research group

Thomas earned his PhD in Translational Biomedicine (Pharmacology) from the Neuropsychopharmacology Laboratory at the University of Verona, Italy in 2014. His research focuses on the intersection of pharmacology, exercise physiology, and addiction science, specifically examining: (i) the prevalence and effects of psychoactive (nicotine), analgesic (tramadol), and anxiolytic drugs (benzodiazepines) on exercise and cognitive performance in sport and clinical settings; (ii) substance use disorders (SUD); (iii) physical exercise as an adjuvant treatment for SUD; (iv) exercise addiction; (v) drug-drug and drug-exercise interactions; and (vi) experimental and educational anti-doping research. He has methodological expertise spanning biomedical, pharmacological, physiological, and neurophysiological domains. Thomas contributes to the VIPPSTAR project (Visually Impaired children and adolescents: bridging the gap with Personalized Prevention Strategies, Tools, Approaches, and Resources), funded by the European Health and Digital Executive Agency (HADEA) through HORIZON Research. He is developing an AI-enhanced physical activity intervention protocol using avatars to improve neurophysiological function, gait, and balance while mitigating digital addiction risks in this population. As a 2024 Ramón y Cajal Fellow, he established and began leading the PHAE Lab in January 2026.

Ana Londoño is a psychiatrist and clinical pharmacologist. She earned her degree in Medicine and Surgery from the Universidad del Valle (Colombia) in 2002, later specializing in Psychiatry (2009) and Clinical Pharmacology (2018), and completing doctoral training in Applied Medical Research at the Miguel Hernández University of Elche (UMH). Since 2019, she has worked as a Consultant Physician in the Department of Clinical Pharmacology at Alicante General University Hospital. Her research centers on the neurobiology of behaviour and treatment optimisation, with a particular focus on benzodiazepine withdrawal and addiction. Since 2020, she has combined her clinical and research work with teaching as an Associate Professor at UMH, where she lectures in the undergraduate programmes in Medicine, Nursing, and Podiatry, as well as in the Master's programmes in Medical Research, Emergency Medicine, and Biotechnology.

Inés Nuño de la Rosa García is a urologist specialising in urological oncology, with more than ten years of clinical experience. She graduated in Medicine from the Universidad Miguel Hernández de Elche and is a Fellow of the European Board of Urology (FEBU). She completed her residency at the Hospital General Universitario de Valencia and holds a Master's degree in Evidence-Based Medicine (UNED) and a Master's degree in Advanced Prostate Cancer (University of Salamanca). Following a decade at the Hospital General Universitario de Elda, where her practice focused on prostate cancer, she currently works at the Hospital General Universitario Dr. Balmis in Alicante. She leads the Applied Research in Urology group at the Alicante Institute for Health and Biomedical Research (ISABIAL). Her scientific output spans endourological surgery for renal lithiasis, with work published in Actas Urológicas Españolas, and prostate cancer, with particular emphasis on bone health in high-risk patients. She is currently completing her doctoral thesis at the Universidad Miguel Hernández on the impact of physical exercise in cancer patients, and contributes to studies on preoperative prehabilitation. She is co-founder of MIO (Medicina Integral Oncológica), a mobile application providing comprehensive support for people living with cancer. The app combines tracking of physical activity, symptoms and medication with educational resources on nutrition and exercise, as well as tools for emotional well-being.

Alessandra is a Clinical Pharmacology resident at Hospital General Universitario Dr. Balmis in Alicante, Spain. Her research interests focus on clinical pharmacology, drug safety, and the interaction between pharmacological treatments and physical exercise. She is particularly interested in the effects of medications on performance, cognition, recovery, and health in athletes, with a growing interest in translational research in high-performance sport.

Noelia graduated with a degree in Biochemistry in 2022 (UCM) and a master's degree in Translational Neuropsychopharmacology in 2023 (UMH). She holds a postgraduate microcredencial in Pharmacogenetics (2025, UV) and currently works as the Subcoordinator of the Pharmacogenetics Platform at the Alicante Institute for Health and Biomedical Research (ISABIAL) while doing her PhD studies in the Bioengineering Program at the Miguel Hernández University of Elche. She contributes to the PREVESTATGx clinical trial (NCT06262685) nested in the iPHARMGx Master Protocol "Phase IV adaptive randomised clinical trials evaluating efficacy and cost-efficacy of pre-emptive pharmacogenetic genotyping strategies in the Spanish National Health System", the MORPHEO project (A national collaborative study to evaluate the efficacy and efficiency of implementing a risk prediction model for Opioid Use Disorder using artificial intelligence techniques), funded by the National Drug Plan Budget (2023I031) from the Spanish Ministry of Health (2024), and OPIC project (Opioid monitoring and evaluation of CYP2D6, OPRM1 and COMT phenotypes in pain management: towards an individualized therapy) in collaboration with the Universidade da Beira Interior in Covilhã, Portugal. Her research interests encompass: (i) the clinical implementation of Pharmacogenetic markers to personalize pharmacological treatments, (ii) the development of AI models to predict opioid use disorder in chronic non-cancer pain, (iii) the study of sex and gender differences.

Cecilia obtained her medical degree in 2001 from the Faculty of Medicine of San Fernando at the Universidad Nacional Mayor de San Marcos (UNMSM), Lima, Peru. She was awarded a PhD in 2016 by the University of Alicante, within the Doctoral Program in Experimental and Applied Biology. She completed her first medical specialization in Anatomical Pathology at the Hospital Nacional Guillermo Almenara in Peru, where she trained for four years. In 2012, she obtained a Master’s degree in Public Health jointly from Miguel Hernández University and the University of Alicante, as well as a Master’s degree in Advanced Techniques of Applied Statistics. In addition, she holds postgraduate diplomas in Quality and Management of the Clinical Laboratory and in Medical Genetics and Genomics. She subsequently completed a second medical specialization in Clinical Pharmacology through the Spain system. She currently works as a consultant specialist physician at the General University Hospital of Alicante in the Clinical Pharmacology Unit, where she serves as the medical lead and coordinator of the Phase I Clinical Trials Unit (UECA). Throughout her professional career, she has maintained an active involvement in research, participating in multiple multicenter projects and authoring publications in high-impact scientific journals.

Isidro graduated in Medicine from the University of Navarra (CUN) in 2018, where he completed his undergraduate dissertation on Neurophysiology of Lucid Sleep and Possibilities for Modification. He is a Specialist Physician in Clinical Pharmacology and practises as a clinical pharmacologist within the Clinical Pharmacology Department and the Pain Management Unit at the Hospital General Universitario Dr. Balmis. He also serves as researcher and deputy coordinator of the Alicante Clinical Trials Unit (UECA) and as an on-call physician in Internal Medicine. He is currently enrolled in the Doctoral Programme in Health Biotechnology at the Universidad Miguel Hernández de Elche and contributes as a lecturer on several university master's programmes (UMH, UNIR). His research interests encompass psychopharmacology and mental health, pharmacogenetics applied to opioid pain management, and pharmacoeconomics, with a particular focus on the real-world economic evaluation of biological medicines.