Position: Coordinators of the project

Alicia Sánchez has a Bachelor in Biology with a major in Zoology (Computense University of Madrid), and a Master in Primatology (University of Barcelona). During her studies, she did some fieldwork with turtles in Cape Verde and later on in a primary rainforest of Madagascar, where she could study lemur behaviour for 7 months. In 2015 she started her PhD in IBE (UPF-CSIC) in Barcelona (Spain). Her PhD is focused on the study of diversity patterns and phylogenies in animals and their unicellular relatives, with the aim of discovering new molecular lineages to complete part of the tree of life. She is also involved in scientific outreach to promote the communication of basic science to the general public.

• Degree in Computer Science by the Technological Educational Institute (TEI) – Athens, Greece.
• MSc in Cognitive Systems and Interactive Media by Pompeu Fabra University (UPF) – Barcelona, Spain. Master thesis on biologically inspired computation for chemical sensing (www.neurochem-project.org) using insect-based robots.
• PhD in Robotics by UPF and thesis on: “Learning from a robot: a study for the creation of synthetic psychologically plausible agents”.
• Expert in educational robotics.
• Head of the Robotics laboratory in SPECS at IBEC.

• Degree in Audiovisual Communication.
• MSc in Cognitive Systems and Interactive Media by UPF.
• PhD candidate in the Department of Information and Communication Technologies (DTIC) and a researcher in the SPECS group at IBEC.
• Research focused on Educational Technologies and Human-Robot Interaction.
• Robotics teacher to primary and secondary school students.

Alberto Pérez-Posada did a BS in Biology at the University of Seville, having spent his last year working as a researcher student in Protist Gene Regulation. He moved to Barcelona for a MSc in Genetics and Genomics at Universidad de Barcelona, with a MSc scholarship from Catalunya La Pedrera Foundation. He did his Master thesis under the supervision of Iñaki Ruiz Trillo, and continued in the same laboratory for the PhD project at Pompeu Fabra University. After one year, he has been working in the development for genetic tools in the unicellular relatives of animals, as well as the role of pivotal gene regulators in the unicellular context of these organisms.

Prof. Ramon Gomis is currently Scientist Emeritus at the August Pi i Sunyer Biomedical Research Institute (IDIBAPS), as well as Professor Emeritus at the University of Barcelona (UB). Prof. Gomis was awarded both his undergraduate and doctorate degrees in Medicine by UB. After performing postdoctoral training at the Free University of Brussels, he pursued his professional and scientific career in biomedicine at the Hospital Clínic of Barcelona, where he occupied several different positions for over thirty years, including Director of Research and Head of the Department of Endocrinology and Nutrition. He served as Director of the IDIBAPS for almost a decade. He also had served as Director of the Fundació Clínic per a la Recerca Biomèdica, and as Chair in Endocrinology at UB. An accomplished author, Prof. Gomis has published hundreds of articles in internationally renowned scientific journals, primarily in the first and second quartile, as well as multiple book chapters. He has patented 4 inventions.

• Bachelor degree in Food Science and Technology and in Human Nutrition and Dietetics at the University of Barcelona (UB).
• She began her research career in 2003 when she was awarded with a pre-doctoral scholarship by the University Rovira Virgili to work as a pre-doctoral researcher.
• In 2004 she started her work at the University of Vic-Central University of Catalonia combining her academic and research career.
• Her research interests include: study of foods and the modification of their nutritional profile through innovative ingredients and processes and their relationship with the technological, functional, sensory and nutritional properties, analysing also its influence on the perception of the consumer

Dr. Gasa obtained her PhD in Biology from the University of Barcelona in 1997. She conducted postdoctoral training at UT Southwestern Medical Center in Dallas (1997-2000) and at the University of California in San Francisco (2001-2003). She joined the Diabetes and Obesity Research Laboratory at IDIBAPS in 2004 as an awardee of the Ramon y Cajal Program of the Spanish Ministry of Science and Technology. Presently, she is holding the position of Research Associate. Dr. Gasa’s investigations focus on understanding the molecular mechanisms involved in the establishment of pancreatic beta cell mass during organism development and the design of reprogramming strategies to generate beta-like cells from fibroblasts for transplantation purposes in diabetic patients.

• Pharmacist and a Registered Dietitian from the University of Navarra (UNAV) and completed the IOC Diploma in Sports Nutrition.
• As recipient of a Fulbright scholarship, she was graduated from Master’s degree in sports nutrition at the University of Colorado, in collaboration with the United States Olympic Committee.
• Highly interested in sports nutrition and performance where she teaches at the University of Vic (UVIC-UCC).
• Her PhD, directed by Dr. Nanna Meyer (UCCS) in collaboration with the group of Dr. Thomas Nemecek (Agroscope, Switzerland) analyses how to introduce environmental sustainability in sports’ nutrition educational tools

• Degree in Human Nutrition and Dietetics from University of Barcelona (UB).
• Degree in Agricultural Technical Engineering specialized in Food Industry by the Universitat Politècnica de Barcelona (UPC).
• MSc in Nutrition and Food by the University of Barcelona (UB).
• Project manager in Health and Eating Habits area of Alícia Foundation.
• Worked as a nutritionist in the prevention of childhood obesity within the programs of the Department of Health of the Government of Wales – United Kingdom.

• Degree in Biology by Autonomous University of Barcelona (UAB).
• MSc in Nutrition and Metabolism by Rovira i Virgili’s University (URV) and University of Barcelona (UB).
• Project manager in Technological Development and Innovation, and Health and Eating Habits areas of Alícia Foundation.