Dr. Fernando Josa Prado is a researcher and professor in the fields of biology and biochemistry. More specifically, he has an interdisciplinary experience having worked in molecular neurobiology, miRNA pathway biology, cancer cell biology and biochemistry of antitumor compounds against cytoskeleton. Fernando’s passion and compromise for Science and the Society of Knowledge led him to be involved in the formation of the society of Spanish Researchers in UK, where he founded and was director of the South-West Constituency and in 2014 upon his return to Spain he co-founded the association of Scientist Returned to Spain (CRE) of which he is the Founding President. He has been invited to contribute to researchers’ panels for European Commission projects about Research Career Development and the integration of Academia and other sectors such as the industrial sector (PIPERS, EURAXIND). He also co- founded directed the Madrid branch of the science outreach festival PINT of Science. He was invited to be a member of the international committee of the Spanish Planetology and Astrobiology Network (REDESPA). Fernando is also interested in entrepreneurship from science and technology.

He obtained his biology degree (5 years licenciature) and the Advanced Studies Diploma (D.E.A., postgraduate diploma) at the Universidad Autónoma de Madrid. During his D.E.A. Fernando worked on Alzheimer’s Disease in Prof. Jesús Avila de Grado and Prof. Félix Hernández group at the Molecular Biology Center – Severo Ochoa (CBMSO) in Madrid. Later, he was awarded with a prestigious MSCA ITN fellowship from SyMBaD Programme to do his doctoral studies at the University of Bristol (UK) under the supervision of Prof. Jeremy M. Henley, working on the cell and molecular biology of SUMOylation machinery. He obtained his PhD in 2014.

Afterwards, he carried out a postdoctoral period at the Biological Research Center (CIB-CSIC) in Madrid. Fernando has expanded his interests and understanding for the ecosystem of R&D and Innovation by taking an entrepreneurial programme at the prestigious IE Business School (Accelerate: Building Business from Science and technology).

In addition, amongst other studies and diplomas Fernando holds a master’s degree in Psychotherapy and Clinical Hypnosis from the Instituto Erickson de Madrid and is a Level II National Fencing Coach (Royal Spanish Fencing Federation, RFEE)

In his leisure time, Fernando enjoys music (he used to play the piano), specially Musica Antiqua, gastronomy, good movies and series and documentaries and finds difficult to refuse learning from others in intellectual debate.