My name is Álvaro Mozas Robles from Madrid, Spain. I hold both a BSc in Biomedicine and MSc in Advanced Therapies in Biomedicine from Universidad Francisco de Vitoria. Through my academic journey, I developed strong expertise in molecular biology techniques while expanding my skillset to include bioinformatics and programming.

During my academic studies I gained hands-on research experience through internships at Hospital Universitario 12 de Octubre and a technician role at the Instituto de Investigaciones Biomédicas at my university.

For my Bachelor’s Thesis, I conducted my research at Københavns Universitet under the supervision of Prof. Søren G. F. Rasmussen. Focusing  my work on functional and structural proteomics to explore the specificity of G-protein coupled receptors (GPCRs) and neurotransmitter transporters.

My Master’s thesis was conducted at the Cajal Institute, which is part of the Spanish Higher Council for Scientific Research (CSIC). I worked within the group of Prof. Guiomar Niso, where I focused my research in the fields of neuroimaging, psychology, and replication studies as part of the #EEGManyLabs initiative.

Neuroscience has been the central thread throughout my young research journey. Early in my bachelor’s, I developed a deep scientific and personal curiosity about understanding the complexities of the human mind, leading me to actively seek research opportunities that would build my expertise in studying the brain at molecular, cellular, and systems levels.

As part of the SECRET Consortium—a Marie Skłodowska-Curie Doctoral Network under Horizon Europe (MSCA DN)—I will serve as doctoral candidate 7 (DC7), pursuing my PhD at Universiteit Antwerpen. My research will be supervised by Prof. Peter Ponsaerts and the co-supervision of Prof. Marleen Verhoye, Prof. Ricardo A. Pires, and Prof. Piero Del Boccio.

My doctoral project “Evaluate and unravel the neuroprotective features of perinatal cell-derived secretomes in a mouse model of neuro-inflammation, -degeneration and -regeneration“ will focus on studying inflammatory pathways in the brain using different omics and neuroimaging techniques in an animal models, while assessing the therapeutic potential of a treatment strategy selected by the Consortium based on human-derived mesenchymal stem cell products (hMSC).

The majority of my work will be conducted at the Laboratory of Experimental Hematology (LEH, UAntwerp). My responsibilities include implementing metabolomics technology, analyzing proteomics and transcriptomics data, maintaining murine research models, performing imaging techniques, and extracting samples for analysis.

As a result of my work we expect to generate substantial seminal information on neuroinflammatory pathways related to demyelinating diseases in the corpus callosum and the cortex, while determine therapeutical potential of the proposed treatment by the SECRET Consortium on a preclinical model. Both of them, advancing our knowledge on neuroinflammation and potentially lay the foundation for future studies focused on halting the progression of neurodegenerative diseases and developing effective treatments.

Being a part of the SECRET Consortium provides invaluable opportunities for scientific growth. I will learn cutting-edge techniques, take on greater research independence, gain experience in international collaboration, and build a network with exceptional peers who share similar research interests.