Marc Suárez-Calvet

I am a clinical neurologist and neuroscientist who joined BBRC and Fundació Pasqual Maragall in 2018. My research focuses in understanding the molecular mechanisms of neurodegeneration as well the development of fluid biomarkers (CSF and blood) for neurodegenerative diseases. Currently, I am the group leader of the “Translational Neurology and biomarkers group”. Moreover, I am a clinical neurologist at Hospital del Mar (Barcelona), specialized in Alzheimer’s disease and other neurodegenerative diseases.

I have a unique strong translational background, both as a clinician and as a basic researcher. I studied Medicine and Biochemistry and became specialist in Neurology in Hospital de la Santa Creu i Sant Pau (Barcelona). I worked for the DZNE and the Ludwig-Maximilians Universität in Munich, as a member of Prof. Christian Haass research group. As a clinician, I carried out a visiting fellowship in the Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical school in Boston (under Prof. Bradley Hyman’s supervision) and at the Dementia Research Center in the National Hospital for Neurology and Neurosurgery in London (under the supervision of Prof. Nick Fox). I have combined my clinical experience with a strenuous activity as a basic researcher, proven by my publications in high-impact journals, such as Science Translational Medicine, EMBO Molecular Medicine, Acta Neuropathologica or Neuron.

I have been recently awarded with the prestigious European Research Council (ERC) Starting Grant with the project entitled “Identification of age-related Human Blood factors as a therapeutic target for Alzheimer’s disease (HeBe)”. The HeBe project overall aim is to identify blood factors with a rejuvenating or an ageing effect on the human brain, which can therefore become therapeutic targets for Alzheimer’s Disease. This is a very ambitious 5-year fully funded project, which will allow us to conduct cutting-edge and highly innovative research on the field.

Achievements:

• Description of the main fluid biomarkers changes in the early stages of the Alzheimer’s continuum.
• Development of CSF sTREM2 as a marker of microglial activity in Alzheimer’s disease.
• Description of the first post-translational modification specifically associated with FTLD-FUS, namely monomethylated arginine (MMA) FUS.
• Characterization of Tau propagation in a mice model or early Alzheimer’s disease.

Current Research duties:

• Group leader of the Fluid Biomarkers and Translational Neurology Research Group.
• Principal Investigator of the ERC-awarded HeBe project: Identification of age-related Human Blood factors as a therapeutic target for Alzheimer’s disease.
• Clinical Neurologist, Cognitive Decline and Movement Disorders Unit, Neurology Department, Hospital del Mar.

Professional duties:

• Lecturer in “Escola de Patologia del Llenguatge” (Language’s pathology school), Hospital de la Santa Creu i Sant Pau, Barcelona.

Professional affiliations:

• General Medical Council (United Kingdom).
• Catalan Society for Neurology.
• Spanish Society for Neurology.
• Society for CSF analysis and clinical Neurochemistry.
• Official Medical College of Barcelona.

Academic Background:

• 2016: PhD (summa cum laude) in the Medicine department program, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, Barcelona. Special award for Doctoral Studies.
• 2009: Title of Specialist in Neurology.
• 2004: Medical Degree, School of Medicine, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, Barcelona.
• 2004: Master of Science (MSc) in Biochemistry, Universitat de Barcelona, Barcelona.

Previous professional duties:

• Marie Skłodowska-Curie fellow, BBRC and University of Gothenburg, Sweden (2018 -2020).
• Research Fellow, Christian Haass’ Lab. Ludwig-Maximilians Universität-München and Deutsches Zentrum für Neurodegenerative Erkrankungen (DZNE), Munich, Germany (2012 -2017)
• Honorary Clinical Assistant, Dementia Research Centre. UCL Institute of Neurology, Queen Square, National Hospital for Neurology and Neurosurgery, University College of London, London, UK (2017)
• Clinical Fellow, Neurology Department, Hospital de la Santa Creu i Sant Pau. Barcelona, Spain (2009 – 2012)
• Register, Neurology Department, Hospital de la Santa Creu i Sant Pau. Barcelona, Spain.