MARIA YOLANDA
DIEBOLD LUQUE

My background is Biology highlighting my specific training in Histology, and Compared Organography and Physiology. I received a PhD in Ocular Cell Biology from the University of Valladolid (UVA, Spain) in 1997. In 1998 I was appointed NATO Post-Doctoral Research Fellow in Prof. Darlene A. Dartt Laboratory at the Schepens Eye Research Institute-Harvard Medical School (Boston, MA, USA) (1998-1999), in which I got expertise in animal models of ocular autoimmune inflammatory diseases. Since 2000, when I started my academic career at UVA until now, I have been working as senior independent researcher with my own continuously maintained regional, national, and international research funding. I was PI in 3 EU consortia (PI in UVa), 9 national grants, and 5 regional grants. So far, I have been awarded with four periods of six years (sexenios or tramos de investigación) (First: 1994-1999; Second: 2000-2005; Third: 2006-2011; and Fourth: 2012-2017) by the National Council for the Research Activity Assessment (CNEAI) in the Assessment of Research Activity. Published 75 scientific articles in JCR journals; 1 book chapter (1 more in press); 2 scientific dissemination articles. Nº citations and h Index (15-01-2024): 3,063 citations (2,909 without self-citations), h Index 28 (WOS); 4,350 citations, 1,530 since 2019, h Index 32 (22 since 2019) and i10 Index 59 (41 since 2019) (Google Scholar); 3,110 citations, h Index 28 (Scopus). Currently, I am Associate Professor of Ocular Pathophysiology at UVA (Spain), staff member of the Consolidated Research Unit (UIC222) on Advanced Therapies for Ocular Surface Blinding Diseases, and lead the Nanomedicine Applied to Inflammatory Ocular Surface Diseases Laboratory, at IOBA. Also, I am staff member of the Biomedical Research Networking Centre in Bioengineering, Biomaterials and Nanomedicine (CIBER-BBN, Carlos III National Institute of Health, Spain) since it was created in 2006. In addition, I have extensive experience in collaborating with the pharmaceutical industry in different projects. My research is focused on the development of complex cell-based models to study inflammatory diseases from the eye and develop advanced therapies to fight them using nanotechnology. Since 2008, I have regularly been serving as National Reviewer for the Galician Program for Research, Development and Innovation; the Spanish Research Program in Material Science; the Spanish Strategic Action in Health-Carlos III National Institute of Health; and the Spanish Agency of Quality in Research (ANEP). Also, I frequently serve as International Reviewer for different Agencies and Journals. In addition, I co-ordinate a Doctorate Programme in Visual Sciences for UVA. Along my career, I supervised 8 doctoral theses (+2 ongoing), 7 of them distinguished with the international thesis award and 3 with the "Premio Extraordinario" Award of UVa. Also, I supervised 10 Master Theses (+2 ongoing), and 10 undergraduate project thesis in Optometry (Trabajos Fin de Grado).