The researcher Jordi Gracia-Sancho, an international reference in the study of liver diseases, is joining the Institut d’Investigació Sanitària Pere Virgili (IISPV) as the head of the new hepatology research group. His aim is to strengthen biomedical research in the region and position it as a centre of excellence in digestive health. With a strong scientific background and a clear translational outlook, Gracia-Sancho will lead a team focused on generating knowledge with a direct impact on clinical practice and on patients’ quality of life.
Graduated in Biochemistry from the Universitat Rovira i Virgili (URV) and with a PhD in Medicine from the Universitat de Barcelona (UB), Jordi Gracia-Sancho completed his training with a postdoctoral stay at Harvard University (Boston, USA). Later, he obtained a Ramón y Cajal contract and progressed to Group Leader at the Institut d’Investigacions Biomèdiques August Pi i Sunyer (IDIBAPS), one of the main biomedical research centres in the country. He is currently also the Scientific Director of CIBEREHD (ISCIII), where he coordinates and promotes cooperative research on liver and digestive diseases at the national level.
His research focuses on the vascular pathophysiology of the liver, with particular attention to the role of sinusoidal cells and their interactions in acute and chronic liver diseases, as well as in ageing-related processes. Throughout his career, he has published more than 155 scientific articles in peer-reviewed international journals and currently serves as Editor-in-Chief of npj Gut and Liver, a journal from the Nature group, which further highlights his scientific leadership.
The new group led by Gracia-Sancho aims to understand the biological and molecular mechanisms behind the development and progression of diseases such as hepatic steatosis, steatohepatitis or cirrhosis, conditions that are becoming increasingly common and have a strong social and health impact.
Among its goals are the identification of new therapeutic targets, the development of innovative pharmacological strategies and progress in precision medicine in hepatology through the detection of biomarkers that help classify patients better and predict their response to treatments.
To achieve these objectives, the group will work with a multidisciplinary and translational approach, integrating experimental models, analysis of human samples, omics technologies and close collaboration with clinical professionals from l’IRBCatSud. This synergy will accelerate the transfer of research results from the laboratory to patient care.
In addition to his scientific activity, Jordi Gracia-Sancho is strongly committed to training young researchers. He has supervised 15 doctoral theses, co-directs the Màster en Recerca Translacional en Malalties Hepàtiques i Digestives at the Universitat Complutense de Madrid, and participates as a guest lecturer in several European universities.
He also co-organises various international scientific dissemination and training initiatives, such as the LiverSeminars programme, as well as symposia supported by leading global hepatology societies such as EASL, APASL or AASLD. He has been an invited speaker at over a hundred international conferences and is currently President of the International Society for Hepatic Sinusoidal Research (ISHSR).
In the field of innovation, Gracia-Sancho is the author of four patents, has contributed to the creation of two biomedical spin-offs and has led projects aimed at developing new diagnostic and therapeutic technologies, reinforcing his strong commitment to transferring knowledge into the healthcare system and productive sector.
His career has been recognised with multiple awards. In 2016, he became the first Spanish researcher to receive the Emerging Leader Award from the European Association for the Study of the Liver (EASL), and in 2023 he was named Fellow of the American Association for the Study of Liver Diseases (FAASLD), an honour reserved for a very small number of top-level scientists.
With his incorporation as group leader, Jordi Gracia-Sancho is committed to a research model that is collaborative, open and deeply connected to the territory, with the aim of to strengthen local scientific capacities, attract and retain talent, and take part in leading national and international networks. A vision that places scientific knowledge as a driving force for transformation, innovation, and the improvement of citizens’ health.
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