The Sant Pau Research Institute has stabilized two researchers from the Miguel Servet program of the Carlos III Institute of Health (ISCIII): Dr. Mª Virtudes Céspedes and Dr. Mª José Martínez Zapata. This stabilization responds to the Miguel Servet evaluation policy carried out by the Institute and which both researchers have successfully passed, standing out for their excellence in research, leadership and innovation.
Dr. Céspedes, a graduate in Biology from the Complutense University of Madrid, a doctor in Neurosciences from the Institute of Neurosciences of the CSIC-Universidad Miguel Hernández (2001), and a master’s degree in Analysis and Quality Control from the Technological Institute of the Chemical and Pharmaceutical Industry, has been a pioneer in identifying new therapeutic targets in peritoneal cancers, mainly in the most aggressive endometrial and ovarian cancers.
Her dedication to studying the influence of the nervous system on tumor progression and the application of high-throughput screening platforms and artificial intelligence aims to open new avenues for improving diagnostic and therapeutic strategies in oncology, consolidating her role as principal investigator of the emerging Gynecological and Peritoneal Oncology Group.
Since joining the IR Sant Pau in 2001, in the Oncogenesis and Antitumor Drugs group led by Dr. Ramon Mangues, Dr. Céspedes has evolved from a postdoctoral student to the leader of an innovative research group, obtaining a Miguel Servet researcher position in 2016. Her research line, which crosses the boundaries between neuroscience and oncology, seeks to develop advanced therapies that can transform the care of patients with these devastating cancers.
Her research lines focus on modeling highly metastatic gynecological cancers, using 2D and 3D systems, and xenotransplants derived from patient mice, to better understand the tumor’s pathophysiology and for use in preclinical evaluation of antimetastatic therapies based on nanoparticles, and tumor neuromodulation, both aimed at eliminating cancer stem cells.
On the other hand, and jointly with clinical researchers from the gynecology and obstetrics department of the Hospital de Sant Pau, she is working on identifying new prognostic markers and therapeutic targets using high-throughput screening platforms, big data, and artificial intelligence to improve the prognostic and therapeutic stratification of patients with endometrial cancer.
Over the past 5 years, she has obtained 7 competitive projects as PI and human resources from ISCIII and private institutions, actively contributed to drug development through contracts with the pharmaceutical industry. Among her most outstanding achievements, she is also a co-inventor of 3 patents covering the use of T22-targeted nanoparticle vehicles to deliver drugs and diagnostic agents into CXCR4+ cells (cancer stem cells).
On the other hand, Dr. Martínez Zapata, a medical graduate from the University of Barcelona (1988), specialized in Clinical Pharmacology trained at the Vall d’Hebron Hospital (HVH, 1993-96), and obtained her doctorate from the Autonomous University of Barcelona (UAB, 2006). Since 2016, as a senior associate researcher Miguel Servet, she has developed a line of clinical research on patient safety during surgery. She has conducted studies as PI, funded by competitive public grants, and has obtained human resources from ISCIII. She is also a researcher in group 43 of the CIBER of Epidemiology and Public Health (CIBERESP), and the Consolidated Catalan Group of Clinical Research and Applied Health. She is a member of the Ibero-American Cochrane Network, Cochrane Collaboration, and the Spanish Society of Clinical Pharmacology.
With an exceptional academic and professional background, she has focused her research on evaluating the safety and efficacy of clinical interventions, including the use of tranexamic acid to reduce bleeding in orthopedic surgery, platelet-rich plasma for wound healing, and the treatment of chronic venous insufficiency. Throughout her career, she has led several independent randomized clinical trials and has collaborated on international research projects, consolidating herself as a key figure within group 43 of the CIBER of Epidemiology and Public Health and the Consolidated Catalan Group of Clinical Research and Applied Health.
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The consolidation of Drs. Martínez Zapata and Céspedes symbolizes not only the recognition of their excellence and commitment to quality research, but also the commitment of the Sant Pau Research Institute to retaining talent and promoting scientific advancement in the field of health. Their stabilization will allow the continuation and expansion of initiated research projects, with the hope of reaching new discoveries that can transform the treatment and care of patients in the coming years.
