XANDRA
PEREIRO DIEZ

I earned my Biology degree from the Complutense University of Madrid in 2011, specializing in Genetics. I completed my International Doctoral Thesis in 2019 at the University of the Basque Country (UPV/EHU) with the highest distinction—Outstanding Cum Laude—and was later awarded the Extraordinary Doctoral Award in 2022. I am currently a postdoctoral researcher at UPV/EHU, and I hold official accreditation as Personal Doctor Investigador by UNIBASQ, the Basque University Quality Assurance Agency. From 2020 to 2024, I was supported by the Basque Government’s highly competitive Postdoctoral Research Staff Improvement Program, which enabled a productive 24-month research stay at the Coimbra Institute for Clinical and Biomedical Research (iCBR, Portugal), followed by two additional years at my home institution. Over the past decade, my research has focused on the neuroprotection and regeneration of retinal ganglion cells (RGCs) in ocular neurodegenerative diseases such as glaucoma and diabetic retinopathy. My doctoral work demonstrated the neuroprotective role of Müller glial cells under pathological conditions. During my postdoctoral stage, I investigated glia-neuron communication through extracellular vesicles and initiated a promising research line on glia-to-neuron transdifferentiation as a regenerative strategy to restore vision in advanced retinal degeneration. I have actively contributed to 16 competitive research projects, both national and international, accumulating over €1.6 million in funding. My scientific output includes 29 publications in high-impact, Q1, open-access journals, with 9 as first author and 8 as corresponding author. My work has received 1,491 citations (Google Scholar), resulting in an h-index of 14 and an i10-index of 15. I am also the co-inventor of a national patent, “Método de extracción de lípidos en la lágrima”, underscoring the translational dimension of my research. In terms of academic mentoring, I have co-supervised one successfully defended PhD thesis and currently supervise two more. Additionally, I have mentored eight undergraduate and three master’s theses. I am a regular peer reviewer and an active member of several professional societies, including the Spanish Society of Neuroscience (SENC), the Spanish Red Glial, the Portuguese Glial Network, the RReSTORe consortium (as an Emerging Vision Scientist), and the Spanish Society for Medical Education (SEDEM). I have shared my research at 48 scientific conferences, including invited talks at prominent international meetings such as ARVO, EVER, IBRO, the European Glia Meeting, the Optic Nerve Meeting, and SENC. In parallel, I maintain a strong commitment to science communication and outreach. I co-organize the BioMed Seminars at UPV/EHU and participate in initiatives such as Pint of Science, SheMentoring, Zientzia Astea, and educational exhibitions. I am co-curator of The Whale’s Eye, a traveling science-art exhibition, and contribute regularly to platforms like The Conversation as well as to national media outlets. With a solid track record in retinal neurobiology, accredited research credentials, experience in international collaboration, and a proactive approach to dissemination and mentoring, I am well positioned to lead an independent line of research and contribute meaningfully to innovation in retinal neuroregeneration and visual neuroscience.