Meet the team
Beyond the science at DIVERSA
Our story
DIVERSA is a biotechnology spin-off from the Santiago de Compostela Health Research Institute and the Galician Health Service
Working with pharma and biotech companies, we identified a common need for delivery solutions in drug development. Overcoming biological barriers is a crucial step to produce efficient pharmaceutical products. Our formulations make this happen.
Mission
Promoting the transfer to the clinic of new therapeutic molecules.
Vision
To improve patients’ lives by opening up new opportunities for innovative medicines.
Our team
Experts in drug delivery, from research to business
María de la Fuente
María de la Fuente, co-founder and CEO/CSO of DIVERSA, has a Ph.D. in pharmaceutical technology, nanotechnology, and drug administration from the University of Santiago de Compostela. In addition, she has training in management, direction, and entrepreneurship, highlighting his participation in the Senior Management Program of Research, Innovation and Technology Transfer Institutions of the University of Navarra (IESE), the program in Business Leadership Development and Team Management from ESADE (Ramon Llull University), and the Caixaimpulse program, taught by the Barcelona School of Management, for knowledge transfer and entrepreneurship. She has completed an Executive MBA (Galicia Business School). She has also participated in Bootcamps such as Oncostars and PANACEA in Oxford and received additional training in programs from the Xunta de Galicia (GAIN -Oxentia- and ACIS), as well as other Europeans (EIT Health). Her previous activity in technology transfer is related to the license to Advancell SL of several patents, being co-inventor of them, and to the participation in knowledge transfer during her stay in the SOP-UCL. Concerning her professional experience, María is the head of the Nano-Oncology and Translational Therapeutics group at the Health Research Institute of Santiago de Compostela (IDIS), Clinical University Hospital, and has experience in leadership, teamwork, and resource management. From her professional independence as Principal Investigator, she has raised more than 4.5M€ of public and private funds in competitive calls, of which 0.6M€ have been specific for technology transfer.
Abi Vázquez
Abi Vázquez, co-founder and COO of DIVERSA, has a degree in biology, a master’s degree in Biomedical Research, and a Ph.D. in Molecular Medicine from the University of Santiago de Compostela. Her doctoral thesis focused on providing solutions to face one of the biggest current challenges in oncology, the metastases, and moving towards the concept of personalized medicine. She also has training in technology transfer through her participation in various courses and workshops at renowned business schools such as the CaixaImpulse Validate Program (Barcelona School of Management). Abi has been fully involved from the conception of the project to the establishment of the company. She has participated in the development of the technology, the standardization of procedures, elaboration and validation of the business model, and selection and interaction with strategic partners.
Rafael López
Rafael López, medical advisor and the third co-founder of DIVERSA, is head of the Medical Oncology Service of the Hospital Clínico Universitario de Santiago de Compostela (CHUS) and professor at the University of Santiago de Compostela (USC), as well as head of the research group of the IDIS of Translational Medical Oncology (ONCOMET). He participates in international and national projects as principal investigator and belongs to different groups and consortia. He is responsible for the CHUS Clinical Trials Unit, with more than 100 projects currently underway. Furthermore, he has been involved in more than 25 competitive projects in the last five years, and as a result, he is a co-inventor of 6 patents. He is a co-founder of the spin-off NasasBiotech SL.
Daniel Jiménez
Daniel Jiménez Canales completed his degree in Ciencias Empresariales from the Universidad de Coruña and furthered his expertise with a Master’s in Digital Marketing & E-commerce from EAE. Daniel’s professional journey is characterized by a strong focus on innovative marketing strategies and sales leadership. With his roles as CMO, Brand Manager and business Developer, Daniel showcased his prowess in brand strategy, communication, and marketing campaign management. He was pivotal in boosting a company’s turnover by an impressive 4000%, pushing revenues beyond 40 million euros, all while navigating the challenges of limited budgets and resources. Daniel’s creative flair and strategic mindset, combined with his passion for generating leads and revenue, make him a dynamic force in the marketing arena.
Laura Cañada
She studied Chemistry at the University of Salamanca, her home-town. Afterwards, she specialized in the Medicinal Chemistry field studying a Master’s Degree at the Universitat Jaume I (UJI with the aim of contributing to the improvement of quality of life for patients.
With that academic background, she became part of the formulation team of Curapath, where she had her first experience in research and development of lipid and polymeric nanoparticles as a drug delivery systems for the treatment of various diseases.
DIVERSA is the next step to continue her research career in nanotechnology, aiming to design and develop drug delivery systems with a translational aplication.
Sheila Barrios
Sheila Barrios-Esteban has a Ph.D. in Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Technology from the University of Santiago de Compostela with a background in the application of nanotechnology focused on the delivery of nucleic acids. Her research carrier was directed in the synthesis of polymers, and the development and characterization of natural and synthetic polymeric nanoparticles for cancer. During her Ph.D., Sheila gained the BritishSpanish Society-Santander Universities Scholarship Award, giving the opportunity to make her doctoral stay at the University of Nottingham, England. She has published a book chapter and several papers in collaboration with different international research groups.
