Marcos Malumbres studied Biology at the Universidad de Navarra and then moved to León for PhD studies on genes and molecular pathways required for amino acid biosynthesis in bacteria. He obtained the PhD in Molecular Biology at the Universidad de León in 1993 and moved to the New York University Medical Center (USA) for postdoctoral training. During this period, he focused on the effect of oncogenes in cell cycle control and cell proliferation. He returned to Spain in 1998 to join M. Barbacid’s lab in the newly created Spanish National Cancer Research Centre (CNIO). In 2003 he obtained a Staff Scientist position at the Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas (CSIC) and in June 2004 he was appointed senior group leader of the Cell Division and Cancer Group at CNIO.

Marcos Malumbres has authored more than 200 international articles including relevant contributions to understanding the in vivo function of key cell cycle regulators and their relevance in cancer therapy. His investigation in cell cycle proteins contributed to the approval of specific inhibitors that are currently the standard-of-care in metastatic breast cancer. His current research focuses on improving current cancer therapies and discovering new candidates for clinical use in the future.
Malumbres was elected member of the European Molecular Biology Organization (EMBO) in 2016 and received the Gold Medal of the Spanish Association against Cancer (AECC) in 2019 for his contributions to Science and commitment with Society and cancer patients. He is a visiting Professor of the Dana Farber Cancer Institute-Harvard University in Boston since 2019.
Research and Professional Experience
2023- Head, Cancer Cell Cycle Group (VHIO), Barcelona
2023- External Associated Faculty, IRB-Barcelona, Barcelona
2023- ICREA Professor, Barcelona
2019-present Visiting Professor, Dana Farber Cancer Institute, Harvard Univ., Boston, USA
2005-2022 Head, Cell Division & Cancer Group (CNIO), Madrid
2004-present Staff Investigator, Spanish National Council of Research (CSIC), Spain (on leave)
1999-2004 Staff Scientist, CNIO, Madrid.
1993-1998 Assistant Research Scientist, New York University Medical Center, NY, USA
1988-1988 Visiting Scientist, Zentrum für Molekulare Biologie im Heidelberg
1988-1993 Ph. D., Dep. of Microbiology, Universidad de León, León, Spain
Awards, Honours and International Committees
2021-present Scientific Advisory Board, European TRANSCAN (http://transcan.eu/)
2021-present Molecular Tumor Board, SOLTI-HOPE
2020-present Scientific Advisory Board, Worldwide Cancer Research (WCR)
2019 Gold Medal, Spanish Association against Cancer (AECC)
2014 Among the TOP-TEN Spanish Researchers most cited in Biomedicine
(Ioannidis et al., PLoS Biol 17(8): e3000384)
2018 International Panel Evaluation FCT Units, Portugal
2016 Elected EMBO Member
2016-present Scientific Advisory Board of the Spanish Association against Cancer (AECC)
2014 Member of the AERES committee, Institute of Molecular Genetics, Montpellier
2013-present Scientific Advisory Board of the Institute of Molecular Genetics Academy of
Sciences of the Czech Republic.
2012-2015 Member of the Spanish Agency for Project Evaluation (ANEP)
2008-2009 Member of the Council, European Association for Cancer Research (EACR).
2007-present Honorary member, Balkan Union of Oncology
2005 SEBBM Beckman/Coulter Award 2005
2001-present Honorary Professor, Universidad Autónoma de Madrid
1994 “Juan Abelló” Prize of the Real Academia de Doctores


Editorial and Peer-Review Activities
2019-2022 PLoS Biology, Editorial Board
2017- Scientific Reports, Editorial Board
2016- BioEssays, Editorial Board
2014-2016 Inside the Cell, Editor-In-Chief
2011-2020 Frontiers in Molecular and Cellular Oncology, Associate Editor
2011-2017 microRNA, Editorial Board founding member
2010- Genes & Cancer, Editorial Board founding member
2010-2017 Molecular Cancer, Associate Editor
2008-2017 Current Medical Chemistry, Editorial Board
2007- J. BUON, Editorial Board