Modesto Orozco

Dr. Modesto Orozco is a Full Professor of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology at the University of Barcelona and Group Leader of the Molecular Modelling and Bioinformatics research group within the Mechanisms of Disease program at the Institute for Research in Biomedicine (IRB Barcelona). He also serves as Director of the Molecular Modelling and Bioinformatics Unit at IRB Barcelona and previously directed the Life Sciences Department at the Barcelona Supercomputing Center (2005-2015).

Dr. Orozco earned his M.Sc. in Chemistry from the Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona in 1985 and his PhD in Biochemistry from the same university in 1990. His academic career includes positions as Assistant Professor of Biochemistry (1989-1990), Professor of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology (1991-2001), and Full Professor (2002-present). He was also an Invited Scientist at Yale University's Department of Chemistry (1991-1993).

His research focuses on the theoretical study of biological systems through computational approaches, with particular emphasis on nucleic acid structures, protein dynamics, and drug discovery. Dr. Orozco has pioneered methods for molecular simulation that have significantly advanced our understanding of biomolecular systems, with close to 500 publications and over 35,000 citations resulting in an h-index of 93 - the highest for a computational chemist in Spain.

Analysis of his recent publications (2021-2024) reveals a strong focus on DNA/RNA structural dynamics, particularly i-motif structures, molecular inhibitors for disease pathways, and development of computational tools for biomolecular simulation. His work spans multiple disciplines including computational chemistry, structural biology, and bioinformatics, with applications in drug discovery and understanding fundamental biological mechanisms.

• Diaz de Santos National Award for young scientist (1997)
• Distinción Investigadora de la Generalitat de Catalunya (2000)
• FEBS Anniversary Prize (2001)
• Fundación Marcelino Botín fellowship (2007)
• Brucker award for research in biophysics (2010)
• ICREA Academy award for excellence in research
• Advanced Grant of the European Research Council

Dr. Orozco has served in editorial roles for prestigious journals including WIRES Computational Molecular Sciences, Theoretical Chemistry Accounts (2005-2014), Journal of Computational Chemistry, and Nucleic Acids Research. He is founder and president of Nostrum Biodiscovery, demonstrating his commitment to translating academic research into practical applications. His Molecular Modelling and Bioinformatics Unit at IRB Barcelona serves as a hub for interdisciplinary research combining computational approaches with biological questions to address disease mechanisms.