Graduate in Biology from the University of the Basque Country (UPV), doctorate from the Universidad Autónoma de Madrid (UAM) (1978) for his work on the energy metabolism of the newborn under the direction of Professor José María Medina Jiménez (CBMSO). He spent his postdoctoral period in Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland, USA, studying metabolic alterations in babies born of diabetic mothers in the laboratory of Professor Mulchand Patel.

He was named Assistant Permanent Professor of Biochemistry (1983) and Professor of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology (1998) of the Molecular Biology Department of the UAM, of which he is now director. Since returning to Spain he has combined his teaching activity with leadership of a research group which has the main purpose of studying mitochondrial biogenesis and function, as well as its repercussions in pathology.

He became involved in the study of bioenergetic dysfunction of the mitochondria in cancer approximately fifteen years ago. In this context, he spent a sabbatical period in the Burham Institute, La Jolla, California (2001) in the laboratory of Dr. John C. Reed. He is a member of the Research centre Biomédica en Red de Enfermedades Raras and of the Instituto de Investigación Hospital 12 de Octubre de Madrid.

Scientific production

• Article published in Journals: 2
• Communications in national congresses: 3
• Communications in international congresses: 1