Our professionals
Dr. Matías Ávila Zaragozá
Co-director of the Solid Tumors Program.
Identification of mechanisms and diagnostic and therapeutic strategies in liver tumors.
Professional career
Degree in Pharmacy from the Complutense University of Madrid in 1988.
Doctorate in Pharmacy from the same university in 1992, doing his thesis work at the Institute of Biomedical Research of the CSIC in Madrid.
Post-doctoral stay at the Lombardi Cancer Center of the University of Georgetown, Washington DC, USA.
Since 2004 he has been a member of the Cima of the University of Navarra.
Professor of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology at the University of Navarra.
Specialized in the investigation of mechanisms involved in liver regeneration, fibrogenesis and tumorigenesis.
Principal Investigator of the Hepatic Damage and Carcinogenesis Research Group within the Hepatology Program.
RESEARCH AREAS
He has participated in more than 20 research projects funded by the Ministry of Economy and Competitiveness, the Ministry of Health and the Government of Navarra, and private entities, being principal investigator in 10 of them.
He has been part of the research team of projects funded by the National Institute of Health (NIH) of the USA.
He has carried out research projects in collaboration with companies such as Moderna Therapeutics, Iteos Therapeutics and Kintsugi Therapeutics.
AREAS OF INTEREST
Study of the molecular and cellular mechanisms of liver regeneration, fibrogenesis and neoplastic transformation.
- Epigenetic mechanisms of hepatobiliary oncogenesis: in vitro and in vivo models.
- Epigenetic approaches to sensitization of hepatobiliary tumors to chemotherapy.
- Mechanisms of chronic liver disease progression in the context of fatty liver.
Activity
As an educator
- Professor of Biochemistry at the Faculty of Medicine, teaching in the Degree in Medicine and the Degree in Biochemistry.
- Member of the Commission of the Degree in Biochemistry of the Faculty of Sciences of the University of Navarra.
- He has supervised 13 doctoral theses, 2 recognized with the Extraordinary Doctorate Award of the University of Navarra and another 2 recognized with the Award of the Royal Academy of Doctors.
As a researcher
- I have participated in the publication of 113 scientific articles, 67 of them in the first decile of the JCR.
- She has five sexenios of research recognized by the National Commission for the Evaluation of Research Activity (CNEAI), the last of them granted in 2018.
Organismos científicos
- Miembro del SAB del Institut Cochin (Universite Paris Descartes, INSERM, CNRS), de Paris, Francia desde 2017.
- Miembro del SAB del consorcio HUNTER (Hepatocellular Carcinoma Expediter Network) financiado por las asociaciones para la lucha contra el cáncer de UK, Italia y España (CRUK, AIRC and AECC) desde 2018.
- Es Associate Editor de Journal of Hepatology, revista oficial de la European Association for the Study of the Liver (EASL) desde 2019.
- Es miembro del Editorial Board de las revistas: Gastroenterology (desde 2017), Hepatology (desde 2015). Liver International (desde 2016) y Clinical Science (desde 2015).
- Ha formado parte del comité científico de la Junta de Gobierno de la European Association for the Study of The Liver (EASL) 2011-14.
- Ha formado parte de la Junta de Gobierno de la Asociación Española para el Estudio del Hígado (AEEH) 2015-17.
- Ha sido miembro del Scientific Advisory Board (SAB) del the Site for Integrated Cancer Research (SIRIC) de Bordeaux (Universite de Bordeaux, INSERM, CNRS, Institut Bergonie), Francia 2014-18.
- Ha sido Associate Editor de Gut, revista oficial de la British Gastroenterological association 2011-2019.
More information
Latest scientific publications
- New insights into the regulation of bile acids synthesis during the early stages of liver regeneration: A human and experimental study. Scientific Publication Apr 19, 2024 | Magazine: Biochimica et Biophysica Acta (BBA) - Molecular Basis of Disease
- Bile as a liquid biopsy matrix: potential applications and limitations Feb 4, 2024 | Magazine: Exploration of Digestive Diseases