Nunilo Cremades, winner of the SBE-40 prize 2020

by biofisica · Published 19/04/2020 · Updated 20/04/2020

The Executive Council of SBE has awarded the 2020 “Enrique Pérez-Payá” – SBE-40 prize to:

Dr. Nunilo Cremades, Universidad de Zaragoza (Zaragoza, Spain),

For her outstanding research focused on the molecular mechanisms of amyloid aggregation and its associated toxicity, underlying neurodegenerative disorders.

About Dr. Nunilo Cremades

“Ramón y Cajal” Researcher at the Institute for Biocomputation and Physics of Complex Systems – BIFI, University of Zaragoza (Zaragoza, Spain).

Scientific Trajectory

Dr. Nunilo Cremades completed her B.Sc. in Biochemistry at University of Zaragoza in 2002, and later her PhD at the same University (2007) under the supervision of Prof. Javier Sancho, focused on protein folding, protein stability and ligand binding. Then she joined the group of Prof. Christopher M. Dobson at the University of Cambridge, U.K. (2008-2014) to investigate the mechanisms of protein misfolding and amyloid aggregation and their associated toxicity. During this time she was awarded a long-term postdoctoral HFSP fellowship and a Royal Society career independent Dorothy-Hodgkin fellowship. In 2014 she became independent researcher, first at the University of Cambridge, UK (2014) and later at the University of Zaragoza, Spain (Dec 2014, to date) as a tenure-track “Ramón y Cajal” fellow at the Institute for Biocomputation and Physics of Complex Systems, where she leads the Protein Misfolding and Amyloid Aggregation Group. Currently, her research focuses on understanding the molecular basis of alpha-synuclein amyloid aggregation process involved in a number of neurodegenerative disorders including Parkinson´s disease, by means of a multidisciplinary approach combining biophysical techniques, including single-molecule fluorescence techniques, together with cell biology experiments.

More information

Please, visit the website of the Protein Misfolding and Amyloid Aggregation Group (BIFI – University of Zaragoza).

About the “Enrique Pérez-Payá” – SBE-40 Prize

Awarded in memory of Dr. Enrique Pérez-Payá, SBE member who contributed to the development, translation and internationalization of Biophysics in Spain. He worked on peptide-membrane interactions and apoptosis and was a pioneer in the use of combinatorial chemistry to expand the chemical space for basic research and to develop peptide-based therapeutics. He was also an entrepreneur and always supportive of young biophysicists.

Addressed to

Biophysicist under 40 who develope their main activity in Spain. Preference is given to members of the SBE and to achievements from the last 10 years.