Alfonso Araque

Prof. Alfonso Araque is a renowned Spanish neuroscientist currently serving as a Professor in the Department of Neuroscience at the University of Minnesota, USA (since 2013). A member of the Academy of Europe (elected 2010), his career spans prestigious institutions including CSIC (Spain) and Iowa State University (USA). His work focuses on neuron-glial signaling and synaptic dynamics, revolutionizing understanding of glial roles in brain function.

• Research contributions: Tripartite synapse (1999), astroglia-dependent synaptic plasticity (2007), endocannabinoid signaling (2008)
• Membership: Academia Europaea, Spanish Society for Neuroscience (SENC)

His research has been published in top-tier journals (Nature, Science, Neuron), cited over 2400 times. Key themes include neuroglial interactions, astrocyte biology, and synaptic modulation mechanisms.

• 2008 Pfizer Foundation Award
• 2007 Federation of European Neuroscience Societies Scientific Highlight

Previously held leadership roles in SENC (Treasurer 2009-2011, Vice-President 2011-2013) and served on evaluation committees in Spain and France. His work challenges traditional neuronal-centric views of brain circuits.