sensory network in Salmonella enteritidis. The regulation of transcription
through overlapping mRNA of neighboring genes and its degradation mediated by RNase III. The synthesis of the components of the biofilm matrix. Among the key findings of our work are:
 
The identification of a protein family, called Bap, that promotes biofilm formation in various bacterial species through the adoption of an amyloid conformation. The finding that the two-component sensory system is dispensable for the growth of S. aureus under laboratory conditions. The demonstration of a mechanism of transcriptional control in bacteria based on the overlap of mRNAs from neighboring genes and their consequent digestion by RNase III activity. The identification of a new genetic organization in bacteria, which we have called discontiguous operon.
 

My interest has always been focused on protein biochemistry and proteomics. My doctoral research (awarded in 2005) focused on the identification of biomarkers of non-alcoholic steatohepatitis and hepatocarcinoma using proteomics, obtaining three patents during this period. During my postdoctoral stage (2006-10), I was involved in a Sixth Framework EU project (FP6) gaining extensive knowledge in proteogenomic strategies to improve the potency and safety of HSV-1 based oncolytic vectors. As a complement to my scientific training, I completed a Master in Business Management of SMEs (2008). In 2011, I moved to Navarrabiomed Biomedical Research Center (Miguel Servet Foundation, Pamplona, Spain) to establish a research unit focused on the characterization of neurodegenerative proteinopathies dealing with protein expression profiling, multiomics, posttranslational modifications, drug repositioning and protein-protein interactions involved in neurological syndromes. Throughout my scientific career, I have contributed in more than 140 papers, 20 book chapters, and edited three books about cerebrospinal fluid and brain proteomics. I have more than 10 years of experience in leading, mentoring and coaching scientists at all levels of education, being Assistant Professor in several National Biomedical Masters, Associate Professor at Health Sciences Department (UPNA) and supervising 7 PhD theses and multiple master degrees’ students.

Graduated in Medicine and Surgery by the University of Alcalá de Henares (UAH); specialized in Clinical Genetics with European Certificate in Medical Genetics and Genomics (UEMS); and European Doctor in Medicine with the Extraordinary Prize from UAH.

At the clinical level, he is a Specialist Area Physician in Medical Genetics of the Navarre Health Service (SNS-O), and Consultant Clinical Geneticist at the North East and North Cumbria NHS Genomic Medicine Centre in the United Kingdom from 2014-2016.
Leader of the Oncogenetics and Hereditary Cancer research groups at the Government of Navarra's Biomedical Research Centre, Navarrabiomed, and at the Institute of Health Research of Navarra, IdISNA, 2008-2020, and director of the Genomic Medicine Unit at Navarrabiomed since 2016.
As a lecturer, associate professor of the Faculty of Health Sciences, at the Public University of Navarre (UPNA), responsible for the courses "Medicine
 
Personalized" in the degrees of Biotechnology, Sciences, Biomedical Engineering and Data Science, and of the course "Integrated Medicine VI" of the Medical degree
In management and planning in the field of Personalized Medicine, he has been Scientific-Technical Coordinator of the Navarra Personalized Medicine Strategy; secretary of the Personalised Medicine section of the Spanish Association of Human Genetics (AEGH); advisor to the Senate Panel on the National Strategy in Genomic Medicine; member of the Executive Committee of the ICPerMed International Consortium on Personalized Medicine; and participant in the mirror groups

for the 1 Million Genomes (+1MG) initiative of the European Commission.

https://orcid.org/0000-0001-5111-310X    
 

World's Top 2% Scientists (Stanford University)

Humberto Bustince is Professor of Computer Science and Artificial Intelligence at the Public University of Navarre and Honorary Professor at the University of Nottingham since 2017. He is the principal researcher of the Group for Artificial Intelligence and Approximate Reasoning. He is the author or co-author of more than 400 papers, according to Web of Science, in prestigious international conferences and journals, with nearly 200 published in first quartile of JCR. In addition, eight of these papers have been among the highly cited papers of the last 10 years according to Web of Science. He collaborates with leading international groups from countries such as the United Kingdom, Belgium, Australia, Germany, Portugal, the Czech Republic, Slovakia, Canada, the USA or Brazil. He is also editor-in-chief of the online magazine Mathware&Soft Computing of the European Association for Fuzzy Logic and Technology (EUSFLAT) and of the journal Axioms. He is a member of the editorial committees of the journals Fuzzy Sets and Systems, Information Fusion, International Journal of Computational Intelligence Systems and Journal of Intelligent & Fuzzy Systems. He is a Fellow of the IEEE Association and a Fellow of the International Fuzzy Systems Association (IFSA). He has served as president of latter association since August 2023. He has been a member of Jakiunde since 2018.
Among his awards, mention should be made of the Cross of Carlos III the Noble granted by the Government of Navarre in 2017; the José García Santesmases National Computer Science Award 2019 and the EUSFLAT Scientific Excellence Award in 2019

World's Top 2% Scientists (Stanford University)

The researcher holds a Bachelor's Degree in Physical Activity and Sports Sciences (2006) and a PhD in the same discipline (2012) from the University of Extremadura. He has completed postdoctoral stays abroad, mainly in Chile. Between 2019 and 2024, he was a Miguel Servet Type 1 researcher and a consolidated researcher at Navarrabiomed (March-October 2025). He obtained the i3 Program certification in November 2023. He is currently a Senior Lecturer at the Public University of Navarra.

In leadership and scientific independence, he has supervised eight doctoral theses rated with Very Good Cum Laude. He has also obtained competitive contracts for training pre- and postdoctoral students, including Caixa's INPhINIT program and a PFIS predoctoral contract from the Carlos III Health Institute.

He has published 320 articles in peer-reviewed indexed journals, of which 60% are open access and have received 9,489 citations, placing him in the top 2% most cited according to the Stanford ranking. In 50% of his works, he has held prominent positions as corresponding author, first author, or last author. His average Field-Weighted Citation Impact is 2.08 (2.45 as first author). His h-index is 49 on Scopus and 46 on the WOS.

He has served as an external reviewer for organizations such as CONICYT of Chile and the Health Research Council of New Zealand. He is an expert reviewer for the FWO Review College of Belgium and the Swiss National Science Foundation. He has served as Principal investigator of two projects funded by the Carlos III Health Institute.
 

World's Top 2% Scientists (Stanford University)

Mikel Izquierdo is a Professor and Deputy Head of the Department of Health Sciences at the Public University of Navarra. He is also a Professor in the Master of High Performance Sport of the Spanish Olympic Committee. He was Head of the Research, Studies and Sports Medicine Unit of the Government of Navarra (2005-2010), a period during which he participated in the preparation of Olympic athletes in judo, handball and Basque pelota. He also collaborated with the football teams Liverpool FC and FC Barcelona, with whom he won two UEFA Champions League titles, as well as the Copa and the Spanish League.

He has led numerous research projects focused on biomechanics and the neuromuscular system, with particular interest in the effects of strength and muscular power training on athletic performance, aging, frailty, and populations affected by conditions such as diabetes and obesity.

Currently, he leads the Physical Exercise, Health and Quality of Life (E-FIT) research group at the Navarra Biomedical Research Center (NAVARRABIOMED) and is the principal investigator in the CIBER of Frailty and Healthy Aging (CIBERFES) of the Carlos III Health Institute. He has participated in projects funded by the European Commission, such as Mid-Frail (7PM) and DIABFRAIL-LATAM (H2020), and he coordinates as scientific director the European project VIVIFRAIL (www.vivifrail.com).

Since 2018, he has been an external advisor to the World Health Organization (WHO) Healthy Aging Consortium, collaborating in the implementation of physical exercise programs for the prevention of frailty and falls globally.

He directed more than 40 doctoral theses in the field of physical activity and published more than 530 indexed articles (h-index of 105), accumulating over 55,000 citations. In the last decade, he has managed more than €2.5 million in funding for research projects. His most recent publications can be consulted at the following link: http://goo.gl/zaiGw8.
 

Full Professor at the Public University of Navarre (UPNA) and leader of the Multispectral Biosensing Group at Navarrabiomed, my research career focuses on the development of disruptive devices based on metamaterials and photonics. With more than 160 international publications (104 in Q1 and 27 in D1) and more than 8,000 citations on Google Scholar, I have significantly contributed to the advancement of photonics and terahertz sensors through metasurfaces.

Since 2017, I lead the Multispectral Biosensing Group at Navarrabiomed, where we explore new strategies for the development of terahertz sensors applied to biomedical detection. Our research combines metamaterials and nanotechnology to improve early diagnosis and monitoring of diseases, integrating advanced approaches in photonics and biosensing.

Throughout my career, I have led 49 research projects (serving as Principal Investigator on 15 of them) and 25 research contracts, favoring technology transfer through industrial collaborations and international patents. I have supervised 9 doctoral theses (and currently supervise 3 additional PhD theses) and participated in scientific milestones such as the first worldwide demonstration of a metaprisma in THz, advances in cloaking layers, and the development of graphene-based devices.

Among my recognitions are the UPNA Prize for Research in the Area of Exact, Biological, Medical and Technological Sciences (2023) and my inclusion in the top 2% of most cited scientists in the world according to Stanford University (2020–2024). My commitment remains the development of innovative technologies in biosensing and photonics, with a focus on biomedical applications that can positively impact society.