Research into the use of bioengineering to regenerate bone tissue; the effects of the cerebral protein CPT1C on ingestion control, and the study of genes and diseases related to iron metabolism. These are the respective projects being led by doctoral students Marina Perpiñán, Cristina Reguera and Lídia Romero from the Department of Basic Sciences at the Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, who have each been awarded a FI 2020 grant from the Agency for Management of University and Research Grants (AGAUR), which will help finance their doctoral studies for the next three years.

Marina Perpiñán is a member of the Research Group in Biomaterials for Tissue Regeneration and is focusing her research on the design of grafts using biomaterials that can be injected into bone tissue to help stimulate regeneration. These biomaterials have different properties that help the organism regenerate itself in cases where it is unable to do so alone.

Cristina Reguera works with the NeuroLipid Research Group. Her research involves analysing the effects the cerebral protein CPT1C has on ingestion control and energetic balance.

Finally, Lídia Romero, who is a member of the Research Group in Iron Metabolism: Regulation and Diseases, will be looking into new genes and undescribed diseases related to iron metabolism. Her research will also focus closely on those genes that have been described, but which have not yet undergone extensive investigation.

The grants, which are offered to universities, research centres and hospital foundations, are awarded with a view to hiring new research staff and promoting research quality, helping to incorporate young researchers into research groups and competitive research projects.