Principal Investigator – Dr. Celia Herrera-Rincon

Ramón y Cajal Research Fellow, Founder and Head of the Brain-Bacteria Interface (BBI) Lab

Department of Biodiversity, Ecology and Evolution (Biomathematics Unit), UCM

Celia Herrera-Rincon is a neuroscientist dedicated to studying how the brain processes biological information through interaction with distant and unconventional partners — including bacteria. With a PhD in Neuroscience from UCM and postdoctoral training at Tufts University (USA), she has built an international career bridging neurobiology, synthetic biology, and systems modeling.

Her research pioneered direct neuron-bacteria communication, establishing experimental platforms to decode information processing across biological scales — from prokaryotes to vertebrate brains. As a Ramón y Cajal Fellow, she leads the BBI Lab at UCM’s Biomathematics Unit, developing next-generation co-culture systems, bioelectrical readouts, and synthetic microbiota models to explore the microbiota-gut-brain axis.

Dr. Herrera-Rincon has published in Nature Communications, Cell Reports, and npj Regenerative Medicine, among others, and has received international recognition including the NIH "Rising Star" award and multiple grants from the Templeton World Charity Foundation. She serves as PI on national and international projects, and collaborates with institutions such as the University of Turin, NYU Abu Dhabi, and Shanghai Jiao Tong University.

An active science communicator and mentor, she supervises doctoral and postdoctoral researchers and regularly delivers invited talks worldwide. She is also the co-founder of Smart Index Food, a startup developing gut-brain nutritional tools. Through her interdisciplinary vision, Celia is helping to define the future of brain research at the microbiome frontier.

 

Dr. María Teresa García Esteban

Senior Investigator – BBI Lab | Associate Professor, Department of Genetics, Physiology and Microbiology, UCM

Dr. María Teresa García Esteban is a senior microbiologist and a PI at the Brain-Bacteria Interface (BBI) Lab. With a solid background in biological sciences and biochemistry, and over 20 years of research experience, her work focuses on bacterial stress responses, antibiotic mechanisms of action, and host–pathogen interactions. Her scientific career includes competitive national and international projects at institutions such as the Instituto de Salud Carlos III, the National Biotechnology Centre, and the University of Louisville (USA).

She has authored more than 30 scientific publications, including first-author articles in Q1 journals, and holds a patent related to novel antimicrobial compounds. Dr. García Esteban has directed a PhD thesis and participates actively in undergraduate and postgraduate teaching at UCM, where she is also involved in academic coordination and teaching innovation.

At the BBI Lab, she leads microbiological research within the neuron–bacteria co-culture platform and contributes to the development of new experimental models to study the microbiota–gut–brain axis. Her expertise in pathogenic bacteria, antimicrobial resistance, and molecular microbiology strengthens the lab’s interdisciplinary approach to understanding how microbial signals modulate brain function.

 

Prof. Stefano Geuna

Senior Investigator – BBI Lab | Full Professor of Human Anatomy | University of Turin (Italy)

Prof. Stefano Geuna is Full Professor of Human Anatomy and current Rector of the University of Turin. With over 30 years of experience in neuroanatomy and regenerative medicine, he is internationally recognized for his pioneering work on peripheral nerve regeneration and bioengineered strategies for neural repair. He leads the Peripheral Nerve Regeneration Unit at the Cavalieri Ottolenghi Institute of Neuroscience and has coordinated major national and EU-funded projects, including FP7 and Horizon Europe initiatives.

Author of more than 300 scientific publications and conference contributions, Prof. Geuna has advanced the use of biomaterials, stem cells, and neurotrophic factors to promote nerve healing. He has also co-developed patented medical devices for nerve protection and functional recovery after prostatectomy.

As a senior investigator and advisor to the BBI Lab, he brings extensive expertise in anatomical modeling and neuroregeneration, contributing to the lab’s interdisciplinary research on microbiota–brain communication and neurorepair.

 

Dr. Antonio Murciano Cespedosa

Senior Investigator – BBI Lab | Full Professor of Biomathematics, UCM

Dr. Antonio Murciano is Full Professor at the Department of Biomathematics, Complutense University of Madrid (UCM), and a PI of the Brain-Bacteria Interface (BBI) Lab. With a background in biological computation and bioinformatics, his career bridges artificial intelligence, systems biology, and neurobiology.

His early work focused on neural networks and intelligent robotics, including the co-invention of COOBOT, a patented cooperative robot. Over the years, his research evolved toward mathematical modeling of biological systems and information processing in living organisms. He has led pioneering studies on the computational principles underlying neurogenesis and cell signaling.

At the BBI Lab, Dr. Murciano spearheads the lab’s computational and modeling axis, developing frameworks to simulate cross-kingdom information exchange—such as how bacterial signals can shape neuronal responses. His work is key to decoding the bioelectrical and algorithmic logics underlying the microbiota–brain axis. He is also an active member of UCM research groups in neurocomputing and biological data modeling.

 

Dr. María del Carmen Juan-Llamas

Senior Investigator – BBI Lab | Lecturer in Mathematics and Interdisciplinary Modeling, UCM

Dr. Juan-Llamas holds a PhD in Health Sciences and a degree in Mathematics from the Complutense University of Madrid (UCM), where she currently teaches at the Faculty of Biological Sciences. With a background bridging computational mathematics, sports sciences, and educational innovation, she brings a unique interdisciplinary approach to biological research.

Her scientific work includes over a dozen indexed publications and a patented software tool (Easy_Aerobics) combining human movement with algorithmic design. She has led and participated in research and teaching innovation projects, with a focus on applying mathematical modeling and data analysis in biology and health-related fields.

At the BBI Lab, Dr. Juan-Llamas contributes to the Modeling and Data Analysis axis, developing formal frameworks to describe and interpret complex biological interactions — including cross-domain signaling between bacteria and neurons. Her expertise in programming, statistical tools, and educational technologies adds valuable support to the lab’s integrative perspective on the microbiota–brain interface.