Endocrine and Nervous System Pathophysiology

The research carried out by the Department of Endocrine and Nervous Systems Pathophysiology focuses on the study of two cell communication systems which control a great number of physiological processes and that will very often act together to regulate animal physiology: the Endocrine and Nervous Systems.

The general objectives of this Department are the characterization of the operation of these cell communication systems in physiological conditions, as well as their pathological alteration. More specifically, the goals include the study of the organogenesis and pathophysiology of the thyroid gland, in addition to actions played by thyroid hormones in the Central Nervous System during development and adult life; the pathophysiology of nuclear receptors; the alterations produced in obese adipose tissue and their relationship to the pathology of obesity; the regulation of the development, differentiation and function of pancreatic islets; the molecular basis of hearing function and the pathophysiology of hearing loss; the signaling cascades modulated by neurotrophins and myelin formation, and the mechanisms of neurodegeneration and neuroprotection taking place in the Nervous System. These topics are extremely relevant from a biomedical point of view, since they deal with fundamental physiological processes and highly prevalent pathologies with a strong social and health impact.

Head of department: López Larrubia, Pilar