Dr. Marina Riera Gibernau

Post-doctoral researcher
Genetics Department
Instituto de Microcirugía Ocular de Barcelona
Spain

Doctor Genetics
Biography

Ph.D in Genetics and Master’s Degree in Genetics and Developmental Biology from the University of Barcelona. Her speciality is the genetic diagnosis and study of the molecular bases of sight pathologies. She obtained a University Staff Training (FPU) grant at the University of Barcelona and a post-doctoral scholar contract from the Fundació de la Marató de TV3 at the Vall d’Hebrón Research Institute (VHIR). She obtained a University Staff Training grant (beca de Formación de Personal Universitario, FPU) at the University of Barcelona to carry out her Ph.D thesis based on the functional study of the genes involved in the retina dystrophies. Subsequently, she obtained an employment contract under the Fundació La Marató de TV3 grant at the Vall d’Hebrón Research Institute (VHIR) taking part in diverse projects involving gene and cell therapies focused on retina dystrophies in animal models.

Research Intrest

Mass sequencing of exomes for the identification of new genes and variants responsible for retinal dystrophies. 2015-2017. Identification of new Retina Dystrophy genes and characterisation of genotypephenotype correlations. 2014-2016. Phase IV clinical trial to evaluate the genetic variants of the VEGF pathway as biomarkers of efficacy of treatment with aflibercept in patients with neovascular agerelated macular degeneration (AMD). BIOIMAGE study. 2013-201

List of Publications
Garanto A, Vicente-Tejedor J, Riera M, Gonzàlez-Duarte R, Blanco R, et al. (2012) Targeted knockdown of Cerkl, a retinal dystrophy gene, causes mild affectation of the retinal ganglion cell layer. Biochim Biophys Acta 1822: 1258-1269.
Fathinajafabadi A, Pérez-Jiménez E, Riera M, Knecht E, González-Duarte R (2014) CERKL, a Retinal Disease Gene, Encodes an mRNA-Binding Protein That Localizes in Compact and Untranslated mRNPs Associated with Microtubules 9: 1-13.
Riera M, Burguera D, Garcia-Fernàndez J, Gonzàlez-Duarte R (2013) CERKL knockdown causes retinal degeneration in zebrafish 8: 1-12.