Ferrer Lab

Ferrer LabFerrer Lab

Computational Biology and Health Genomics

Ferrer Lab
Regulatory genomics and diabetes
Group leader

Ferrer Lab

Regulatory genomics and diabetes
Group leader

2022 Coordinator, Computational Biology and Health Genomics Programme, CRG
2021-2022 Coordinator, Medical Genomics Transversal Programme, CRG
2018 Senior Group Leader, CRG

2014-2018 Lead for Genetics and Genomics, NIHR Imperial BRC
2015 Fellow, Academy of Medical Sciences
2012- Professor and Section Head, Imperial College London
2009- Group Leader, CIBERDEM
2002-2018 Group Leader, IDIBAPS
2008 Sabbatical, UNC Chapel Hill
1997-2012 Specialist, Consultant in Endocrinology, Hospital Clinic
1996-1997 Postdoc and Instructor, Harvard Medical School, Mass. General Hospital
1993-1995 Postdoc, Washington University
1994 Doctor en Medicina. Universitat de Barcelona
1992 Endocrinology and Nutrition Medical Specialist, Spanish Ministry of Health
1986 Llicenciat Medicina. Universitat de Barcelona

News

Controversial beta cell origin theory challenged by diabetes experts (06/04/2023)

Human diabetes risk influenced by genomic regulation of RNA splicing (28/12/2022)
A research group led by Dr. Jorge Ferrer, senior researcher at the CRG and CIBERDEM, hypothesised that genetic variants that regulate RNA splicing could affect the transcription of genes linked to type-1 and type-1 diabetes risk.

Diabetes-causing gene can be regulated like a rheostat (27/10/2022)
Researchers at the CRG and Imperial College London have found a switch that regulates the activity of a gene that causes diabetes.

Researchers show how mutations in ‘dark genome’ cause pancreatic malformations (22/08/2022)
Researchers at the CRG have identified a DNA sequence that is crucial for pancreatic differentiation and function – and for the first time – describe how it works.

Fully functional pancreatic beta cells created from stem cells for the first time (03/03/2022)
In a study published in Nature Biotechnology, it has been demonstrated, for the first time, that stem cells can form cells that closely mimic normal pancreatic islets, in terms of both structure and function.

CRG and PerkinElmer’s SIRION Biotech to Develop New Generation AAV Vectors for Type-1 and Type-2 Diabetes Gene Therapy (16/02/2022)
PerkinElmer, Inc. today announced that its SIRION Biotech business and the Centre for Genomic Regulation (CRG) have entered into an agreement to jointly develop new generation adeno-associated virus (AAV) vectors for type 1 and type 2 diabetes gene therapy in the pancreas.

Pancreatic beta-cell boost in mice paves way for future diabetes treatments (12/08/2021)
A research team has uncovered the role of a gene that is critical to boosting the number of insulin-producing cells during the early development of the pancreas. 

CRG researchers create 3D genome maps to find genetic mechanisms associated with type-2 diabetes (08/07/2019)
Scientists at the Centre for Genomic Regulation open up new ways of developing personalised treatments for type-2 diabetes

Summary

Diabetes mellitus afflicts more than 400 million people. Current strategies to prevent and treat diabetes are limited by our scant knowledge of the molecular defects that cause diabetes. We focus on understanding changes in genome regulation that lead to monogenic and polygenic diabetes. We study the gene networks that are essential for insulin-producing beta cells to maintain glucose homeostasis, and develop strategies to manipulate these networks in human patients. We are also interested in how gene regulatory mechanisms can be harnessed for regenerative therapies in autoimmune diabetes.  To achieve these goals, we combine regulatory genomics, human genetics, and genome engineering in model systems. 

Funding Acknowledgements


Our IMPaCT project with official reference PMP21/00067 and granted by the ISCIII, under the "ImpactT2D: una estrategia genómica para implementar medicina de precisión en la diabetes tipo 2", has received funding from the ISCIII and the European Union NextGenerationEU/PRTR.



The project “DESARROLLO DE TERAPIAS DIRIGIDAS A MECANISMOS GENETICOS SUBYACENTES A LA DIABETES NO-AUTOINMUNE” (PID2021-122522OB-I00) is funded by Agencia Estatal de Investigación (AEI), the Ministerio de Ciencia e Innovación and Fondo Europeo de Desarrollo Regional (FEDER). Project PID2021-122522OB-I00 funded by MCIN/ AEI / 10.13039/501100011033 / FEDER, UE