Natàlia Vilor-Tejedor receives the Ramón y Cajal and the Knowledge Generation Projects 2022 grants

The researcher and leader of the Genetic Neuroepidemiology and Biostatistics team at the Barcelonaβeta Brain Research Center (BBRC), Dr. Natàlia Vilor-Tejedor, has received a Ramón y Cajal 2022 grant (RYC2022-038136-I), granted by the State Research Agency (AEI) and co-financed by the European Social Fund (FSE+). The aim of the aid is to promote the incorporation of research personnel with an outstanding scientific career into research organizations. It represents a total endowment of 244,350 euros, which will be used to finance the contract of Dr. Vilor-Tejedor for five years, in addition to covering expenses directly related to the execution of research activities.

In addition, the researcher has been the recipient of the 2022 Knowledge Generation Projects, also granted by the AEI and co-financed by the European Regional Development Fund (FEDER). The grant, of 107,500 euros, will finance the project "Improving GEnetic prediction of NEurodegenerative processes using Brain Imaging Genetics (iGENE-BIG)" (PID2022-143106OA-I00) for three years. The research will focus on the development of modeling methodologies and strategies to determine the possible altered molecular and biological processes in the preclinical phases of Alzheimer’s.

These two grants will contribute to the advancement of Dr. Vilor-Tejedor at the BBRC, focusing on the influence of genetic factors on changes in the structure of the brain and the link between these changes in neurodevelopment and neurodegeneration processes. The study of this relationship contributes to the characterization of Alzheimer's in its early stages and thus opens the door to the early diagnosis of the disease.

Dr. Natàlia Vilor-Tejedor holds a doctorate in Biomedicine from Pompeu Fabra University, and specializes in biostatistics and neurogenetics. She works as a researcher at the BBRC and is responsible for the Genetic Neuroepidemiology and Biostatistics team, dedicated to researching the biological mechanisms and genetic profiles of preclinical Alzheimer's.