Juan Pedro Bolaños

He comes from a family of pharmacists. During his childhood, he helped his father with some tasks in his laboratory of clinical analyses in his local town. It was here where he began being interested in chemistry, applied to biology, and eventually to the pharmaceutical sciences.[5]

He studied Pharmaceutical Sciences at the University of Salamanca, where he graduated with honors in 1987. Later he obtained a doctorate at the same university under the tutelage of Dr. José Mª Medina Jiménez. During his PhD, he did a research internship in Oxford, England, where he worked in the Metabolic Research Laboratory under the supervision of Dereck Williamson. In 1992 he defended his PhD thesis on the metabolism of valproic acid in the central nervous system, graduating with honors that same year. After his PhD he worked as a postdoctoral fellow from 1993 to 1995 at the Institute of Neurology of the University College of London as a Marie Curie scholar.[5]

In 1996 he became a professor in the Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology at the University of Salamanca. A year later, in 1997 he established his own research group and started working on a project funded by the Ministry of Science and Technology. From 1997 to 2004 he acted as Academic Secretary in the Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology. He completed the national professorship habilitation test in 2005, and in 2007 he was incorporated as a full professor at the University of Salamanca.[6]

His research group is located at the Institute of Functional and Genomic Biology, a mixed center University of Salamanca, and the Spanish National Research Council. It is recognized as a Group of Excellence of Castilla y León. The group has research collaborations with research centers at national and international levels, among which the University Hospital of Salamanca, University College London, and the Institute of Health Saint Carlos III.[7][8]

He has been an editor in multiple international scientific journals such as Science, PNAS, Nature Communications, Nature Reviews Neuroscience, and Cell Metabolism. In 2021, the journal Neurochemical Research dedicated a special issue with articles related to his research lines to honor his academic career. Furthermore, he is part of reviewing boards at international organizations such as the Human Frontier Program Organization, FWO, Wellcome Trust, Parkinson's UK, Michael J. Fox Foundation, among others.[9][10]

He has participated in committees of organization and direction of different research conferences and scientific events. In 2017 together with Gilles Bonvento, they organized a symposium on redox and metabolic interactions between neurons and astrocytes. In 2022 together with Giovanni Mariscano and Anne-Karine Bouzier-Sore directed the course Bioenergetics for Brain Functions as part of the Cajal Advanced Neuroscience Training Programme. During that same year, he directed the summer school of the International Society of Neurochemistry and the Journal of Neurochemistry under the theme of Cerebral Metabolism in Health and Disease. [11][12][13]

His research focuses on understanding the molecular mechanisms that regulate the metabolism and redox homeostasis in the cells of the central nervous system. In particular, the study of the proteins and signaling pathways responsible for the adaptation of the neural metabolism at high energy demands and antioxidants imposed by neurotransmission. Among the research aims of his teamwork, besides the advancement of knowledge, is to identify metabolic targets and genetic alterations that contribute to the malfunctioning of neurotransmission that neurological problems, including neurodegenerative diseases, and even contribute to aging. To attain it, they have a research project consisting of the validation of the protein phosphatase 2c(pp2c) in psychotic states and to tackle the disorder by consumption of cannabis. Furthermore, they evaluate the pharmacological potential of neuroprotective compounds in the treatment of Parkinson's disease and Alzheimer's disease. Another of his research lines consists of the metabolic rescheduling of the astrocytes and their impact on neural function.[3][14][15]

His educational work, research, and academic pathway, have been recognized and awarded in multiple occasions by national and international organizations.

• 2005: Marie Curie Excellence Award. Awarded by the European Commission in recognition of his research work.[16][17][18]
• 2008 to 2011: Recognition as editor of the year of the scientific journal Biochemical Journal.[6][19]
• 2019: Prize María de Maeztu of scientific excellence. Awarded by the University of Salamanca.[20]
• 2021: A homage by the scientific magazine Neurochemical Research standing out his academic and scientific career.[10][21]
• 2021: Premio Castilla y León de Investigación Científica y Técnica e Innovación. In recognition of his scientific publications, international collaborations, and his projection of a future as an ambassador of science in Castilla y León.[22][23][24]
• 2022: Bachelard Lectureship Award. Awarded by the European Society for Neurochemistry for the lecture entitled Metabolic shapes of brain cells and functional consequences. [25]

Throughout his career in academia, he has supervised multiple national and international students and directed their doctoral theses, some of them have received European distinction. He has published more than 150 scientific articles in high-impact academic journals. Due to his number of citations he has been appointed as one of the most notable scientists in the world in the list elaborated by Stanford University.[9][29]

Among his scientific publications stood out the following:[30]

• PINK1 deficiency sustains cell proliferation by reprogramming glucose metabolism through HIF1. Exposing that the deficiency of the protein PINK1, involved in Parkinson's disease, affects the survival of the neurons.[31][32]
• Astrocytic mitochondrial ROS modulate brain metabolism and mouse behavior. Which shows that reactive oxygen species produced by the astrocytes have a protective effect on the neurons.[33][34]
• Aberrant upregulation of the glycolytic enzyme PFKFB3 in CLN7 Neural ceroid lipofuscinosis. Explaining the mechanism of degradation of the neurons in Batten disease and proposes a pharmacological strategy to avoid it.[15][35][36][37][38]
• Glucose metabolism links astroglial mitochondria to cannabinoid effects. Exposing the relationship between the energetic metabolism of the brain, the consumption of cannabis, and the lack of social interaction.[39][40]
• Targeting PFKFB3 alleviates Cerebral ischemia-reperfusion injury in mice. Exposing a potential treatment to prevent neural death, which can be used in cases of traumatic brain injury, brain ischemia, amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, Alzheimer's disease, or Huntington's disease.[41][42]

According to Scopus, his most cited scientific publications are:[43]

• The bioenergetic and antioxidant Status of neurons is controlled by continuous degradation of to key glycolytic enzyme by APC/C–Cdh1.[44]
• Nitric oxide‐mediated mitochondrial damage in the brain: mechanisms and implications for neurodegenerative diseases.[45]
• Effect of peroxynitrite on the mitochondrial respiratory chain: differential susceptibility of neurones and astrocytes in primary culture.[46]
• Nitric oxide, cell bioenergetics and neurodegeneration.[47]
• Nitric oxide, mitochondria and neurological disease.[48]