Xavier Fernández-Busquets

Xavier Fernández-Busquets is a Research Professor and Head of the Nanomalaria Joint Unit at the Institute for Bioengineering of Catalonia (IBEC) and Barcelona Institute for Global Health (ISGlobal). He holds a PhD in Molecular Biology from Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona (1992) and conducted postdoctoral research at the Friedrich Miescher Institut (Novartis AG, Basel) and Woods Hole Marine Biological Laboratory (USA).

His research focuses on nanotechnological solutions for malaria treatment, specifically designing 'Trojan horse' nanovectors to deliver antimalarial drugs exclusively to Plasmodium-infected cells. Key innovations include immunoPEGliposomes and polyamidoamine nanoparticles for targeted drug delivery, aiming to overcome parasite resistance and reduce side effects.

Recent publications emphasize nanoscale drug delivery systems, particularly liposomal and polymeric nanovectors optimized for preclinical malaria models. Trends show consistent focus on targeted red blood cell delivery, combination therapies, and scalable nanomedicine solutions for resource-limited regions.

Awards & Recognition:

• Ramón y Cajal Fellowship (5-year tenure track)
• I3 Accreditation for research excellence

He leads the Nanomalaria Group at IBEC/ISGlobal, advancing nanovectors toward clinical trials while advocating for ethical and accessible nanotechnology in tropical disease treatment.