María Sacristán, Tenured Professor of Microbiology (msacristan@usal.es)
1984-1988. PhD studies. Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, University of Salamanca (Spain).
1989-1992. Post-doctoral Fellow in Barbara Ranscht’s lab. La Jolla Cancer Research Institute, currently “SBP Sanford Burnham Prebys Medical Discovery Institute” in La Jolla, California (USA).
1993-2001. Post-doctoral Fellow and Assistant Professor of Microbiology, Department of Microbiology, University of Salamanca. IMB, joint research center CSIC/University of Salamanca.
2002-2006. Senior Post-doctoral Researcher, Ramón y Cajal contract at the Cancer Research Center (IBMCC) of the University of Salamanca.
2007-2011. Assistant Professor of Microbiology, Department of Microbiology and Genetics, University of Salamanca. Cancer Research Center of the University of Salamanca.
2012-present. Tenured Professor of Microbiology, Department of Microbiology and Genetics, University of Salamanca. Member of IBMCC at the Cancer Research Center of the University of Salamanca.
Resumè
I obtained my PhD in Biology Sciences in 1988 at the University of Salamanca. After a three month stay in the laboratory of Dr. P. Russell at “The Scripps Research Institute” La Jolla, California (USA), I joined the laboratory of Dr. B. Ranscht at “The Burnham Institute for Medical Research” La Jolla, California (USA) for a Postdoctoral training period of 3 years. Using the chicken as a model study system, I worked on the characterization of a new form of T-Cadherin, T-Cadherin 2, a calcium-dependent adhesion protein involved in the development of the nervous system, lacking the transmembrane domain typical of this type of proteins. Next, in 1993, I returned to Spain with a “Reincorporation Contract” from the Ministry of Science and Technology to join the group of Dr. Martín-Zanca at the IMB (Institute of Microbiology and Biochemistry, CSIC/USAL) in Salamanca, where I worked on the characterization of the TrkA gene, encoding for the receptor of NGF, neurotrophin involved in survival, differentiation and neuronal maintenance. In 2001 I moved to the group of Avelino. Bueno (Cancer Research Center, CIC, University of Salamanca/CSIC) to start my research on the molecular mechanisms controlling the cell division cycle. In 2002 I obtained a Ramón y Cajal Contract adscribed to the CIC and I began my independent research focused on the study of phosphatases involved in the control of mitosis and the maintenance of genomic stability. During that period 2002-2006 my work contributed to the characterization of two, by that time, new human phosphatases, Cdc14A and Cdc14B, involved in the control of the cell cycle. After obtaining the corresponding ANECA acreditations, I have been Permanent Contracted Profesor at the University of Salamanca and, subsequently, Tenured Professor of that University since March 2012. I´m currently colaborating with Professor Avelino Bueno as CoIP of the research group. My scientific interest on the knowledge of the molecular mechanisms that regulate the cell division cycle, is specifically focused on the reversible phosphorylation and ubiquitilation processes involved in the cell cycle control and the DNA damage response.
I maintain scientific collaboration with Dr. Marcos Malumbres (CNIO, Madrid), sharing interest in the field of Cdc14 phosphatases. In addition, I have occasional collaborations with Dr. Anna Castro (CRBM, France) and Juan Cabello (CIBIR, Logroño). My research activities are combined with teaching and management tasks at the University, where I am currently the chair of the Master´s Degree “Biology and Clinic of Cancer”, taught at the Cancer Research Institute (IBMCC-University of Salamanca).
