JOSÉ ÁNGEL
MORALES GARCÍA

José A. Morales holds a PhD in Neurosciences (Autonoma University of Madrid, UAM). His doctoral thesis, carried out at the Instituto de Investigaciones Biomédicas (CSIC), received the Extraordinary prize for the best doctoral thesis in Biomedicine. This work focused on the identification and analysis of new cellular targets with neurogenic and neuroprotective effects for the development of new therapies against neurodegenerative diseases. He carried out part of his research at the German universities of Würzburg (as part of the European "COST action" program for cooperation in science and technology) and Tübingen (Marie Curie research contract). In the following years he worked as a postdoc at the Institute of Medicinal Chemistry (CSIC) and at the Networked Center for Biomedical Research in Neurodegenerative Diseases (CIBERNED; Instituto de Salud Carlos III) involved in several projects within the field of medicinal chemistry, and specifically in the study of the role of various compounds (GSK-3 and PDE7 inhibitors) in anti-inflammatory and neuroprotective processes, in order to develop new therapies against Alzheimer and Parkinson; as well as the development of compounds with neurogenic potential. Continuing with his line of research in neurodegenerative diseases, he is currently researching at CIBERNED, carrying out his research as an associate researcher at IIBM (CSIC). His current work is focused on studying the role of certain tryptamines in the pathological processes underlying Parkinson's disease and on the evaluation of new neuroprotective and neurogenic drugs in preclinical animal models of brain damage. Dr. Morales is also part of the UCM research team in Psychopharmacology of addiction. His research activity during these years has led to very interesting results and to the identification of new therapeutic agents for the treatment of various neurological disorders such as epilepsy, Parkinson's, Alzheimer's or sclerosis, and to the forthcoming entry into the clinical phase of one of these compounds for the treatment of Parkinson's disease. In this respect, the results obtained have given rise to 42 scientific publications and 6 patents. J. A. Morales is Lecturer at the Faculty of Medicine (UCM), professor of the Master in Neuropharmacology of the Faculty of Medicine (UAM), professor of the Expert Degree in Public Communication and Scientific Dissemination (UAM), scientific tutor of the Training Cycle in Laboratory Technician, of the End of Degree (UCM, UAM and UAH) and End of Master (UCM, UAH and UAM). Along with his teaching and research activity, he participates very actively in scientific dissemination tasks, collaborating with various media and organizing outreach events.