Current Chairman of the Stem Cells Dept of the Andalusian Center for Molecular Biology and Regenerative Medicine (CABIMER) in Seville (Spain). Former Minister of Health and Consumers Affairs of Spain (2007-2009), Member of Parliament (2008-2009), Full Prof of Physiology in the Alicante School of Medicine (1986-2005), Director of CABIMER (2005-2007) and Extraordinary Prof of Regenerative Medicine (Univ. Pablo de Olavide of Seville, 2005-2007).
Postdoctoral studies in the Max Plank Institute for Biophysical Chemistry (Göttingen, Germany) and at the University of East Anglia (UK). Visiting Prof in the National University of Singapore (2002-2005) and President of the European Biophysical Socities Association (EBSA) (2000-2003) European Stem Cell Network and the Spanish Societies of Diabetes (SED), Physiological Sciences (SECF) and Biophysics (SBE). Published more that 150 scientific papers and edited several books. His work has received more than 5000 quotations in the fields of diabetes, stem cell research, pancreatic islet biophysics and pathophysiology. His publication in Diabetes (2000) pioneered the field of stem cell differentiation into insulin producing cells for the treatment of diabetes. Several of his former students are current Professors in the areas of Physiology, Biophysics, Nutrition, Applied Biology, etc.
Among others he has received following Prizes: Prize and Gold Medal of the Royal Academy of Medicine (1989), Alberto Sols Prize for the best career in medical research (1997), Paul Harris Fellow , Rotary International (2003) , Extraordinary Friend of the Autonomous Univ of Barcelona (2003), Medal of Andalucía (2004), Ibn-al-Jatib Prize (Granada, 2005), Galien International Prize (2006), Prize for the Best Idea of the Decade (stem cell research, 2009), the High Cross of the Carlos III Order from the King of Spain (2009), Doctor Honoris Causa (Univ. Científica del Sur, 2013; Univ. Nacional Mayor de San Marcos, Peru 2014) and, more recently, Honorary Fellow of the Royal College of Physicians (UK, 2015).