Our Team
We are a multidisciplinary team with expertise in Physics, Chemistry, Engineering, Biology and Biochemistry:
Dr.Irene Marco-Rius
Group Leader
Irene completed her PhD in the group of Prof. Kevin Brindle at University of Cambridge (UK) in 2014. She had previously studied a BSc in Physics at Autonomous University of Barcelona (Spain, 2005-2009) and a MSc in Medical Physics and Biomedical Optics at University of Heidelberg (Germany, 2009-2010). She worked as postdoctoral researcher in the group of Prof. Dan Vigneron at University of California San Francisco (USA) and Dr. Arnaud Comment at Cambridge (UK).
In 2018 she received a prestigious la Caixa Junior leader fellowship and a subsequent BIST-la Caixa Junior Group Leader position to start her own line of research at IBEC. Her research is focused on the development of non-invasive MR imaging and spectroscopy technologies to study metabolic pathologies in human disease and evaluate response to treatment.
Postdoctoral Researchers
Dr. Maria Alejandra Ortega Machuca
Maríale is a researcher with extensive technical experience combining bioengineered tools for translational biomedical research, together with project management and innovation throughout her professional career. She holds a Bachelor’s and an MSc in Chemistry, as well as a PhD in Photonics. She has worked at institutions such as UPC–ICFO and the Institute for Bioengineering of Catalonia (IBEC), contributing to the development of advanced biosensing technologies, microfluidic platforms, and organ-on-chip systems for applications in metabolic diseases, cancer, and precision medicine, as well as in the private sector, driving R&D development and implementation, project management, and strategic execution.
Dr. Vicent Ribas Serra
Vicent is a biomedical researcher with extensive experience in metabolism, mitochondrial biology and translational disease models. Over the course of his career, he has worked at institutions including Hospital Sant Pau, IRB Barcelona, UCLA, IDIBAPS and IIBB-CSIC, investigating disorders ranging from atherosclerosis and insulin resistance to liver disease, diabetes, obesity and cancer.
He is currently a Senior Researcher in the MIPMED group at IBEC, where he focuses on cell metabolism in the context of metabolic diseases, neurological diseases and cancer, integrating nuclear magnetic resonance approaches. His work combines advanced experimental and imaging strategies to better understand disease mechanisms and contribute to precision medicine.
Dr. Giovanni Vito Spinelli
Giovanni completed his PhD in Mathematics under the supervision of Prof. Fabiana Zama at the University of Bologna (IT) in 2025.
During the PhD, his research was focused on enhancing parameter identification in Fast Field-Cycling (FFC) Nuclear Magnetic Resonance (NMR) through advanced inverse methods, optimization algorithms and machine learning.
Prior to this, Giovanni completed his MSc in Applied Physics at the University of Bologna after obtaining his BSc in Physics from University of Bari. In 2025, Giovanni joined the MIPMED team to provide his interdisciplinary expertise working on hyperpolarized nuclear magnetic resonance methods.
PhD Students
Lluís Mangas
Lluís is currently studying a MSc in Molecular Biotechnology at the University of Barcelona (UB). He joined the team in October 2021 to complete his masters’ thesis project on a design of a biosystem for metabolic NMR acquisition.
In 2022 he started his PhD project “Development of a multi-Organ-on-a-Chip to study cross-metabolism between liver ans kidneys, compatible with Hyperpolarized Magnetic Resonance Imaging”. During his time at MIPMED, he will learn about hyperpolarization, data acquisition and clinical NMR applications.
Gergö Matajsz
Gergő completed his master’s thesis project in 2021 as part of the MIPMED group, developing the Multiwell chip. He graduated from the University of Glasgow in 2022 with an M.Eng. degree in Biomedical Engineering, and he spent a year as an exchange student at the University of Toronto in 2019-20.
In 2023, he continued his work at MIPED as a research assistant on the BLOC and FLASHonCHIP projects and began his PhD later that year. He is currently developing on radiofrequency coils, microfluidic systems and methodologies for Hyperpolarized Magnetic Resonance Spectroscopic Imaging (HP-MRSI). In 2025, he was elected as the Trainee Representative of the MR Engineering study group of the International Society for Magnetic Resonance in Medicine (ISMRM).
Gonzalo Alonso Reillo
Physicists from the Universidad Complutense de Madrid (UCM) in 2024, with an MSc in Biomedical Physics (UCM, 2025), these studies provide him with knowelge of medical imaging, biomedical processes and data analysis. Gonzalo joined the team in January 2026 as a PhD student.
Focus on Nuclear Magnetic Resonance with a background working on metabolomics. He joined the LIFETIME project to develop the necessary Pulse Sequences for Hyperpolarized Magnetic Resonance Imaging and tracking metabolic pathways related with liver cancer. To achieve this goal, he is working with benchtop spectrometers, preclinical Magnetic Resonance and dissolution Dynamic Nuclear Polarizer.
Jakub Podraza
Jakub is a Biotechnology Engineer with a passion for scientific innovation. He earned his Bachelor of Engineering in Biotechnology from the Warsaw University of Life Sciences. Jakub further advanced his expertise through an Erasmus Mundus Master’s Degree in Human Diseases Models Morphological Phenotyping, a program that took him across Europe to study Mouse Anatomy and Pathobiology in Barcelona, Mouse Imaging in Naples, and Deep Learning and Experimental Design in Thessaloniki. His research background includes internships at the Mossakowski Medical Research Centre in Warsaw and the National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, where he contributed to projects involving cortisol metabolism, obesity, and phenotypic analysis of MASLD models.
Currently, as part of the MIPMED group at IBEC, Jakub works on the Q-AID project. He focuses on generating clinically relevant mouse models for ovarian cancer and glioblastoma. His research utilizes Hyperpolarized MRI, a radiation-free technique for monitoring real-time cellular metabolism and organ-on-a-chip technology to simulate 3D tumor environments. By bridging bioengineering and clinical diagnostics, he aims to improve early disease detection and treatment response.
Undergrad Students & Interns
Lluïsa Mora Rentero
Lluïsa graduated from the University of Lleida with a Bachelor’s Degree in Biotechnology in 2025. She carried out her Bachelor’s internship in the group, where she learned about NMR metabolomics, hyperpolarization and microfluidics.
Currently, she is enrolled in the Master of Multidisciplinary Research in Experimental Sciences (MMRES) from the University of Pompeu Fabra. She is carrying out her research at the IRB Barcelona, in Dr Angel Nebreda’s group, studying the role of macrophage-specific p38 alpha signaling on tumor development.
Lluïsa is back at MIPMED to complete part of her Master’s Thesis under Maria Alejandra´s supervision. Her project focuses on the development of a novel hyperpolarized probe to study lipid oxidation in macrophages.
Sara Cusí Arias
Sara completed her Bachelor’s Degree in Biomedical Sciences at the University of Barcelona in 2025.
She is currently pursuing the Master’s program in Multidisciplinary Research in Experimental Sciences (MMRES) from the University of Pompeu Fabra.
As part of her Master’s thesis, she joined the lab under the supervision of Mariale. Her project is centered on developing and optimizing the [1-13C] pyruvate hyperpolarization using photoinduced nonpersistent radicals.