Dr. Josep Dalmau
and senior group leader at the CaixaResearch Institute
Location
Barcelona
Description
He has spent a large part of his career in the United States, where he was a Professor of Neurology at the University of Pennsylvania and co-director of neuro-oncology programmes. Subsequently, he joined the August Pi i Sunyer Biomedical Research Institute (IDIBAPS) and the Hospital Clínic de Barcelona as an ICREA Research Professor; currently, he combines these roles with his position as a group leader at the CaixaResearch Institute.
His research focuses on immune-mediated neurological diseases. In particular, his work is internationally recognised for describing and characterising several autoimmune encephalitides caused by antibodies that attack neuronal proteins. He has also contributed to the development of new diagnostic tools and therapeutic strategies for these conditions.
In addition to his research and clinical work, he is the editor of Neurology: Neuroimmunology and Neuroinflammation and a member of several international scientific academies, including the National Academy of Medicine in the United States.
His career has been recognised with numerous national and international awards. Notable among these are the 2025 Gregorio Marañón National Research Award in Medicine and Health Sciences, one of Spain’s leading scientific honours; the King Jaime I Award for Medical Research; and the George C. Cotzias Award from the American Academy of Neurology.
Dr. Gemma Moncunill
Biologist, PhD in Immunology, and consolidated group leader at the CaixaResearch Institute
Gemma Moncunill holds a PhD in Immunology from the Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona. She trained at leading international institutions such as the Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center (Seattle) and the University of British Columbia (Vancouver). ...
Maite Mendioroz
Director of Navarrobiomed – Miguel Servet Foundation and principal investigator of the Neuroepigenetics Unit
Maite graduated in Medicine and Surgery from the University of Navarra (1996), specialising in neurology (MIR) at the Donostia Hospital. She completed her doctoral thesis at the Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona and continued her training at the ...
Dr. María Martínez López
Biochemist, researcher in neuroimmunology, and junior group leader at the CaixaResearch Institute
The immunologist María Martínez López is conducting her postdoctoral research at the Fundação Champalimaud in Lisbon, supported by a Junior Leader fellowship from the "la Caixa" Foundation. In July 2026, she will join the new research centre in ...