Dra. Cristina Solé Marcé

Since 2021, I am Senior-Junior Principal Investigator in the Rheumatology team at the Systemic Lupus Erythematosus Unit of the Vall Hebron Research Institute (VHIR). Previously, I spent six years as a postdoctoral researcher in the same unit. Since then, our focus has been on research aimed at improving patients' lives, whether through the identification of new biomarkers that inform us about their condition without the need for invasive techniques, or through the discovery of the effects of new drugs and/or the molecular pathways involved in the development of different clinical manifestations. In this regard, we have already published several papers in internationally recognized journals and have been invited to prestigious conferences (ACR, EULAR, etc.).

Before joining VHIR, I graduated with dual degrees in Chemistry and Biochemistry from Rovira i Virgili University, where I achieved the highest academic record in both programs. I then began my PhD, focusing on the enantioselective synthesis of drugs, while simultaneously completing a master’s degree in "Synthesis and Catalysis" at Rovira i Virgili University.

I have completed various research stays at national, European, and international levels. Specifically, I worked at the University of the Balearic Islands with Dr. Palou's team, researching the regulation of metabolism via ghrelin/leptin. I then conducted research at Reading University with Dr. Katja Strohfeldt, synthesizing anticancer drugs based on germanium. Additionally, I worked at Durham University with Dr. Andy Whiting, exploring new enantio- and diastereo-selective pathways for drug synthesis. Finally, before joining my current team, I worked at Anacor Pharmaceuticals in Palo Alto (California, USA), both in the chemical synthesis and biological departments.