María Blasco Marhuenda

Life

Research

• Isolation of the core components of mouse telomerase and generation of the first knockout mouse for telomerase;
• Generation of the first mouse with increased telomerase expression in adult tissues;
• The finding that mammalian telomeres and subtelomeres have epigenetic marks characteristic of constitutive heterochromatin;
• Discovery of telomeric RNAs, which are potent telomerase-inhibitors whose expression is altered in cancer;
• Demonstration that telomerase activity and telomere length determine the regenerative capacity of adult stem cells;
• Identification of the longest telomeres as a universal feature of adult stem cell niches;
• The finding that telomerase overexpression in the context of cancer resistant-mice improves organismal fitness, produces a systemic delay in ageing and an extension in median life-span;
• Discovery that telomeres rejuvenate after nuclear reprogramming;
• Identification of the molecular mechanisms by which short telomeres/DNA damage limit nuclear reprogramming of defective cells;
• Discovery that telomeric protein TRF1 can act as both a tumour suppressor and as a factor in ageing prevention.

  Professional experience

• 2011- Director Spanish National Cancer Research Centre
• 2005-2011 Vice-Director of Basic Research
• 2003-2011 Director, Molecular Oncology Program
• 2003–present Head, Telomeres and Telomerase Group
• 1997-2003 Staff Investigator, National Center of Biotechnology, Madrid, Spain
• 1993-1996 Postdoctoral Fellow, Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory, New York, USA. supervisor Dr. Carol. W. Greider
• 1992-1993 Postoctoral Fellow, Center of Molecular Biology, Madrid, Spain. supervisor Dr. Margarita Salas
• 1989-1992 Graduate Fellow, Center of Molecular Biology, Madrid, Spain supervisor Dr. Margarita Salas

  Honours and awards

• 2013 - Fellow of the Royal Academy of Pharmacy of Spain
• 2012 - Member of the Scientific Board of the AXA Research Fund
• 2012 - Member of the Scientific Board of the Vall d’Hebron Institut de Recerca
• 2012 - Member of the Board of Trustees and President of the External Advisory Board of the Spanish National Centre for Research on Ageing
• 2012 -
• 2012 - Official Nominator for the "2014 Japan Prize" awarded by The Japan Prize Foundation, Japan
• 2012 - Spanish Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation "Embajadora Honoraria de la Marca España-2013"
• 2012 - Santiago Grisolía Chair 2012 in Biomedicine and Neurosciences, Spain
• 2011 - 2011 Award in Innovation and Social Transformation, Fundación IDEAS, España.
• 2011 - Fundación Pilates VIIth Edition "Health & Wellbeing" Award, Spain
• 2011 - Universidad Autónoma de Madrid Alumni Association Award, Spain
• 2011 - VIth Yo Donna International Award in Professional Achievements
• 2010 - National Research Award Santiago Ramón y Cajal.
• 2010 - Lilly Foundation Preclinical Research Award
• 2009 - Prize "Alberto Sols" for Excellence in Research
• 2008 - Körber European Science Award
• 2007 - Rey Jaime I Prize for Basic Research
• 2005 - Carmen and Severo Ochoa Award in Molecular Biology
• 2004 - EMBO Gold Medal Heidelberg.
• 2004 - The Carcinogenesis Young Investigator Award
• 2003 - Josef Steiner Cancer Research Award 2003.
• 2003 - "Universalia" Research Award 2003
• 2002 - "EMBO Lecture" Award at ELSO Meeting 2002
• 2002 - Early Career Award 2002. European Life Sciences Organization.
• 2002 - "Young Cancer Researcher Award" European Association for Cancer Research.
• 2001 - SEBBM Beckman/Coulter Award 2001
• 2001 - Award of the Spanish Health Science Foundation for excellence in Biomedical Research
• 2000 - Swiss Bridge Award 2000 for Research in Cancer
• 2000 - FEBS Anniversary Prize
• 1999 - II Spanish National Oncology Award

  Publications