Professor of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology since 2024 at the Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Complutense University of Madrid. He holds a degree in Pharmacy from Complutense University of Madrid (1996) and completed his PhD in the laboratory of Prof. Miras-Portugal at the Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, studying the molecular mechanisms through which purinergic receptors modulate synaptic plasticity (2002).

After working in the laboratories of Prof. Voight at St. Louis University and Prof. Soto at the Max Planck Institute in Göttingen, Germany, he began his postdoctoral stage in Prof. Lucas’s lab at the Severo Ochoa Centre for Molecular Biology (CBMSO). There, he started investigating the molecular mechanisms affected in various neurodegenerative diseases, beginning with Huntington’s disease (Díaz-Hernández et al., 2003, 2004, 2005 J. Neurosci). These foundations led him to explore whether alterations in purinergic signaling could be one of the underlying molecular mechanisms in neurodegenerative disorders.

Thanks to a Juan de la Cierva contract (2005–2008) and later a Ramón y Cajal contract (2008–2009), he was able to develop his initial studies in this area (Díaz-Hernández et al., 2009, FASEB Journal). Since 2009, he has led his own research group, primarily focused on identifying molecular mechanisms underlying neurodegeneration to develop effective therapeutic strategies.

His group has been pioneering in discovering therapeutic effects of P2X7 antagonists in conditions such as Alzheimer’s disease (Díaz-Hernández et al., 2010, JBC; 2012, Neurobiol Aging), Huntington’s disease (FASEB 2009), tauopathies (Di Lauro et al., 2021, Prog. Neurobiol), and epilepsy (Engel et al., 2012, FASEB J). His studies have also shown that the ectonucleotidase TNAP is involved in pathological processes related to Alzheimer’s (Sebastián-Serrano, 2022, Neurobiol. Dis.) and epilepsy (Sebastián-Serrano et al., 2016, Hum Mol Genet). Furthermore, his findings suggest that other purinergic receptors, such as P2Y2R, may be promising therapeutic targets for treating neuroinflammation associated with neurodegenerative diseases (de Diego-García et al., 2018, FASEB J).

He has authored over 50 scientific publications, secured 8 national and international research grants, and participated in more than 90 conferences.