Ignacio Varela graduated in Biochemistry at Universidad de Oviedo where he also performed his PhD under the supervision of Carlos López Otín and José María Pérez Freije. He has also worked at the National Cancer Institute (USA) and the Wellcome Trust Sanger Institute (UK) before being recruited to Universidad de Cantabria in 2011 under the Ramón y Cajal program. Since then, he leads the research group Genomic analysis of tumour development which combines cellular and animal models with the most modern molecular biology, genomic and bioinformatics techniques to study the molecular mechanisms behind tumourigenesis. His studies have been published in the best journals of the field (Nature, Science, Nature Genetics, Nature Medicine or New England Journal of Medicine) and he has obtained several competitive projects both from private foundations as well as from Spanish and European state founding agencies including the prestigious European Research Council.
Genomic analysis of tumour development group
Research lines
- Role of chromatin remodeling genes in cancer development.
- Use of next-generation sequencing technologies for the identification of new molecular mechanisms of cancer initiation, progression and metastasis.
- Characterization of the role of intratumor heterogeneity in cancer progression
Funding
- Plan Nacional I+D+I (2012), Investigación Fundamental No Orientada. "Caracterización molecular del papel de los complejos remodeladores de cromatina en el desarrollo tumoral" SAF2012-31627 IP: Ignacio Varela
- Fundación Ramón Areces (2014), Ayudas a la investigación en Ciencias de la Vida y la Materia. "Caracterización molecular del papel de la disfunción mitocondrial en el desarrollo tumoral". IP: Ignacio Varela
- European Research Council (2014). Starting Grant. "Molecular Characterization of the role of intratumor heterogeneity in cancer progression and metastasis". IP: Ignacio Varela
- Plan Nacional I+D+I (2016), Proyectos RETOS . "Molecular study of the mechanisms of SWI/SNF complexes in tumour progression and their potential exploitation for cancer therapy." SAF2016-76758-R IP: Ignacio Varela
