Francesc Lopez-Giraldez

Overview

Francesc Lopez-Giraldez is a Research Scientist in Genetics at the Yale School of Medicine, with affiliations in the Yale Center for Genome Analysis (YCGA) and the Center for Biomedical Data Science. His research focuses on integrating genomics, bioinformatics, and molecular biology to address complex biological and clinical questions in areas such as cancer, neurodevelopmental disorders, and immune-related diseases.

Education

• PhD in Evolutionary Genetics, Autonomous University of Barcelona (2006)
• MSc in Health and Life Sciences, Pompeu Fabra University (2004)
• BS in Biology, University of Girona (2000)

Research Interests

Lopez-Giraldez’s work spans genetics, immunology, and computational biology. Key areas include:

• Genetic mechanisms underlying congenital heart diseases and neurodevelopmental disorders
• Bioinformatic analysis of cancer genomics and immune checkpoint resistance
• Role of mTOR signaling in vascular and neurological pathologies
• Spatial transcriptomics to study tumor microenvironments and autoimmune diseases

Key Contributions

Recent publications highlight his interdisciplinary approach, such as:

• Identifying genetic contributions to congenital heart diseases
• Elucidating mTOR dysregulation in lissencephaly
• Exploring immune checkpoint inhibitors’ resistance mechanisms in lung cancer

Awards & Recognition

Recipient of the National Cancer Institute Research Specialist Award (R50) in 2023, recognizing his innovative contributions to biomedical data science and translational research.

Collaborations

Lopez-Giraldez collaborates with leading researchers, including Jeffrey Townsend (Yale), Murat Gunel (Neurology), and Kasia Politi (Oncology), to advance team science in precision medicine and genomics.

Labs & Teams

He contributes to the Yale Center for Genome Analysis (YCGA) and the Yale Cancer Center, focusing on genomic data integration and bioinformatics pipelines for clinical research.