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Dr. Juan P. Bolaños, Professor of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology at the University of Salamanca, where he leads the Bioenergetics and Metabolism Research Group. He earned both his Pharmacy degree (1987) and PhD (1992) with Extraordinary Awards, and completed research training in Oxford, University College London’s Institute of Neurology, and the University of Bordeaux. He has held prominent leadership roles, including President of the European Society for Neurochemistry, chair of the Nervous System Diseases grant panel of the Spanish National Research Agency, and Vice‑Dean for Research at the University of Salamanca, and serves on multiple editorial boards and scientific advisory committees. His research focuses on how brain metabolism—particularly in astrocytes—supports neuronal function, cognition, and behavior, and how its dysregulation contributes to disease. His distinctions include the Marie Curie Excellence Prize (2005), the Castilla y León Regional Research Award (2022), the ESN Lecture Award (2023), and election to EMBO membership in 2026.
Dr. Axel Nimmerjahn received his Ph.D. in physics from the University of Heidelberg and Max Planck Institute for Medical Research, Germany. Following postdoctoral training in the Departments of Biology and Applied Physics at Stanford University, USA, he joined the Salk Institute for Biological Studies, USA, where he is now a professor.
Dr. Nimmerjahn’s research focuses on developing and applying novel in vivo imaging, tissue staining, molecular genetic, behavioral, and computational methods to uncover cellular and molecular mechanisms underlying healthy and diseased central nervous system (CNS) function. He and his team have provided the first optical measurements of neuronal and astrocyte activity in the brain and spinal cord of freely behaving animals and shed light on how these cells encode sensory and motor information. Additionally, they have provided insight into how microglia, the innate immune sentinels of the CNS, recognize and respond to disturbances in tissue homeostasis and how these cells’ inflammatory responses can be controlled.
Dr. Elena Blanco-Suárez. Assistant Professor in the Department of Biology at San Diego State University in California, where her laboratory studies how astrocytes regulate neural plasticity and recovery after stroke. She earned her Ph.D. in Biochemistry from the University of Bristol (UK) and completed postdoctoral training at the Salk Institute for Biological Studies (US). Dr. Blanco-Suárez’s research combines cellular neuroscience and translational approaches to better understand brain repair mechanisms in health and disease. She is deeply committed to science outreach and mentorship, particularly within Spanish-speaking communities. Through bilingual engagement efforts and community-focused education initiatives, she works to increase access to neuroscience. Her contributions to both research and public engagement have earned recognition including the Society for Neuroscience Next Generation Award.
Dr. Abraham Cisneros-Mejorado, Degree in physics at Universidad Autonoma de Nuevo Leon, Master's studies at CINVESTAV and PhD at the Universidad de Guadalajara, in biophysics and pharmacology, respectively. Postdoctoral stay at the University of the Basque Country/ Euskal Herriko Unibertsitatea and the Achucarro Basque Center for Neuroscience.
Affiliated in the Cellular Neurobiology Laboratory, focuses on the study of neuron-glial communication as a therapeutic strategy in demyelinating scenarios. The role of GABAergic signaling in the oligodendroglial lineage in myelination and the feasibility of modulating this signaling to enhance GABA type A receptor activity and its role in remyelination are currently being investigated.
Dr. Alexei Verkhratsky, PhD, D.Sc., is an internationally recognized pioneer in cellular neurophysiology and a leading figure in neuroglia research. He is a member of several prestigious institutions, including the Academia Europaea and the German National Academy of Sciences Leopoldina.
After graduating from the Kiev Medical Institute and earning his PhD and D.Sc. from the Bogomoletz Institute of Physiology, he developed a global academic career. Notably, he served as Professor of Neurophysiology at the University of Manchester and Research Professor at Ikerbasque (Achucarro Basque Centre for Neuroscience).
His groundbreaking work established the active role of glial cells in brain function, particularly through discoveries in ionic signalling, ageing, and neurogliopathology. He is also a prolific author and editor of definitive reference works on glial physiology.
Dr. Alfonso Araque is Professor in the Department of Neuroscience in University of Minessota. His research interests focus on the mechanisms, properties and physiological consequences of the communication between neurons and astrocytes. His research seeks to understand how the communication between neurons and astrocytes affects physiological and pathological aspects of brain function. While most studies on drug addiction are focused on neuronal mechanisms, his team aims to elucidate the involvement of astrocytes in behaviors associated with reward signaling and psychostimulant drugs, which may reveal astrocytes as potential targets for treatment of motivation disorders such as drug addiction.
Dr. Federico N. Soria is a Principal Investigator at the Achucarro Basque Center for Neuroscience (Bilbao, Spain). His lab investigates how the brain extracellular matrix shapes glial cells remodel it, combining advanced fluorescence imaging, in vivo matrix reporters, and 3D in vitro models to study this bidirectional dialogue in the context of aging, Parkinson's disease, and autism spectrum disorder.
Dr. Edith Arnold is an early career scientist focused on the pathogenesis and treatment of diabetes-induced neurodegeneration in the central nervous system. Dr. Arnold has a broad background in diabetes-induced vascular dysfunction and neurodegeneration. She has a postdoctoral researcher at the Kellogg Eye Center of the University of Michigan, where she studied the regulation of retinal neuronal survival during diabetic retinopathy. Since 2014, Dr. Arnold has beenResearch Assistant Professorat the Molecular Endocrinology Laboratory of the Institute of Neurobiology of the National Autonomous University of Mexico. One of her main research interests is to understand the role of hormonal regulation in the antioxidant and inflammatory response of astrocytes in diabetes.
Dr. Alejandro López Juárez is a molecular neuroscientist specialized in glial cells affiliated with the Health and Biomedical Sciences department at the University of Texas Rio Grande Valley (UTRGV). In 2018, he started his own research laboratory at UTRGV, where he studies myelin-related molecular mechanisms in neurological conditions including learning disabilities, autism spectrum disorders, ADHD, and dementias. His team uses advanced mouse genetic tools of monogenic disease to understand brain function and disfunction. He is also passionate about teaching graduate and undergraduate courses at UTRGV.