Coordinator

Óscar Zaragoza Hernández - National Centre for Microbiology (CNM)
Óscar Zaragoza Hernández is a Research Professor. His main research interest is the study of the pathogenic mechanisms of human fungal pathogens. Throughout his career, he has used different alternative models to investigate the virulence of these pathogens in relation to the host, such as invertebrates, zebrafish embryos, and organoids.

Secretary

Members

Argelia Castaño – National Centre for Environmental Health (CNSA)
Research Professor. A specialist in environmental toxicology, a significant part of her research activity has focused on the development of alternative models to the use of experimental animals. She was a member of the Scientific Advisory Committee of the European Centre for the Validation of Alternative Methods (ESAC-ECVAM) of the European Commission (2002–2009). She served as President of REMA (Spanish Network for the Development of Alternative Methods to Animal Experimentation) from 2003 to 2011 and, since 2014, has been Honorary President.

Miguel Calero – Functional Unit for Research in Chronic Diseases (UFIEC)
Research Professor and Principal Investigator of a research group at CIBERNED. He is Head of the Spanish National Reference Laboratory for the molecular diagnosis of human transmissible spongiform encephalopathies, as well as National Expert for the ECDC. His research lines focus on neurodegenerative diseases, with particular emphasis on:
i) molecular diagnosis, ii) biomarkers and genetic susceptibility markers, and iii) the molecular basis of conformational disorders, including Alzheimer’s disease and prion diseases. 

Maria José Buitrago – General Subdirection of Cellular Therapy and Regenerative Medicine (SGTCMR)
María José Buitrago is a Tenure Scientist and throughout her research career, she has focused on the development of new diagnostic methods for invasive fungal infections. She currently serves as Deputy Director of General Subdirection of Cellular Therapy and Regenerative Medicine at ISCIII, a position through which she holds the secretariat of committees such as the Bioethics Committee of Spain, the Guarantees Commission for the Donation and Use of Human Cells and Tissues, as well as internal committees related to ethics and scientific integrity.

Mercedes Domínguez - National Centre for Microbiology (CNM)
Mercedes Domínguez Rodríguez, Scientific Researcher. Throughout her career, she has combined basic research with technology transfer. One of the objectives of this combination has been the development of immunoassays that both researchers and companies can use as alternative methods, primarily aimed at the characterization and evaluation of the potency of antigens from infectious agents.

Isabel Jado - General Subdirection  of Applied Services, Training and Research (SGSAFI)
Tenure scientist at Public Research Organizations (OPIs), her work has always been linked to Microbiology and Public Health, developing rapid diagnostic methods for the detection of emerging bacterial pathogens, as well as molecular characterization techniques for zoonotic agents belonging to the genera Francisella, Rickettsia, Bartonella, and Coxiella. She has been part of the Rapid Response team and has participated in various European projects focused on preparedness and response to highly infectious pathogens. Since 2024, she has held the position of Deputy Director of the General Subdirection of Applied Services, Training, and Research at the Carlos III Health Institute (ISCIII).

José E. Yuste Lobo – National Centre for Microbiology (CNM)
José Yuste is a Scientific Researcher and head of the Pneumococcal Reference Laboratory at CNM-ISCIII. In addition to leading the epidemiological surveillance of invasive pneumococcal disease, he participates in the molecular characterization of pneumococcal virulence, using respiratory epithelial cell lines, neutrophils, and macrophages, as well as organoids as alternative and innovative methods for studying its pathogenic mechanisms.

Beatriz Martínez Delgado – Research Intitute on Rare Diseases (IIER)
Scientific Researcher at the Institute for Research on Rare Diseases (IIER). She heads the Molecular Genetics Unit and is responsible for the Genetic Diagnosis Laboratory and the National Rare Diseases Biobank (BioNER). Her research focuses on the genetic basis of rare diseases and the development of organoids as models to study disease mechanisms and test new therapeutic strategies. She participates in the ISCIII Biobanks and Biomodels Platform, promoting the development of new organoid models for biomedical research.

Sergio Casas Tintó- Research Intitute on Rare Diseases (IIER)
Scientific Researcher at the Institute for Research on Rare Diseases. He leads the Human Disease Models in Drosophila Unit. An expert in genetics and neuroscience, he has studied the mechanisms of human diseases and developed experimental models in Drosophila melanogaster that replicate genetically based human disorders. He has conducted genetic and compound screens as proof of concept for the initial development of therapies. He participates in the ISCIII Biobanks and Biomodels Platform, promoting the development of new Drosophila “avatar” models for personalized studies of undiagnosed patients.

Olga Calero Rueda – Functional Unit for Research in Chronic Diseases (UFIEC)
Researcher, co-responsible for the Spongiform Encephalopathies Unit at ISCIII. She coordinates and supervises activities related to the molecular diagnosis of prion diseases at the Spanish National Reference Laboratory for the molecular diagnosis of human transmissible spongiform encephalopathies. Her main line of research focuses on the study of molecular mechanisms associated with aging and neurodegenerative processes, including Alzheimer’s disease, Parkinson’s disease, and prion diseases, using the nematode Caenorhabditis elegans as an experimental model.