África González Fernández

MD, PhD, Immunologist
Full Professor of Immunology

africa@uvigo.es

986 130 141

After her graduation as a MD in Alcalá de Henares (1986), she completed her residency training in Immunology (MIR), in 1991 at Puerta de Hierro Hospital in Madrid, presenting her PhD defense in the University of Alcalá (May 1991).  She started a 4 years postdoctoral stay at the Molecular Biology Center (MRC), Cambridge (UK) directed by Dr. César Milstein (Nobel Price for the co-development of the technique to obtain monoclonal antibodies out of immortal cells).

In 1996 Dr. África González-Fernández joined the University of Vigo, building up the first Immunology Area in Galicia.

She was Project Coordinator of the Biomedical Capacities Support Program (BIOCAPS), from 2013 to 2016, under the European 7th FP, with > 4.6 million euros to further development of the Instituto de Investigación Sanitaria Galicia Sur (IISGS), joined by University of Vigo and hospitals in south Galicia.

From 2009 to 2019 she has been Director of the Biomedical Research Centre (CINBIO), a “Singular Research Centre in Galicia (2016-2019)”.

Currently, Prof. África González is Full Professor of Immunology,  at the University of Vigo. She is also co-founder of the spin-off NanoImmunoTech (NIT), a company specialized in the synthesis and functionalization of nanoparticles and their use in biosensing. This innovative entrepreneurship led her to the final stage of the “EU Prize for Women Innovators 2017”. From 2016 to 2020, she has been President of the Spanish Society for Immunology.

Her research spreads over 100 publications, being regularly invited to summer courses, conferences and media.

 

     

 

She was selected for the  initiative ‘ Galician Women Referents»  which aims to develop the first directory of professionals women .