JORDÀ RAMOS, Mireia

Academic training

Doctor in Biochemistry, UNIVERSITAT AUTÒNOMA DE BARCELONA
Graduate in Biochemistry, UNIVERSITAT AUTÒNOMA DE BARCELONA

Professional experience

Dr. Mireia Jordà has extensive experience in the field of cancer and epigenetics, and currently leads the Endocrine Tumors group at the Germans Trias i Pujol Research Institute (IGTP). He obtained a degree in Biochemistry from the Autonomous University of Barcelona in 1999 and completed his doctoral thesis at the Oncology Research Institute (IRO) under the supervision of Dr. Àngels Fabra (PhD, 2005). He has worked in the area of cancer since 2000, when he began his doctoral project focused on the transcriptional regulation mechanisms underlying the epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) induced by Snail and E47. Furthermore, he studied the role of these transcription factors in the processes of invasion and metastasis. The scientific contributions of this period are reflected in four articles (Cancer Res, Oncogene, J Cell Sci, Exp Cell Res). In 2006 she joined the laboratory of Dr. Miguel A. Peinado as a postdoctoral researcher, where she dedicated herself to the study of the epigenetics of repetitive DNA in cancer and cellular differentiation, which allowed her to obtain two projects as PI (Olga Torres Foundation and Merck Foundation Health). In addition, he acquired extensive experience in the development of techniques to analyze DNA methylation, as reflected in some of his publications (Nucleic Acids Res, Oncotarget, Genome Res), with applications in different fields. This allowed him to participate in a collaborative project with the "Honey Bee Genome Sequencing Consortium", the results of which were published in Science and Nature (with more than 2,000 citations). Dr. Jordà's interest in the area of endocrine and neuroendocrine tumors began in 2012 with participation in various projects of the Endocrinology Service of the Germans Trias i Pujol University Hospital. The results of this collaboration are reflected in two publications (Int J Cancer, Endocrino Nutr). In 2014, she obtained her first national project as a PI from the Carlos III Health Institute (PI14/00308), which allowed her to be promoted to Associate Researcher and start her own line of translational research in thyroid cancer and pituitary tumors.
At the end of 2017 she was promoted to Group Head and since then she has led the IGTP's Endocrine Tumors line, and her research follows two main lines, a more basic one that studies the mechanisms that regulate the tumor progression of thyroid and pituitary tumors, and a more translational one to identify new markers and therapeutic targets that improve patient treatment. In this last stage she has published 10 articles as corresponding author and has obtained several projects as principal researcher. It is noteworthy that one of the prognostic epigenetic markers identified by Dr. Jordà's group, specifically global DNA hypomethylation of Alu elements (PUMA), has been incorporated into the new 2022 WHO classification of thyroid neoplasms. as an adverse marker of thyroid cancer. Dr. Jordà has participated in numerous national and international meetings (SEEN, SEOM, ESE, ETA) as an invited speaker, selected oral communication, or co-organizer (XII Annual Scientific Meeting of the Neruoendocrinology Working Group of the SEEN). He has also participated in scientific dissemination activities (European Researchers' Night, La Marató de TV3). In addition, it is involved in the training of young researchers. He has supervised 8 undergraduate and 10 master's students, has co-supervised 3 doctoral theses and is currently directing 3 more. From 2017 to 2020 he has co-organized the "Coffee Talks", weekly internal seminars included in the IGTP Scientific Training Program.