Associate Professor

 

In the research group I belong to, which focuses on the field of comparative neuroanatomy of vertebrates, we have been studying the evolution and development of the nervous system for a long time. My work, initially focused on the amphibian brain (anurans, urodeles and caecilians) as an experimental model, established certain characteristics based on neurochemical, hodological and ontogenetic developmental studies of the cholinergic, nitrergic and various neuropeptidergic systems. Subsequently, in order to characterise in more detail the evolutionary changes among vertebrates in the anamnio-amniote transition, I extended my work with representative species of reptiles (turtles and lizards) and, more recently, of lungfish (dipnoi, the group of living fish closest to tetrapods) where I have characterised their catecholaminergic (dopaminergic and noradrenergic), cholinergic, serotonergic, nitrergic and orexinergic systems. Another more recent topic of interest focuses on polypteriform fishes, the most basal group of actinopterygian fishes, with the aim of better characterising and understanding their clearly everted telencephalon, as well as the tencephalic and neurochemical features present in the most primitive osteichthyan fishes.

 

Teaching

My teaching activity within the Degree in Biology is theoretical-practical mainly in the subject "Cell Biology and Histology" and the subject "Neurobiology", and within the Master in Neuroscience it is divided between the subjects "Cellular Neurobiology" and "Neuroanatomy".

 

UCM Research Portal

jmlopezr@ucm.es

Faculty of Biological Sciences

Dept. of Cell Biology

12th floor, office 12