At the Unit of Excellence IOBA, we are a group of researchers working to generate knowledge and technical advances with an impact on visual health, in direct contact with patients. Our research is organised into three areas: 1) advanced therapies and regenerative medicine; 2) biomarkers, inflammation and neuroprotection; and 3) health technology assessment. Our team combines research, teaching, academic management, leadership of competitive projects and clinical activity. We integrate science, clinical practice and innovation to respond to real challenges and facilitate new collaborations. You can explore the research lines, their principal investigators and our recent advances.

We work on new ways of treating diseases of the ocular surface and the retina through advanced therapies, regenerative medicine and nanomedicine. We investigate ways to repair damaged tissues, better understand hereditary and rare diseases, and bring closer to clinical practice solutions that have the potential to improve visual health.

We study the mechanisms involved in inflammatory and degenerative eye diseases in order to improve their diagnosis, monitoring and treatment. We work to identify biological signals that help anticipate the course of disease in each patient and develop new strategies to protect the retina and preserve vision.

We evaluate new tools, products and diagnostic strategies to improve visual health care. This is the work area closest to the patient, because it connects preclinical and clinical research, validates technologies in real settings, and promotes solutions such as early screening and telemedicine.

Ophthalmologist and Professor of Ophthalmology at the University of Valladolid. She is the director of IOBA, coordinates the Ocular Surface Group and focuses her clinical and research activity on ocular surface diseases, inflammation and chronic ocular pain and advanced cell therapies, with significant clinical transfer of her research.

Ophthalmologist and Professor of Ophthalmology at the University of Valladolid. She coordinates the Retina Group and focuses her clinical and research activity on inherited and degenerative retinal diseases. She leads competitive projects, clinical trials and technology transfer activities, and maintains close collaboration with patient associations.

Biologist and Professor in the area of Ophthalmology at the University of Valladolid. She coordinates the NANO-SOS-4EYE Group and focuses her research on tissue engineering and nanotechnological solutions for ocular functional recovery, with a special focus on inflammation. She leads competitive projects, collaborates with companies and is co-inventor of patents, thus promoting patient-centred translational research.

Biochemist and Distinguished Researcher at the University of Valladolid. She leads IOBA’s Research area and her research focuses on biomarkers in ocular surface inflammation and pain, molecular analysis of tear fluid and ocular epithelium in dry eye, ocular pain, ocular graft-versus-host disease and contact lens discomfort, with development of predictive models.

Veterinarian and Associate Professor in the area of Ophthalmology at the University of Valladolid and Head of Research at the Unit of Excellence IOBA. His research focuses on advanced therapies, neuroprotection and regenerative medicine applied to retinal diseases, as well as on the safety assessment of ophthalmic medical devices. He leads competitive projects, collaborates with companies and is co-inventor of patents, promoting translational research aimed at the development of innovative solutions with potential clinical application.

Optician-Optometrist and Professor of Optics at the University of Valladolid. Her clinical and research activity focuses on the clinical phenotyping of patients with dry eye, chronic ocular pain and contact lens discomfort, with the aim of identifying biomarkers that help diagnosis, monitoring and therapy assessment.

Optician-Optometrist and Professor of Ophthalmology in the area of Ophthalmology at the University of Valladolid. His research focuses on the ocular surface, refractive surgery and visual quality. He develops health technology assessment projects to analyse how scientific advances can be translated into diagnostic and therapeutic improvements.

Biologist and Assistant Professor of Immunology at the University of Valladolid. Her research focuses on improving advanced therapies for ocular surface regeneration.

Biologist and Biochemist. Permanent Lecturer in the area of Cell Biology at the University of Valladolid. Her research focuses on advanced therapies and stem cell-based regenerative medicine, with a translational approach aimed at the treatment of inflammatory diseases of the ocular surface.

Ophthalmologist and Associate Professor of Ophthalmology at the University of Valladolid. His clinical and research activity focuses on retinal detachment and proliferative vitreoretinopathy, with special interest in genetic biomarkers, inflammation and neurodegeneration, and precision medicine strategies supported by artificial intelligence.

Biochemist and Associate Professor of Cell Biology at the University of Valladolid. His research focuses on the molecular characterisation of retinal neurodegeneration, with special attention to neuroinflammation mechanisms. He also works on the development of new therapeutic strategies for its prevention and treatment.

Biologist and Project Manager of the Unit of Excellence IOBA. She brings extensive experience in project management and international collaboration, and works to promote the Unit’s international projection, the coordination of European projects and the joint progress of the research groups that make up IOBA.

The Institute of Applied Ophthalmobiology of the University of Valladolid has been serving patients for more than 30 years, while advancing research in Ophthalmology and training professionals. Its trajectory is captured by the motto: “we research to treat better.”

At IOBA, multidisciplinary applied research is carried out in Ophthalmology and Vision Sciences. The knowledge generated is transferred to patients through clinical care and contributes to the postgraduate training offered to healthcare professionals.

IOBA is a research institute of the University of Valladolid that matches the quality and results of the best European centres. Our researchers and clinicians combine healthcare practice with scientific projects of excellence and teaching activities.

Our three areas of activity are: