Biomedical Science and Technology

  • Inicio

    Director

    Prof. Mónica Abella García

    About the program

    In recent decades, the interdisciplinary field of bioengineering and biomedicine has experienced an explosive growth, accompanied by an unprecedented development of new technologies, many of which have originated from the interaction between engineers and biomedical professionals.

    This has led to the need for a multidisciplinary approach to the research, development and production of biomedical products, thus opening employment opportunities for new professionals, particularly those with a multidisciplinary doctoral training like the one mentioned above. Some examples are emerging fields such as tissue engineering, reagents and electronic devices for medical diagnosis, advanced biomedical imaging tools, 3D bio-printers, devices based on microfluidics and nanotechnologies, or the application of 'big data' or machine learning to solve biomedical problems.

    This Ph.D. program is a response to this need for specific training in the field of bioengineering and biomedicine. Specifically, the program aims at providing students with an adequate base in biomedical technologies that enables them to find innovative solutions to biomedical problems by combining experimental methodologies typical of life sciences with computational and technological methodologies specific to engineering.

    Graduates in this program can practice their profession in either public or private research centers, or in a wide variety of industries in the biomedical area (devices, diagnostics, pharmaceuticals, biotechnology, pharmacy, etc.) and in electromedicine, as well as in through entrepreneurship and the creation of new companies.

    Given the marked multidisciplinary nature of the program, the profile of prospective students is very broad, and covers both master's degrees in engineering disciplines and biomedicine.

    • Ph.D. program under regulation RD 99/2011, January 28

    Department

     

    Bioengineering Department

     

    Ingenieria Biomedica
  • ACCESS

    Student profile

    The program is addressed to graduates in the fields of science, health science and engineering. Specifically:

    • Holders of a UC3M master's degree in Management and Development of Biomedical Technologies or Clinical Engineering, both hosted by the same department of this Ph.D. program. 
    • Holders of a master's degree in biomedical engineering, clinical engineering or medical technologies engineering in general.
    • Holders of other master's degrees in engineering (industrial, electrical, electronic, computer, etc.) with an interest in biomedical research.
    • Holders of a master's degree in physics, mathematical, chemical or biological science, with an interest in applied biomedicine or bioengineering. 
    • Holders of a master's degree in biology, biotechnology, biochemistry, genetics, immunology, pharmacology, molecular biomedicine, regenerative biomedicina, molecular biomedicine and oncology, genetics and genomics engineering, or any other master's degree in the health sciences field in general, with an interest in advanced biomedical technology.
    • Students from other Ph.D. programs (either at UC3M or other Spanish or foreign universities) requesting a transfer to this program for considering it more suitable for their line of research. 

    Access requirements

    According to art. 6 of the PhD studies regulation (RD 99/2011), in order to access the Program it is required to have a Bachelor's degree (or equivalent) and a Master's degree (or equivalent), provided that at least 300 ECTS credits have been passed in these two cycles as a whole, or the equivalent degree qualifies for level 3 of MECES (Marco Español de Cualificaciones para la Educación Superior, Spanish Framework for Higher Education Qualifications).

    Likewise, access is available to candidates in possession of foreign degrees from countries integrated into the European Higher Education Area (EHEA) when the degree can be accredited as level 7 in the European Qualifications Framework (EQF), as long as the aforementioned degree allows access to PhD level studies in the country of expedition; and candidates with a degree which is equivalent to a Spanish Master's degree, obtained in foreign education systems outside the EHEA, as long as the aforementioned degree allows access to PhD level studies in the country of expedition.

    Admission criteria

     

    The selection and admission process follows the criteria established by the Academic Committee, as listed below. The Coordinator of the Committee will implement these and report to the Committee periodically. 

    Applicants must provide their bachelor's and master's degrees with academic transcripts, curriculum vitae, and a research project related to one or more of the lines of research of the program. 

    The Academic Committee will consider the following aspects:

    • English skills (minimum: B2)
    • Academic transcript (30%)
    • Suitability of academic background (subjects, grandes and language skills) for the lines of research of the program (30%)
    • Proof of research experience (publications, conferences, patents, etc.) (10%)
    • Motivation letter detailing the candidate's research interests and commitment to the program. Tha candidate can also provide recommendation letter(s) from researchers from any university or R&D center as additional proof of commitment (30%)
    • Endorsement letter for thesis project from a professor from the PhD program, indicating the project's connection to the lines of research of the program.

    The Academic Committee may request an interview with the candidate. This interview will not be considered part of the admission criteria but an additional element for assessment of the candidate's adequacy.

     

    Complementary training

    The Academic Committee can require up to 30 credits of complementary training in the field of biomedical engineering, mostly from subjects of the Master in Biomedical Technologies Management and Development Master in Clinical Engineering and further UC3M master's programs in bioengineering related to the line of research in which the candidate intends to develop their research project. These activities will not be considered as part of the Ph.D. program in any case.

     

    Seats available for the academic year: 10

     

     

  • FACULTY
  • TRAINING

    Specific training

     

    • Doctoral meetings

    Workshop-format sessions in which Ph.D. candidates present the status of their research before other PhD candidates, their tutors or advisors, and other professors of the program from the university. These meetings are conducted in English or Spanish.

    This training is mandatory: 20 hours per academic year (including 6 hours of in-person sessions).

    For assessment purposes, the Ph.D. candidate will provide proof of attendance and a report supervised by the thesis advisor detailing the conclusions and possible impact of the discussion on their research project. 

     

    • Conferences or presentations by the PhD candidate

    Presentations of variable duration before a qualified audience: congresses, meetings, masterclasses, etc. Students who cannot attend these forums can do these presentations in the context of the abovementioned doctoral meetings as an additional activity. These conferences or presentations are conducted in English or Spanish. 

    This training is mandatory: 7 hours per academic year (6 hours of preparation and 1 hour of presentation).

    For assessment purposes, the Ph.D. candidate will provide proof of attendance and a report supervised by the thesis advisor detailing the conclusions and possible impact of the discussion on their research project. 

     

    • Specific seminars

    Seminars, conferences or courses of variable duration hosted by this Ph.D. program or others from the Escuela Politécnica Superior, by departments, academic units, university institutes, health research institutes or hospitals from the Spanish healthcare system, or by other universities or research centers (national or regional). These seminars are conducted in English or Spanish. 

    This activity is not mandatory. However, the Academic Committee of the program may require 20 to 60 hours of this activity throughout the doctoral training, according to the training and former research or career experience of the Ph.D. candidate.

    For assessment purposes, the Ph.D. candidate will provide proof of attendance and a report supervised by the thesis advisor detailing the contents of the activity in relation to the subject of their research project. The Academic Committee has authority to validate or not the seminars hosted by institutions outside UC3M.

     

    • Specialized courses

    Short courses on the subjects listed below, with contents adapted to the different areas of the program. These courses are conducted in English and Spanish:

    • Tools and technology for biomedical research
    • Introduction to use of animals in research
    • Use of o de radiaciones ionizantes en investigación biomédica
    • Weekly seminars approved by the Committee of Continuing Education Activities of Comunidad de Madrid
    • Research seminars of IiSGM (Instituto de Investigación Sanitaria Gregorio Marañón)
    • Research seminars of CIEMAT
    • Monthly seminars on biomedical research updates at the Instituto de Investigaciones Sanitarias-FJD
    • Introduction of molecule imaging

    This activity is not mandatory. However, the Academic Committee of the program may require 20 to 60 hours of this activity throughout the doctoral training, according to the training and former research or career experience of the Ph.D. candidate.

    For assessment purposes, the Ph.D. candidate will provide proof of attendance and a report supervised by the thesis advisor detailing the contents of the activity in relation to the subject of their research project. The Academic Committee has authority to validate or not the seminars hosted by institutions outside UC3M.

     

    • Research visits in clinical centers, hospitals or research centers of national or foreign reference

    The program promotes the mobility of students with training activities and research visits in hospitals or research centers of reference either in Spain or abroad.

    These visits are recommended but not mandatory. The duration of the visit must be one month at least. They can be carried out throughout the doctoral training period, although they are recommended during the second or third year. Research visits at foreign centers qualify as a requirement for the Doctorado Internacional distinction. 

    Ph.D. candidates can attend courses and seminars organized by the host institution during the visit. This training can be considered as one of the requirements of the abovementioned activities (specific seminars, specialized courses, etc.).

    Once the visit has concluded, the Ph.D. candidate will provide a report detailing all activities, courses and seminars, as well as the progress on the thesis research made during the visit. This report has to be submitted to the Academic Comittee along with a certificate from the host company as proof of visit completion.

     

     

    Research skills training

     

    Research skills training is focused on abilities common to all disciplines for the development of scientific and educational skills and the improvement of the professional career.

    This activity is not mandatory. However, the Academic Committee of the program may require 20 to 60 hours of this activity throughout the doctoral training, according to the training and former research or career experience of the Ph.D. candidate.

    This training consists of different activities (short courses, seminars, etc.), which can be recommended by the Academic Committee of the program.

     

    Further information:

  • RESEARCH
    • Lines of research

      Biomedical Instrumentation and Imaging Group

      • Advances on X-ray imaging: Research on all the stages of image formation in X-ray systems, from the data acquisition to the image quantification, including calibration, image processing and tomographic reconstruction.
      • Technologies for Molecular Imaging: development of molecular imaging instrumentation (nuclear, magnetic resonance, etc.); analysis and quantitative processing of biomarkers in signals and images.
      • Molecular probes: synthesis of new imaging agents (radiotracers and nanoparticles) and their evaluation as specific molecular probes in biomedical applications.
      • Preclinical research: biomedical research lines, own or through external collaborations, using molecular imaging equipment (MRI, CT, PET, SPECT and optics). Main areas: Neuroimaging, Oncology, Cardiological Imaging, and Infection and Inflammation.
      • Technological development in optical imaging and biological applications: optical design, reconstruction and quantification methods for optical imaging systems, both for macroscopy and microscopy applications (optical fluorescence tomography, light sheet microscopy, confocal microscopy). Applications of light sheet microscopy and ultramicroscopy to obtain fast high-resolution images of three-dimensional specimens.
      • Image-guided Treatments: simulation, planning, guidance and evaluation of surgical interventions and therapeutic treatments with image component (TAC, US, RM ...) using different positioning systems and advanced processing algorithms.
      • Neuroimaging: development and clinical application of multimodal neuroimaging processing techniques by MRI, including structural imaging, spectroscopy, diffusion and functional for the study of normal and pathological brain.
      • Advanced biomedical image processing: advanced image processing techniques, including artificial intelligence, applied to microscopy, radiology or video images, oriented to segmentation, classification or quantification and with special focus on life sciences and clinically applicable solutions.

       

       

      Tissue Engineering and Regenerative Medicine

      • Search for biomarkers in rare skin diseases
      • Nanorobots in dermatology
      • Basic and preclinical research in advanced therapies: cell therapy and gene therapy. Bioengineering of tissues/organs and regeneration
      • Design and development by bioengineering of humanized animal models of dermatological diseases of high and low prevalence
      • Clinical research of advanced therapies
      • Role of physical forces in the formation, physiology and pathology of human tissues
      • Development of new techniques of micro- and nano-fabrication and microfluidics for the generation of cellular and tissue-scale structures: multi-organ-chip-technologies for the development of new drugs and lab-on-a-chip technologies for the analysis of cellular and tissue behavior
      • 3-D bioprinting of tissues and organs
      • Development of advanced and adaptable biomaterials for the modeling, diagnosis and treatment of diseases
    • Scientific results

      Thesis: Development of milk exosome-based probes for biomedical imaging. Mª Isabel González Gutiérrez. Defense: 28/11/2022.

      • Santos-Coquillat, A., Herreros-Pérez, D., Samaniego, R., González, M. I., Cussó, L., Desco, M., Salinas, B. Dual-labeled nanoparticles based on small extracellular vesicles for tumor detection. Biol Direct. 2022 Nov 14;17(1):31. doi: 10.1186/s13062-022-00345-7. PMID: 36376978; PMCID: PMC9664624. (2022)
      • Santos-Coquillat, A., González, M. I., Clemente-Moragón, A., González-Arjona, M., Albaladejo-García, V., Peinado, H., Muñoz, J., Ximénez Embún, P., Ibañez, B., Oliver, E., Desco, M., Salinas, B. Goat Milk Exosomes As Natural Nanoparticles for Detecting Inflammatory Processes By Optical Imaging. Small. 2022 Feb;18(6):e2105421. doi: 10.1002/smll.202105421. Epub 2021 Dec 2. PMID: 34854563. (2021)
      • Gómez-Cid, L., López-Donaire, M. L., Velasco, D., Marín, V., González, M. I., Salinas, B, Cussó, L., García, Á., Bravo, S. B., Fernández-Santos, M. E., Elvira, C., Sierra, J., Arroba, E., Bañares, R., Grigorian-Shamagian, L., Fernández-Avilés, F. Cardiac Extracellular Matrix Hydrogel Enriched with Polyethylene Glycol Presents Improved Gelation Time and Increased On-Target Site Retention of Extracellular Vesicles. Int J Mol Sci. 2021 Aug 26;22(17):9226. doi: 10.3390/ijms22179226. PMID: 34502146; PMCID: PMC8431142. (2021)
      • González, M. I., González-Arjona, M., Santos-Coquillat, A., Vaquero, J., Vázquez-Ogando, E., de Molina, A., Peinado, H., Desco, M., Salinas, B. Covalently Labeled Fluorescent Exosomes for In Vitro and In Vivo Applications. Biomedicines. 2021 Jan 16;9(1):81. doi: 10.3390/biomedicines9010081. PMID: 33467033; PMCID: PMC7829962. (2021)
      • González, M. I., Martín-Duque, P., Desco, M., Salinas, B. Radioactive Labeling of Milk-Derived Exosomes with 99mTc and In Vivo Tracking by SPECT Imaging. Nanomaterials (Basel). 2020 May 30;10(6):1062. doi: 10.3390/nano10061062. PMID: 32486215; PMCID: PMC7352469. (2020)

      Thesis: Percepción del emborronamiento estático y dinámico para el desarrollo de instrumentación clínica en optometría y oftalmología. Víctor Rodríguez López. Defense: 25/11/2022.

      • Rodríguez-Lopez, V., Dorronsoro, C. Beyond traditional subjective refraction. Current Opinion in Ophthalmology. 3(3), 228-234 (2022). DOI: 10.1097/ICU.0000000000000834. (2022)
      • Rodríguez-Lopez, V., Dorronsoro, C., Burge, J. Contact lenses, the reverse Pulfrich effect, and anti-Pulfrich monovision corrections. Scientific Reports, 10, 16086 (2020). DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-020-71395-y. (2020)

      Thesis: Brain network alterations in Attention-Deficit and Hyperactivity Disorder: Towards an integrative perspective based on systems neuroscience. Luis Marcos Vidal. Defense: 28/10/2022.

      • Marcos-Vidal, L., Martínez-García, M., Martín de Blas, D., Navas-Sánchez, F, J., Pretus, C., Ramos-Quiroga, J. A., Richarte, V., Vilarroya, Ó., Sepulcre, J., Desco, M., Carmona, S. Local Functional Connectivity as a Parsimonious Explanation of the Main Frameworks for ADHD in Medication-Naïve Adults. J Atten Disord. 2022 Nov;26(13):1788-1801. doi: 10.1177/10870547221101646. Epub 2022 Jun 9. PMID: 35684934. (2022)
      • Pretus, C., Marcos-Vidal, L., Martínez-García, M., Picado, M., Ramos-Quiroga, J. A., Richarte, V., Castellanos, F. X., Sepulcre, J., Desco, M., Vilarroya, Ó., Carmona, S. Stepwise functional connectivity reveals altered sensory-multimodal integration in medication-naïve adults with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder. Hum Brain Mapp. 2019 Nov 1;40(16):4645-4656. doi: 10.1002/hbm.24727. Epub 2019 Jul 19. PMID: 31322305; PMCID: PMC6865796. (2019)
      • Marcos-Vidal, L., Martínez-García, M., Pretus, C., Garcia-Garcia, D., Martínez, K., Janssen, J., Vilarroya, O., Castellanos, F. X., Desco, M., Sepulcre, J., Carmona, S. Local functional connectivity suggests functional immaturity in children with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder. Hum Brain Mapp. 2018 Jun;39(6):2442-2454. doi: 10.1002/hbm.24013. Epub 2018 Feb 22. PMID: 29473262; PMCID: PMC6866394. (2018)

      Thesis: Prevención de la esquizofrenia: utilización de estrategias farmacológicas basadas en compuestos antiinflamatorios y antioxidantes en el modelo murino de estimulación inmunitaria materna. Luis Diego Romero Miguel. Defense: 16/09/2022.

      • Garcia-Partida, J. A., Torres-Sanchez, S., MacDowell, K., Fernández-Ponce, M. T., Casas, L., Mantell, C., Soto-Montenegro, M. L., Romero-Miguel, D., Lamanna-Rama, N., Leza, J. C., Desco, M., Berrocoso, E. The effects of mango leaf extract during adolescence and adulthood in a rat model of schizophrenia. Front Pharmacol. 2022 Jul 26;13:886514. doi: 10.3389/fphar.2022.886514. PMID: 35959428; PMCID: PMC9360613. (2022)
      • Casquero-Veiga, M., Lamanna-Rama, N., Romero-Miguel, D., Desco, M., Soto-Montenegro, M. L. In vivo Positron Emission Tomography to Reveal Activity Patterns Induced by Deep Brain Stimulation in Rats. J Vis Exp. 2022 Mar 23;(181). doi: 10.3791/63478. PMID: 35404344. (2022)
      • Lamanna-Rama, N., Romero-Miguel, D., Desco, M., Soto-Montenegro, M. L. An Update on the Exploratory Use of Curcumin in Neuropsychiatric Disorders. Antioxidants (Basel). 2022 Feb 10;11(2):353. doi: 10.3390/antiox11020353. PMID: 35204235; PMCID: PMC8868558. (2022)
      • Romero-Miguel, D., Casquero-Veiga, M., MacDowell, K. S., Torres-Sanchez, S., Garcia-Partida, J. A., Lamanna-Rama, N., Romero-Miranda, A., Berrocoso, E., Leza, J. C., Desco, M., Soto-Montenegro, M. L. A Characterization of the Effects of Minocycline Treatment During Adolescence on Structural, Metabolic, and Oxidative Stress Parameters in a Maternal Immune Stimulation Model of Neurodevelopmental Brain Disorders. Int J Neuropsychopharmacol. 2021 Sep 21;24(9):734-748. doi: 10.1093/ijnp/pyab036. PMID: 34165516; PMCID: PMC8453277. (2021)
      • Casquero-Veiga, M., Romero-Miguel, D., MacDowell, K. S., Torres-Sanchez, S., Garcia-Partida, J. A., Lamanna-Rama, N., Gómez-Rangel, V., Romero-Miranda, A., Berrocoso, E., Leza, J. C., Arango, C., Desco, M., Soto-Montenegro, M. L. Omega-3 fatty acids during adolescence prevent schizophrenia-related behavioural deficits: Neurophysiological evidences from the prenatal viral infection with PolyI:C. Eur Neuropsychopharmacol. 2021 May;46:14-27. doi: 10.1016/j.euroneuro.2021.02.001. Epub 2021 Mar 15. PMID: 33735708. (2021)
      • Casquero-Veiga, M., Bueno-Fernandez, C., Romero-Miguel, D., Lamanna-Rama, N., Nacher, J., Desco, M., Soto-Montenegro, M. L. Exploratory study of the long-term footprint of deep brain stimulation on brain metabolism and neuroplasticity in an animal model of obesity. Sci Rep. 2021 Mar 10;11(1):5580. doi: 10.1038/s41598-021-82987-7. PMID: 33692388; PMCID: PMC7946931. (2021)
      • Romero-Miguel, D., Lamanna-Rama, N., Casquero-Veiga, M., Gómez-Rangel, V., Desco, M., Soto-Montenegro, M. L. Minocycline in neurodegenerative and psychiatric diseases: An update. Eur J Neurol. 2021 Mar;28(3):1056-1081. doi: 10.1111/ene.14642. Epub 2020 Dec 24. PMID: 33180965. (2020)

      Thesis: Development, characterization and evaluation of advanced therapies for the treatment of cardiac pathologies. Lidia Gómez Cid. Defense: 23/05/2022.

      • Sánchez de la Nava, A. M., Gómez-Cid, L., Domínguez-Sobrino, A., Fernández-Avilés, F., Berenfeld, O., Atienza, F. Artificial intelligence analysis of the impact of fibrosis in arrhythmogenesis and drug response. Front Physiol. 2022 Oct 12;13:1025430. doi: 10.3389/fphys.2022.1025430. eCollection 2022.PMID: 36311248 (2022)
      • Sánchez de la Nava, A. M., Gómez-Cid, L., Ríos-Muñoz, G. R., Fernández-Santos, M. E., Fernández, A. I., Arenal, Á., Sanz-Ruiz, R., Grigorian-Shamagian, L., Atienza, F., Fernández-Avilés, F. Cardiovascular Diseases in the Digital Health Era: A Translational Approach from the Lab to the Clinic. BioTech (Basel). 2022 Jun 30;11(3):23. doi: 10.3390/biotech11030023. (2022)
      • Gómez-Cid, L., Grigorian-Shamagian, L., Sanz-Ruiz, R., de la Nava, A. S., Fernández, A. I., Fernández-Santos, M. E., Fernández-Avilés, F. The Essential Need for a Validated Potency Assay for Cell-Based Therapies in Cardiac Regenerative and Reparative Medicine. A Practical Approach to Test Development. Stem Cell Rev Rep. 2021 Dec;17(6):2235-2244. doi: 10.1007/s12015-021-10244-5. Epub 2021 Aug 31. (2021)
      • Gómez-Cid, L., López-Donaire, M.L., Velasco, D., Marín, V., González, M.I., Salinas, B., Cussó, L., García, Á., Bravo, S. B., Fernández-Santos, M.E., Elvira, C., Sierra, J., Arroba, E., Bañares, R., Grigorian-Shamagian, L., Fernández-Avilés, F. Cardiac Extracellular Matrix Hydrogel Enriched with Polyethylene Glycol Presents Improved Gelation Time and Increased On-Target Site Retention of Extracellular Vesicles. Int J Mol Sci. 2021 Aug 26;22(17):9226. doi: 10.3390/ijms22179226 (2021)
      • Del-Canto, I., Gómez-Cid, L., Hernández-Romero, I., Guillem, M. S., Fernández-Santos, M. E., Atienza, F., Such, L., Fernández-Avilés, F., Chorro, F. J., Climent, A. M. Front Physiol. 2Ranolazine-Mediated Attenuation of Mechanoelectric Feedback in Atrial Myocyte Monolayers. 2020 Aug 4;11:922. doi: 10.3389/fphys.2020.00922. eCollection 2020.PMID: 32848863 (2020)
      • Gómez-Cid, L., Moro-López, M., de la Nava, A. S., Hernández-Romero, I., Fernández, A. I., Suárez-Sancho, S., Atienza, F., Grigorian-Shamagian, L., Fernández-Avilés, F. Electrophysiological effects of extracellular vesicles secreted by cardiosphere-derived cells: unraveling the antiarrhythmic properties of cell therapies. Processes 2020; 8: 924. https://doi.org/10.3390/pr8080924. (2020)

      Thesis: Optimization of computer-assisted intraoperative guidance for complex oncological procedures. Mónica García Sevilla. Defense: 25/03/2022.

      • García-Sevilla, M., Moreta-Martinez, R., García-Mato, D., Arenas de Frutos, G., Ochandiano, S., Navarro-Cuéllar, C., Sanjuán de Moreta, G., and Pascau, J. Surgical Navigation, Augmented Reality, and 3D Printing for Hard Palate Adenoid Cystic Carcinoma En-Bloc Resection: Case Report and Literature Review. Front. Oncol, 11, 741191 (2022)
      • García-Sevilla, M., Mediavilla-Santos, L., Ruiz-Alba, M. T., Pérez-Mañanes, R., Calvo-Haro, J. A., and J. Pascau. Patient-specific desktop 3D-printed guides for pelvic tumour resection surgery: a precision study on cadavers. Int J CARS 16, 397–406 (2021)
      • García-Sevilla, M., Mediavilla-Santos, L., Moreta-Martinez, R., García-Mato, D., Pérez-Mañanes, R., Calvo-Haro, J. A., and Pascau, J. Combining Surgical Navigation and 3D Printing for Less Invasive Pelvic Tumor Resections. In IEEE Access (2021)
      • García-Sevilla, M., Moreta-Martinez, R., García-Mato, D., Pose-Diez-de-la-Lastra, A., Pérez-Mañanes, R., Calvo-Haro, J. A., and Pascau, J. Augmented Reality as a Tool to Guide PSI Placement in Pelvic Tumor Resections. Sensors, 21(23), 7824 (2021)
      • García-Sevilla, M., De León-Luis, J., Moreta-Martínez, R., García-Mato, D., Pérez-Mañanes, R., Calvo-Haro, J. A., and Pascau, J. Performance Evaluation to Improve Training in Forceps-Assisted Delivery. OR 2.0 Context-Aware Operating Theaters, Computer Assisted Robotic Endoscopy, Clinical Image-Based Procedures, and Skin Image Analysis, 11041, 69–77 (2018)

      Thesis: Identification and functional characterization of mutation-independent disease-severity modulators in recessive dystrophic epidermolysis bullosa. Esteban Gonzalo Chacón Solano. Defense: 18/03/2022.

      • Chacón-Solano, E.; León, C.; Carretero, M.; García, M.; Sánchez-Domínguez, R.; Quero, F.; Méndez-Jiménez, E.; Bonafont, J.; Ruiz-Mezcua, B.; Escámez, M.J.; Larcher, F.; Del Río, M. Mechanistic interrogation of mutation-independent disease modulators of RDEB identifies the small leucine-rich proteoglycan PRELP as a TGF-β antagonist and inhibitor of fibrosis. Matrix Biol. 2022 Aug;111:189-206. doi: 10.1016/j.matbio.2022.06.007. Epub 2022 Jun 30. PMID: 35779740 (2022)Chacón-Solano, E.; León, C.; Díaz, F.; García-García, F.; García, M.; Escámez, M.J.; Guerrero-Aspizua, S.; Conti, C.J.; Mencía, Á.; Martínez-Santamaría, L.; Llames, S.; Pévida, M.; Carbonell-Caballero J.; Puig-Butillé, J.A.; Maseda, R.; Puig, S.; de Lucas, R.; Baselga, E.; Larcher, F.; Dopazo, J.; Del Río, M. Fibroblast activation and abnormal extracellular matrix remodelling as common hallmarks in three cancer-prone genodermatoses. Br J Dermatol. 2019 Sep;181(3):512-522. doi: 10.1111/bjd.17698. Epub 2019 Apr 15. PMID: 30693469; PMCID: PMC6850467 (2019)

      Thesis: Personalized medicine in surgical treatment combining tracking systems, augmented reality and 3D printing. Rafael Moreta Martínez. Defense: 17/12/2021.

      • Moreta-Martínez, R.; Rubio-Pérez, I.; García-Sevilla, M.; García-Elcano, L.; Pascau, J. Evaluation of optical tracking and augmented reality for needle navigation in sacral nerve stimulation. Comput Methods Programs Biomed. Sep;224:106991 (2022)
      • Moreta-Martinez, R.; Pose-Díez-de-la-Lastra, A.; Calvo-Haro, J. A.; Mediavilla-Santos, L.; Pérez-Mañanes, R.; and J. Pascau. Combining Augmented Reality and 3D Printing to Improve Surgical Workflows in Orthopedic Oncology: Smartphone Application and Clinical Evaluation. Sensors, 21(4), 1370 (2021)
      • Moreta-Martinez, R.; García-Mato, D.; García-Sevilla, M.; Pérez-Mañanes, R.; Calvo, J. A.; and J. Pascau. Combining Augmented Reality and 3D Printing to Display Patient Models on a Smartphone. J. Vis. Exp., 155, e60618 (2020)
      • Moreta-Martinez, R.; Calvo-Haro, J. A.; Pérez-Mañanes, R.; García-Sevilla, M.; Mediavilla-Santos, L.; and J. Pascau. Desktop 3D Printing: Key for Surgical Navigation in Acral Tumors? Appl. Sci., 10(24), 8984 (2020)
      • Moreta-Martinez, R.; García-Mato, D.; García-Sevilla, M.; Pérez-Mañanes, R.; Calvo, J. A.; and J. Pascau. Augmented reality in computer-assisted interventions based on patient-specific 3D printed reference. Healthcare Technology Letters, 1–5 (2018)

      Thesis: Methodology for the production of human hair follicles. Cristina Quílez López. Defense: 10/12/2021.

      • Quílez, C.; Cerdeira, E.; González-Rico, J.; De Aranda, G.; López, M. L.; Jorcano, J. L.;  Velasco, D. Evaluation of different methodologies for primary human dermal fibroblast spheroid formation: automation through 3D Bioprinting technology. Biomedical Materials (2022). DOI: 10.1088/1748-605X/ac7a7f. (2022)
      • Montero, A.; Quílez, C.; Valencia, L.; Girón, P.; Jorcano, J. L.; Velasco, D. Effect of fibrin concentration on the In Vitro production of Dermo-Epidermal equivalents. International Journal of Molecular Sciences, 22(13), 6746 (2021)
      • Quílez, C.; De Aranda, G.; García, M.; López, V.; Montero, A.; Valencia, L.; Velasco, D. Bioprinting for Skin. In: Crook J. (eds) 3D Bioprinting. Methods in Molecular Biology, vol 2140. Humana, New York, NY. ISBN: 978-1-0716-0520-2_14 (2020)
      • González-Rico, J.; Quílez, C.; Muñoz-Barrutia, A.; Jorcano, J. L.; Velasco, D. The role of hyaluronic acid and versican in the skin extracellular matrix. Biomecánica 27(1):35-49 (2020)
      • López-Iglesias, C.; Quílez, C.; Barros, J.; Velasco, D.; Alvarez-Lorenzo, C., Jorcano, J. L.; Monteiro, F. J.; García-González, C. A. Lidocaine-Loaded Solid Lipid Microparticles (SLMPs) Produced from Gas-Saturated Solutions for Wound Applications. Pharmaceutics 12(9):870 (2020)
      • Velasco, D.; Quílez, C.; García, M.; Del Cañizo, J. F.; Jorcano, J. L. 3D human skin bioprinting: a view from the bio side. Journal of 3D Printing in Medicine 2(3):141-162. FutureMedicine (2018)
      • Capítulo de libro: Stojic, M.; López, V.; Monteo, A.; Quílez, C.; De Aranda, G.; Vojtova, L.; Jorcano, J. L.; Velasco, D. Skin tissue engineering. Biomaterials for skin repair and regeneration. Woodhead Publishing - Skin tissue engineering, 59-99. ISBN 9780081025468 (2019)

      Thesis: Optimization of craniosynostosis surgery: virtual planning, intraoperative 3D photography and surgical navigation. David García Mato. Defense: 13/05/2021.

      • García-Mato, D.; Porras, A. R.; Ochandiano, s.; Rogers, g. f.; García-Leal, R.; Salmerón, J. I.; Pascau, J.; and Linguraru, M-G. Effectiveness of Automatic Planning of Fronto-orbital Advancement for the Surgical Correction of Metopic Craniosynostosis. Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery – Global Open 9(11), e3937 (2021)
      • García-Mato, D.; García-Sevilla, M.; Porras, A.R.; Ochandiano, S.; Darriba-Allés, J. V.; García-Leal, R.; Salmerón, J. I. ; Linguraru, M. G.; and J. Pascau. Three-Dimensional Photography for Intraoperative Morphometric Analysis in Metopic Craniosynostosis Surgery. Int J CARS 16, 277–287 (2021)
      • García-Mato, D.; Moreta-Martinez, R.; García-Sevilla, M.; Ochandiano, S.; García-Leal, R.; Pérez-Mañanes, R.; Calvo-Haro, J. A.; Salmerón, J. I.; and Pascau, J. Augmented reality visualization for craniosynostosis surgery. Comput. Methods Biomech. Biomed. Eng. Imaging Vis., 1–8 (2020)
      • García-Mato, D.; Ochandiano, S.; García-Sevilla, M.; Navarro-Cuéllar, C.; Darriba-Allés, J.V.; García-Leal, R; Calvo-Haro, J.A.; Pérez-Mañanes, R.; Salmerón, J. I.; and Pascau, J. Craniosynostosis surgery: workflow based on virtual surgical planning, intraoperative navigation and 3D printed patient-specific guides and templates. Scientific Reports, 9, 17691 (2019)

      Thesis: Gene editing-based Protocols for the ex vivo correction of recessive dystrophic epidermolysis bullosa. José Bonafont Aragó. Defense: 28/09/2020.

      • Bonafont, J., Mencía, A., Chacón-Solano, E., Srifa, W., Vaidyanathan, S., Romano, R., García, M., Hervás-Salcedo, R., Ugalde, L., Duarte, B., Porteus, M.H., Del Rio, M., Larcher, F., Murillas, R. Correction of recessive dystrophic epidermolysis bullosa by homology-directed repair-mediated genome editing. Mol Ther. 2021 Jun 2;29(6):2008-2018. doi: 10.1016/j.ymthe.2021.02.019. Epub 2021 Feb 18. PMID: 33609734; PMCID: PMC8178438. (2021)
      • Bonafont, J., Mencía, Á., García, M., Torres, R., Rodríguez, S., Carretero, M., Chacón-Solano, E., Modamio-Høybjør, S., Marinas, L., León, C., Escámez, M.J., Hausser, I., Del Río, M., Murillas, R., Larcher, F. Clinically Relevant Correction of Recessive Dystrophic Epidermolysis Bullosa by Dual sgRNA CRISPR/Cas9-Mediated Gene Editing. Mol Ther. 2019 May 8;27(5):986-998. doi: 10.1016/j.ymthe.2019.03.007. Epub 2019 Mar 15. PMID: 30930113; PMCID: PMC6520462. (2019)
      • Patente: Gene Editing for the treatment of epidermolysis bullosa. Bonafont, Aragó, José; Larcher Laguzzi, Fernando; Murillas Angoiti, Rodolfo; Del Río Nechaevsky, Marcela; Mencía Rodríguez, Ángeles; García Díez, Marta; Escámez Toledano, María José; Porteus, Matthe. WO/2021/148483. PCT/EP2021/051224. 

       

    • Scientific publications

      This is a sample of relevant faculty publications:

      • Gordaliza, P. M., Muñoz-Barrutia, A., Via, L. E., Sharpe, S., Desco, M., & Vaquero, J. J. Computed Tomography-Based Biomarker for Longitudinal Assessment of Disease Burden in Pulmonary Tuberculosis. Molecular Imaging and Biology, 1-6, 2018. Q1.
      • M. Abella, C. de Molina, N. Ballesteros, A. García-Santos, A. Martínez, I. García, M. Desco. Enabling tomography with low-cost C-arm systems, Plos One 13(9): e0203817, 2018. Q1.
      • Hoekzema, E., Barba-Müller, E., Pozzobon, C., Picado, M., Lucco, F., García-García, D., Soliva J.C., Tobeña, A., Desco, M., Crone, E.A., Ballesteros, A., Carmona, S., Vilarroya, O. ‘Pregnancy leads to long-lasting changes in human brain structure’. Nature Neuroscience, 20(2):287-296 (2017)
      • Gómez-Gaviro, M.V., Balaban, E., Bocancea, D., Lorrio, M.T., Pompeiano, M., Desco, M., Ripoll, J., and Vaquero, J.J. ‘Optimized CUBIC protocol for three-dimensional imaging of chicken embryos at single-cell resolution’. Development, 144, (11), pp. 2092-2097 (2017)
      • Parellada, M., Pina-Camacho, L., Moreno, C., Alemán, Y., Krebs, M.O., Desco, M., Merchán-Naranjo, J., Del Rey-Mejías, A., Boada, L., Llorente, C., Moreno, D., Arango, C., Janssen, J. ‘Insular pathology in young people with high-functioning autism and first-episode psychosis’. Psychol Med, 47(14): 2472-2482 (2017)
      • Martínez, K., Janssen, J., Pineda-Pardo, J.A., Carmona, S., Román, F.J., Alemán-Gómez, Y., García-García, D., Escorial, S., Quiroga, M.A., Santarnecchi, E., Navas-Sánchez, F.J., Desco, M., Arango, C., Colom, R. ‘Individual differences in the dominance of interhemispheric connections predict cognitive ability beyond sex and brain size’. Neuroimage, 155: 234-244 (2017)
      • Abella, M., Serrano, E., Garcia-Blas, J., García, I., de Molina, C., Carretero, J., Desco, M. ‘FUX-Sim: An implementation of a fast universal simulation/reconstruction framework for X-ray systems’. Plos One, 12(7): e0180363 (2017)
      • Herraiz, J.L., Herranz, E., Cal-González, J., Vaquero, J.J., Desco, M., Cussó, L., and Udías, J.M. ‘Automatic Cardiac Self-Gating of Small-Animal PET Data’. Mol Imaging Biol, 18, (1), pp. 109-116 (2016)
      • Abascal, F.P.J., Abella, M., Marinetto, E., Pascau, J., Desco, M. ‘A novel prior- and motion-based compressed sensing method for small-animal respiratory gated CT’. PLoS One 11(3), e0149841 (2016)
      • Cubo, N., Garcia, M., Del Cañizo, J.F., Velasco, D., Jorcano, J.L. ‘3D bioprinting of functional human skin: production and in vivo analysis’. Biofabrication, 5;9(1):015006. PMID: 27917823 (2016)
      • Carretero, M., Guerrero-Aspizua, S., Illera, N., Gálvez, V., Navarro, M., García-García, F., Dopazo, J., Jorcano, J.L., Larcher, F., del Rio, M. ‘Differential Features between Chronic Skin Inflammatory Diseases Revealed in Skin-Humanized Psoriasis and Atopic Dermatitis Mouse Models’. J Invest Dermatol; 136(1):136-45. doi: 10.1038/JID.2015.362. PMID: 26763433 (2016)
      • García, M., Quintana-Bustamante, O., Segovia, J.C., Bueren, J., Martínez-Santamaría, L., Guerrero-Aspizua, S., Escámez, M.J., Del Rio, M., Larcher, F. ‘Long-term skin regeneration in xenografts from iPSC teratoma-derived human keratinocytes’. Exp Dermatol. 2016 Sep;25(9):736-8. doi: 10.1111/exd.13049. Epub 2016 Jun 30. PMID: 27095005 (2016)
      • Mencía, Á., García, M., García, E., Llames, S., Charlesworth, A., de Lucas, R., Vicente, A., Trujillo-Tiebas, M.J., Coto, P., Costa, M., Vera, Á., López-Pestaña, A., Murillas, R., Meneguzzi, G., Jorcano, J.L., Conti, C.J., Escámez Toledano, M.J., del Río Nechaevsky, M. ‘Identification of two rare and novel large deletions in ITGB4 gene causing epidermolysis bullosa with pyloric atresia’. Exp Dermatol. 2016 Apr;25(4):269-74. doi: 10.1111/exd.12938. Epub 2016 Feb 13. PMID: 26739954 (2016)
      • Navas-Sánchez, F.J., Carmona, S., Alemán-Gómez, Y., Sánchez-González, J., Guzmán-de-Villoria, J., Franco, C., Robles, O., Arango, C., and Desco, M. ‘Cortical morphometry in frontoparietal and default mode networks in math-gifted adolescents’. Hum Brain Mapp, 2016, 37, (5), pp. 1893-1902 (2016)
      • Vaquero, J.J.; Kinahan, P. ‘Positron Emission Tomography: Current Challenges and Opportunities for Technological Advances in Clinical and Preclinical Imaging Systems’. Annual Review of Biomedical Engineering, 17, 385:414, 10.1146/annurev-bioeng-071114-040723 (2015)
      • Carmona, S., Hoekzema, E., Castellanos, F.X., García-García, D., Lage-Castellanos, A., Van Dijk, K.R.A., Navas-Sánchez, F.J., Martínez, K., Desco, M., Sepulcre, J. ‘Sensation-to-cognition cortical streams in attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder’. Hum Brain Mapp, 36(7): 2544-2557 (2015)
      • Arranz, A., and Ripoll, J. ‘Advances in optical imaging for pharmacological studies’. Front Pharmacol, 6, pp. 189 (187 pp) (2015)
      • Solé, C.V., Calvo, F.A., Polo, A., Cambeiro, M., González, C., Desco, M., and Martínez-Monge, M. ‘Intraoperative Electron-Beam Radiation Therapy for Pediatric Ewing Sarcomas and Rhabdomyosarcomas: Long-Term Outcomes’. Int J Radiat Oncol, 92, (5), pp. 1069-1076 (2015)
      • Martín-Mateos, P., Crespo-Garcia, S., Ruiz-Llata, M., Lopez-Fernandez, J.R., Jorcano, J.L., Del Rio, M., Larcher, F., Acedo, P. ‘Remote diffuse reflectance spectroscopy sensor for tissue engineering monitoring based on blind signal separation’. Biomed Opt Express; 5(9):3231-7. doi: 10.1364/BOE.5.003231. PMID: 25401034 (2014)
      • Montesinos, P., Abascal, J.F.P.J., Cussó, L., Vaquero, J.J., Desco, M. ‘Application of the Compressed Sensing Technique to Self-Gated Cardiac Cine Sequences in Small Animals’. Magn Reson Med, 72(2): 369-380 (2014)
      • Fernández-de-Manuel, L., Wollny, G., Kybic, J., Jiménez-Carretero, D., Tellado, J.M., Ramón, E., Desco, M., Santos, A., Pascau, J., Ledesma-Carbayo, M.J. ‘Organ-focused mutual information for nonrigid multimodal registration of liver CT and Gd-EOB-DTPA-enhanced MRI’. Med Image Anal, 18(1): 22-35 (2014)
      • Cussó, L., Vaquero, J.J., Bacharach, S., Desco, M. ‘Comparison of Methods to Reduce Myocardial 18F-FDG Uptake in Mice: Calcium Channel Blockers versus High-Fat Diets’. PLoS One, 9(9): e107999 (6pp) (2014)
      • Kiritsi, D., Garcia, M., Brander, R., Has, C., Meijer, R., Escámez, M.J., Kohlhase, J., van den Akker, P.C., Scheffer, H., Jonkman, M.F., del Rio, M., Bruckner-Tuderman, L., Pasmooij, A.M. ‘Mechanisms of natural gene therapy in dystrophic epidermolysis bullosa’. J Invest Dermatol; 134(8):2097-104. doi: 10.1038/jid.2014.118. Epub 2014 Feb 27. PMID: 24577406 (2014)
      • Zapatero-Solana, E., García-Giménez, J.L., Guerrero-Aspizua, S., García, M., Toll, A., Baselga, E., Durán-Moreno, M., Markovic, J., García-Verdugo, J.M., Conti, C.J., Has, C., Larcher, F., Pallardó, F.V., Del Rio, M. ‘Oxidative stress and mitochondrial dysfunction in Kindler syndrome’. Orphanet J Rare Dis; 9:211. doi: 10.1186/s13023-014-0211-8. PMID: 25528446 (2014)
      • Puig-Butille, J.A., Escámez, M.J., Garcia-Garcia, F., Tell-Marti, G., Fabra, À., Martínez-Santamaría, L., Badenas, C., Aguilera, P., Pevida, M., Dopazo, J., del Río, M., Puig, S. ‘Capturing the biological impact of CDKN2A and MC1R genes as an early predisposing event in melanoma and non melanoma skin cancer’. Oncotarget.; 5(6):1439-51.  PMID: 24742402 (2014)
      • Chamorro C., Almarza, D., Duarte, B., Llames, S.G., Murillas, R., García, M., Cigudosa, J.C., Espinosa-Hevia, L., Escámez, M.J., Mencía, A., Meana, A., García-Escudero, R., Moro, R., Conti, C.J., Del Río, M., Larcher, F. ‘Keratinocyte cell lines derived from severe generalized recessive epidermolysis bullosa patients carrying a highly recurrent COL7A1 homozygous mutation: models to assess cell and gene therapies in vitro and in vivo’. Exp Dermatol;22(9):601-3. doi: 10.1111/exd.12203. PMID: 23947675 (2013)
      • Martínez-Santamaría, L., Conti, C.J., Llames, S., García, E., Retamosa, L., Holguín, A., Illera, N., Duarte, B., Camblor, L., Llaneza, J.M., Jorcano, J.L., Larcher, F., Meana, Á., Escámez, M.J., Del Río, M. ‘The regenerative potential of fibroblasts in a new diabetes-induced delayed humanised wound healing model’. Exp Dermatol; 22(3):195-201. doi: 10.1111/exd.12097 (2013)
  • INFRASTRUCTURES

    The doctoral programme carries out doctoral projects primarily at three research centres. Each of the centres has unique scientific infrastructure in line with its specialisation:

    • Carlos III University of Madrid.
    • CIEMAT
    • Gregorio Marañón University General Hospital.

    Description of the infrastructure of the Doctorate Programme in Biomedical Science and Technology

  • THESIS

    Preparation of the thesis

    Please check the Guide with recommendations that the University Library has accessible on its website.

    You must always follow the guidelines of your thesis advisor, the guidelines of your doctoral program, and the regulations of the Doctoral School.

    Thesis defense

     

    The doctoral thesis consists of an original research work developed by the doctoral student in the field of knowledge established by the program, which enables the student for autonomous work in the field of R+D+i.

    Universidad Carlos III de Madrid and its Doctoral School establish follow-up procedures to guarantee the quality of the student's training and supervision. They also facilitate the procedures for the proper evaluation and defense of the doctoral thesis.

     

    Further information:

     

     

     

    Requirements for thesis defense

    The Ph.D. candidate must have at least two publications as first author in indexed journals (Q2 or higher), or one publication as first author plus two contributions to an international congress, all of which must be derived from thesis work.

    A national, international or PCT patent can also be considered as equivalent to a publication or a congress communication. 

  • QUALITY

    GENERAL INFORMATION ABOUT PH.D.

    ☛ Implementation Year: 2018-2019

    QUALITY ASSURANCE

    The Academic Committee of the Ph.D. complies with the UC3M-SGIC Internal Quallity Assurance System, which is responsible for ensuring the quality of the Ph.D. Program and produces the Degree Reports ("Memoria Académica de Titulación").

    QUALITY INDICATORS

    COMPLAINTS AND SUGGESTIONS

  • CONTACT
    Bienvenida Universidad Carlos III de Madrid

    Doctoral School Office | Leganés Campus

    Rey Pastor Building, Office 3.0.B.08
    Avenida de la Universidad, 30
    28911 Leganés (Madrid)

    Contact