Ignacio Rodríguez Pastrana

Affiliation: The University of Nottingham, Medical School D30, Queen’s Medical Centre, Nottingham, NG7 2RD

I graduated as a Biotechnologist from the University of Leon (ULe, Spain). In 2017, I moved to the UK where I finished my undergraduate studies. In 2019, I completed my MRes in Human Molecular Genetics at the University of Nottingham (UoN), where I explored the role of copy number variations in the expression of alpha-defensins and their implications in nephropathies. In 2023, I defended my PhD at Nottingham Trent University (NTU), under the supervision of Dr Amanda Coutts, where I focused on how p53 cofactor JMY can influence cell fate during stress. Currently, I am a Research Fellow at The Wilkinson’s Lab at UoN, where I focus on understanding the molecular mechanisms that control blood-brain barrier permeability using Zebrafish and how these pathways can be used to improve drug delivery into the brain.

Alongside my academic studies, I actively participate in multiple societies. From 2018 to 2020, I was the members’ spokesman at the Biotechnology Society at the University of Leon. Currently, I am an active member of the Spanish Federation of Biotechnologists (FEBiotec), where I volunteer in the Training and Education department.