Dr. María Cruz Sádaba is a Professor of Physiology at the School of Medicine, San Pablo CEU University. After achieving the highest score in the BIR exam in 1999, she trained as a biologist resident in immunology at the Immunology Department of Ramón y Cajal Hospital, where in addition, she collaborated on several research projects, including the development of a murine model of squamous cell carcinoma. During this period, she completed her doctoral thesis entitled “IgM oligoclonal bands in multiple sclerosis: Synthesis, specificity, and clinical significance.”

Following her Ph.D., she undertook a postdoctoral fellowship at the University of Oxford under the supervision of Prof. Margaret Esiri, focusing on the presence of B lymphocytes, plasma cells, antibodies, and complement in patients with multiple sclerosis (MS). Later, she worked as a postdoctoral researcher at the Microbiology Department of Ramón y Cajal Hospital, developing therapeutic aptamers against antibiotic-resistant bacteria.

She also served as a consultant in the Immunology Departments of Ramón y Cajal Hospital (Madrid) and Infanta Cristina Hospital (Badajoz). Subsequently, she joined San Pablo CEU University as a postdoctoral fellow, where she investigated mitochondrial function and oxidative stress in murine models. As a visiting professor at Harvard University, she developed an ultrasensitive ELISA for detecting IgM antibodies to lipids, which has proven to be the most sensitive technique for MS diagnosis.

In the past five years, she has been PI or co-PI of five competitive projects funded by Universidad San Pablo CEU–Banco Santander, all focused on the role of B1 lymphocytes and IgM antibodies against lipids in MS and COVID-19. These studies led to the patent (P202030053) entitled “Serum IgM-PC antibody as a biomarker of multiple sclerosis and a novel ultrasensitive ELISA for its diagnosis.”

Santander X Award – Recognized for excellence in innovation and technology transfer, awarded for the development of a novel diagnostic approach for multiple sclerosis.

Visiting Professor, Yale University – Conducted advanced research on the gene sequencing of IgM-PC antibodies.

Dr. Sádaba has extensive experience in immune response in MS, as well as in techniques such as protein purification, biochemical analysis, cell culture, flow cytometry, histology, immunohistochemistry, immunofluorescence, confocal microscopy, and animal models. High international impact, numerous publications in Q1 international journals , 2158 times cited, she participates in numerous national (Congreso Sociedad Española de Inmunología, Reunión Anual de la sociedad Española de Neurología, Congreso de la Sociedad Española de Ciencias Fisiológicas) and international (Congress of the European Committee for Treatment and Research in Multiple Sclerosis (ECTRIMS), Congreso Internacional de Optometría, Contactología y Óptica Oftálmica, European Congress of Immunology, European Congress of Endocrinology, Meeting of the European Neurological Society, Annual Meeting of the American Academy of Neurology, World Congress of Neurology, International Congress of Immunology and 4th Annual Conference of FOCIS, International Congress of the International Society of Neuroimmunology) congresses.Her expertise is evidenced by her ANECA accreditation with four six-year research periods.

Dra. Maria Cruz Sádaba: Profesora de Fisiología en la Facultad de Medicina de la UniversidadSan Pablo CEU. Tras ser mejor examen BIR del año 1999, se formó como bióloga especialistaen inmunología en el Servicio de Inmunología del Hospital Ramón y Cajal. Aquí colaboró en eldesarrollo de un modelo murino de carcinoma epidermoide y realizó su tesis doctoral titulada“Bandas oligoclonales de IgM en la esclerosis múltiple: Síntesis, especialidad y significadoclínico. Tras la lectura de la tesis realizó una estancia postdoctoral en la Universidad deOxford donde estudio, bajo la dirección de la Prof. Margaret Esiri, la presencia linfocitosB, células plasmáticas, anticuerpos, y complemento en pacientes con EM. Posteriormentetambién trabajó como postdoctoral en el Servicio de Microbiología del Hospital Ramón enel desarrollo de aptámeros terapéuticos frente a bacterias resistentes a antibióticos. Becadapor la Fundación Lair, Becaria adscrita a la red de mieloma múltiple y a la red de esclerosismúltiple. Contrato post-MIR del Instituto Carlos III. Contrato como adjunta de InmunologíaHospital Infanta Cristina de Badajoz. Ha sido acreditada su calidad docente por la ANECA. Haorganizado cursos de doctorado y participado en cursos de postgrado. Posee gran experienciaen la respuesta humoral en la EM y en las técnicas de purificación, caracterización y análisisbioquímico de proteínas, citometría, histología, immunohitoquimica, imunofluorescencia ymicroscopía confocal, como atestigua sus publicaciones en revistas internacionales. Lo queestá acreditado por dos sexenios de investigación.