Science Over Coffee - Conversations on science and innovation

The Cultural Office of the Embassy of Spain in Washington, D.C. introduces "Science over Coffee - Conversations on science and innovation"

As part of its new breakfast format, "Science over Coffee - Conversations on science and innovation," the Cultural Office has organized a colloquium in which the experts will discuss the latest advancements in the field of neuroscience. The event will include Laura Campello and Sara Bandres-Ciga, scientists from diverse disciplines. The experts will talk about the latest advances in their respective fields and share their expertise.

Laura Campello earned a B.S. in Biology, with a specialization in Biotechnology, and a Ph.D. in Experimental and Applied Biology from the University of Alicante (Spain). Her career in Biomedical Research has largely focused on incurable human diseases. Specifically, she studies neurodegenerative diseases of the retina that cause severe vision loss or blindness. During her predoctoral training, she investigated the molecular mechanisms underlying retinal diseases, including mitochondrial dysfunction and the ubiquitin-proteasome system, a pathway responsible for cellular protein homeostasis. She also explored the neuroprotective potential of compounds with antiapoptotic and anti-inflammatory properties in retinal degeneration. Additionally, she completed a research stay at the prestigious Institut de la Vision in Paris (France). Her postdoctoral studies were conducted at the National Institutes of Health (NIH), where she worked on drug discovery for inherited retinal degenerations and studied the molecular mechanisms of retinal aging to identify biomarkers of healthy aging and age-related retinal diseases. At present, Campello is Director of Retinal Gene Therapy at Avista therapeutics, where she leads the charge in engineering next-generation AAV viruses for cutting-edge gene therapy applications in the retina.

Sara Bandres-Ciga holds a Bachelor's degree in Ph*rm*cy, a Master's degree in Neuroscience, and a PhD in Biomedical Sciences from the University of Granada. She is currently a Senior Scientist at Valo Health, where she leads the statistical genetics portfolio for Parkinson's disease. Prior to joining industry, Sara spent eight years at the National Institute on Aging, part of the National Institutes of Health (NIH), the leading federal biomedical research agency in the United States — first as a postdoctoral researcher, then as a Staff Scientist, and ultimately as head of the neurogenetics group the Centre for Alzheimer’s and Related Dementias. Over the course of her career, she has published more than 190 articles in indexed scientific journals. Throughout her career, she has received more than a dozen awards and recognitions, including the Golden H from the College of Pharmacists of Málaga (2024), the NIH Special Act Recognition (2023), the NIA Women in Science Excellence in Research Award (2019), and the prestigious NIH Director's Award (2022), in recognition of her outstanding career and contributions to biomedical research.

• 9 - 9:30 AM: Breakfast & Networking
• 9:30 - 10: 30 AM: Speaker's discussion
• 10:30 - 11AM: Networking

Important Information

• A reservation on Eventbrite is mandatory, printed tickets are not required.Please only book tickets for the children attending. Adults don't require a reservation for this event
• To ensure a secure environment, all children must be accompanied by a parent or guardian. No one will be admitted alone, and no adult will be admitted without a child.
• Seating is available on a first-come, first-serve basis.
• Doors open 20 minutes before posted showtime.
• Ticket holders will have access to the event while space is available. A reservation does not guarantee admission.
• No Late Seating, ticket holders may not be allowed to enter 15 minutes after posted showtime.
• Right of admission reserved.
• If you need special assistance, please contact us at [email protected].

How to get there:

The best way to arrive is by public transportation. The closest Metro station is Columbia Heights (Green line). Limited metered and two-hour zoned parking is available in the surrounding neighborhoods. Public parking garage is available at DC USA Shopping Mall (Columbia Heights Metro Station).

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• A reservation on Eventbrite is mandatory, printed tickets are not required.
• Seating is available on a first-come, first-serve basis.
• Doors open 20 minutes before posted showtime.
• Ticket holders will have access to the event while space is available.
• Right of admission reserved.
• If you need special assistance, please contact us at [email protected].

How to get there:

The best way to arrive is by public transportation. The closest Metro station is Columbia Heights (Green line). Limited metered and two-hour zoned parking is available in the surrounding neighborhoods. Public parking garage is available at DC USA Shopping Mall (Columbia Heights Metro Station).

Subscribe to our Newsletter to never miss an event by SPAIN arts & culture in Washington DC.

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