Meet The Team
The people who make it all possible
Group leader
Maria Angeles Juanes
Mari Angeles performed her PhD studies at the University of Valencia (Spain). Then, she embarked in several postdoctoral studies at University of Cambridge (UK), Institute of Medical Biology A-Star (Singapore), CNRS institutions–CRBM in Montpellier, CRCM-Institute Paoli-Calmettesand Institut Fresnel in Marseille (France) and Brandeis University (MA, USA). She became team leader at Teesside University, UK in 2020.
Her goal is to understand cytoskeleton mechanisms in collective migration, cancer invasion and cell division. Her ultimate goal is to find novel biomarkers for early detection and assist the design for novel compounds suitable for personalized therapies.
Mari loves to play music, run and bike with family and friends.
Research Associate/PDRA
Salvador Meseguer Llopis
Salva studied Biochemistry and Chemistry and awarded his PhD in t Institute of Biomedicine of Valencia-CSIC. In 2011, he joined as postdoc and subsequently got a permanent position as associate researcher in Dr. Armengod’s and Dr. Esplugues’s laboratory both in Principe Felipe Research Center, Valencia. He is currently working in Dr. Juanes’s laboratory where he is exploring the regulation of mitochondrial metabolism and function by the Actin Cytoskeleton. He is expert in biochemistry, cell biology, molecular biology, particularly, in small RNA biology and mitochondrial metabolism.
Aside from working in the lab,he enjoys taking care of his family, his dog, reading and doing sports.
Research Associate
Amparo Andres
Amparo studied Biology at the University of Valencia (UV). She worked as a technician, at the CIPF and at INCLIVA. She did a master's in Molecular Biology, Cellular and Genetics at the UV and obtained her PhD with Dr. Lola Peñarrubia and Dr. Sergi Puig, studying the homeostasis of copper and iron in plants and yeast. In her post-doctoral stage, she has worked on Rare Diseases in the laboratory of Dr. Espinós at the CIPF and at IATA-CSIC. At Juaneslab she will continue learning new techniques and to contribute to get a better knowledge of cancer related projects.
Outside of the lab, Amparo loves movies, Pilates and spending time with her family and dogs.
PhD student
Rabe’ah Almhassneh
Rabe’ah Almhassneh is from Jordan. In 2020, she finished her bachelor's in Pharmacy at Yarmouk University in Jordan. In 2021, she moved to Grenoble, France, to pursue a master's in Biohealth engineering at the University of Grenoble Alpes. Currently, she is doing her PhD studies in Juanes’s lab at the CIPF in Valencia. She is characterizing genetic mutations in the tumor suppressor APC that have been reported clinically in colorectal cancer patients and have been associated with the development and progression of the disease. Those mutations might serve as promising genetic signatures in the early detection of colorectal cancer in young people.
Rabe’ah likes reading, traveling, and meeting new people from different cultural backgrounds.
PhD student
Mohammed Moustapha Anwar
Mohammed graduated from the faculty of Pharmacy at Alexandria University in 2012 in Alexandria, Egypt. In 2016, he completed his internship training in drug discovery in India. Mohammed was awarded two scholarships from Harvard Medical School (HMS) to complete his training in clinical research. He is currently a PhD student at the CIPF in Valencia.
Mohammed is excited to do sustained research in cancer drug discovery, especially to identify potential anticancer compounds with better therapeutic value.
In his free time, he like to write, watch football, listen to music, and actively engage in community service and civil work.
PhD student
Lautaro Baro
Lauti is a biology graduate from University of Buenos Aires, Argentina, and passionate about cancer research. He chose to study biology because he has always had an interest in investigating life. Lauti is currently pursuing his PhD at National Horizons Centre, Teesside University, UK, where he is studying the role of APC-driven actin nucleation in cell migration and cancer invasion. Lauti is a hardworking researcher with excellent teamwork and problem-solving skills.
He is also an avid reader and a sport-lover.
PhD student
Irene Olivas Cano
Irene graduated in biotechnology from the University of Valencia, where she got granted an international stay at the University of Wollongong, Australia. She then proceeded to study a master's degree in pharmaceutical sciences at the University of Copenhagen, Denmark. Deeply interested in proteins and cancer research, she is now a PhD student in Juanes lab at Príncipe Felipe research centre, where she is designing novel peptides to be used as novel anticancer therapies.
In her free time, she enjoys travelling, crafting and hiking.
Research Assistant
Aida Rodríguez Jiménez
Aida Rodríguez works as Research Assistant in our lab in the Principe Felipe Research Centre in Valencia. She has previously done her internship as a lab technician in our lab, as part of her studies from the CIPFP Mislata. She is keeping the lab organized, proceeding with purchases, as well as helping us to do experiments related to cell metabolism.
Apart from studying, she likes to spend her free time doing oil painting and listening to music.
Student
Kristina Kessler
Kristina is studying Biomedical Science at Reutlingen University. Currently, she is doing an internship at the CIPF in Dr. Juanes’s lab in Valencia. She is working on cell migration and how mutations affects cancer cells.
Kristina likes reading, travelling and meeting friends and family.
Former members
Adriana Mena Romero
Research Associate
Maria Abril Sanz
Student
Belén Hernández
Student
Pablo Almela Mir
Internship student
Chantell Galiana Romero
Student
Nerea Honrubia
Student
Maria Boix Canet
Internship student
Daniel Pérez Artiles
Internship student
María José Pérez
Student