Biography
Javier Fernández-Ruiz is a PhD in Biochemistry obtained in 1986 in the Complutense University, Madrid, Spain. He is currently Full Professor in the Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Faculty of Medicine, in such university. Together with his teaching activities in the areas of Neurochemistry and Neurobiology, both in Degree and Master, he has been working during the last 43 years in different diseases of the Central Nervous System, having authored 259 research articles and 46 review articles in international journals. Also 42 chapters in national and international books and 8 international patents. He has supervised 24 doctoral thesis along 30 years. He has given lectures at different national and international universities and research centers, as well as numerous presentations at national and international congresses. He is currently the Principal Investigator of the “Cannabinoids and Neurological Disorders” research group at the Complutense University, and also at two cooperative networks of excellence research in Spain: CIBERNED and IRYCIS. The main activity of this group is the study of the therapeutic potential of cannabinoids in several neurological diseases, mainly neurodegenerative, activity addressed to the design, synthesis and biological characterization of novel cannabinoids with neuroprotective profile, and to test their therapeutic efficacy at preclinical and clinical levels. They have also conducted research addressed to explore the contribution of endocannabinoid dysregulations in the pathogenesis of neurodegenerative disorders. They are collaborating with several national and international groups, and different pharmaceutical and biotechnological companies: Jazz Pharmaceuticals (formerly GW Pharma), Emerald Health Pharmaceuticals, VivaCell Biotechnology Spain, ANKAR Pharma, Symrise, Roche Pharmaceuticals and Pharmactive Biotech Products. He has participated in numerous research projects, acting as PI in many of them, including 8 research contracts with pharma companies. He has been a member, representing the UCM, in the IRYCIS Governor Committee (2011-2017), a member in the Scientific Advisor Committee of the pharma companies VivaCell Biotechnology-Spain and Linneo Health SL, and a member of the Editorial Board in the British Journal of Pharmacology (up to 2023). He has been President of the International Cannabinoid Research Society (ICRS) (2002-2003) and member of its Executive Committee (2001-2004), as well as a founding member of the Spanish Cannabinoid Research Society (SEIC) and member of its Executive Committee (2000-2013) serving as President during 2007-2011. He has received the IACM Special Award in 2019 and the ICRS Mechoulam Award (for outstanding contributions to the field of cannabinoid research) in 2021.