Sergio Crespo-Garcia

Sergio Crespo-Garcia is an Assistant Professor at the University of Montreal, affiliated with both the School of Optometry and the Department of Pharmacology and Physiology within the Faculty of Medicine. His research focuses on retinal degeneration, diabetes, and vascular biology, particularly investigating interactions between retinal blood vessels and cellular senescence in ocular diseases.

Education:

• B.Sc. in Biology (2012, IE University, Spain)
• M.Sc. in Cellular Biology (2013, Universidad Complutense de Madrid)
• Post-graduate Certificate in Ophthalmology (2016, University of Lincoln, UK)
• Dr. rer. med. in Biomedical Sciences (2017, Charité Universitätsmedizin Berlin)
• Postdoctoral training in Medical Biochemistry (2022, Maisonneuve-Rosemont Hospital Research Center, Canada)

Research Interests:

His work explores mechanisms underlying retinal vascular diseases, including diabetic retinopathy and age-related macular degeneration. Key areas include cellular senescence, metabolic pathways, and therapeutic approaches targeting senescent cells using senolytics. He investigates how senescent cells contribute to pathological angiogenesis and vascular dysfunction.

Notable Achievements:

• Recipient of the HMR Foundation Publication Prize (2022) and Relève Étoile Jacques-Genest Award (2021) for work in Cell Metabolism.
• Developed novel models for diabetic retinopathy and identified therapeutic targets like BCL-xL inhibitors.
• Leading projects funded by agencies such as FRQS, CRSNG, and the Canadian Heart & Stroke Foundation.

Grants & Collaborations:

He leads or co-leads multiple grants, including studies on glycocalyx intercellular causality (CRSNG), faulty perivascular metabolism (Heart & Stroke Foundation), and pre-clinical assays for geographic atrophy (RRSV Network).

Labs & Teams:

Runs a lab focusing on neurovascular interactions in the retina, collaborating with the Marie Curie Alumni Association and networks like GRUM and RRSV.