- our team
Elena González Muñoz, PhD
Group Leader
I am currently tenured Associate Professor of Cell Biology at the department of Cell Biology, Genetics and Physiology at the University of Málaga and group leader of the Malága Biomedical Research Institute (IBIMA-BIONAND).
Our laboratory seeks understanding the molecular processed involved in cell identity with focus into pluripotency acquistion using the oocyte as source of information during cell reprogramming into induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs). Our research uses all this knowledge to generate cell-based disease models for neurodegenerative diseases understanding.
Brief Biosketch
Dra. González-Muñoz graduated with honors in Biology at the University of Seville (2002). She completed her doctoral studies late 2007 under the supervision of Prof. Marta Camps Camprubi and Prof. Antonio Zorzano at the University of Barcelona, analyzing the role of caveolae in the physiology of adipose tissue. She performed her first postdoctoral stage at the Barcelona Biomedical Research Institute (IRBB) studying the role of the amino acid transporter 4F2 in the development of the epiblast. She then joined University of California San Francisco as a post doctoral fellow in 2009, to study the asymmetric division of nerve stem cells (NSC) and the generation of brain tumors. She then joined Michigan State University where she focused her studies on the field of stem cells and the reprogramming of human cells to iPSCs (induced pluripotent stem cells). She was later selected by the Andalusian program of Cell Therapy and regenerative medicine to join the Andalusian Cellular Reprogramming Laboratory (LARCEL). In 2016 she was selected by the prestigious “Ramón y Cajal” program of the Ministry of Economy and Competitiveness, joining as an emerging principal investigator at the Andalusian Center for Nanomedicine and Biotechnology (BIONAND) and as professor at the department of cell biology, physiology and genetics of the University of Málaga.
Begoña Pérez Rojo, MsC, PhD Student
Begoña received her BSc degree in Biology from the University of Granada and a M.S. in Cellular and Molecular Biology from the University of Granada. Her project is focused into the study of the molecular signature of oocyte-based reprogrammed iPSCs and pluripotency states of stem cells.
Francisco Rodriguez Yáñez, MsC, Research technician
Francis received his BSc degree in Biology and M.S. in Advanced Biotechnology from the University of Malaga. He is focused into the analysis of cerebral 3D organoids from iPSC and the study of pluripotency states of stem cells.
Míriam Castro López, BSc Master Student
Míriam received her BSc in Biology and currently is a Master’s student at the Department of Cell Biology at the University of Malaga. Her project is focused into studyig pluripotency states of iPSCs.
Sergio Bascuñana Camero, BSc Master Student
Sergio received his BSc in Biology and currently is a Master’s student at the Department of Cell Biology at the University of Málaga. His project is focused into alternative methods to generate iPSCs.
Former members
- Lidia López-Caraballo, BSc
- Alicia Sánchez, MSc
- Jesús Castillo-Sanchez, MSc
- Piedad Valverde Guillen, BSc master student
- Sergio Bascuñana Camero, BSc master student
Anna E. Rott, PhD visiting student