Natividad Cuende MD, MPH, PhD, has been the Executive Director of the Andalusian Initiative for Advanced Therapies promoted by the Regional Government of Andalusia, in Spain, since its creation in 2008. She is also the Deputy Director of the Andalusian Transplant Coordination since 2005 and previously she worked at the National Transplant Organization for over 7 years, where, among other functions, designed and implemented the National Liver Transplant Registry and the National Quality Assuranceⁱ Programme for the Organ Donation Process that has been exported to several European and Latin American countries.
Degree of MD and PhD, she is specialist on Family and Community Medicine as well as on Preventive Medicine and Public Health after 6 years as resident physician at different hospitals. Master in Public Health, Diploma in Design and Statistics for Health Research and Diploma in Health Management, she has extensive training and experience in health care quality and accreditation of services.
She has developed several research projects in the area of sociological and health indicators as well as in the area of cell and organ donation and transplantation with about 125 scientific and technical publications and more than 80 conferences to Scientific Meetings.
She has also extensive teaching experience in donation and transplantation of organs, tissues and cells as well as in the area of public health and preventive medicine. She is the Director of the International Master Degree in Manufacturing of Advanced Therapy Medicinal Products organized by the Andalusian Initiative for Advanced Therapies in collaboration with the University of Granada.

Associate Cientific Director

Medical and Regulatory Affairs Coordinator of the Andalusian Initiative for Advanced Therapies since 2011, Rosario has developed her career in the Basic Research field (cellular mechanisms of the inflammation and membranes’ metabolism. Hospital Virgen Macarena 1982-1991) as well as in the Clinical Research area (treatments of HIV infection and its associated pathologies. Hospital Virgen del Rocío 1999-2009, control and treatment of the infection by hepatitis C and of its complications, Hospital de Valme 2009-2001). She has an extensive experience in the development of clinical trials in those fields.
Rosario has got a degree in Medical Doctor from the University of Seville (1991).

Ana Cardesa has a Bachelor in Chemistry (speciality in Biochemistry) by Universidad Complutense (Madrid). Her education was completed with a Master in “Pharmaceutical Marketing” by Universidad de Alcalá de Henares (Madrid) and a Master in “Business Administration” by Instituto de Empresa (Madrid).
Her career has been developed, mainly, in clinical research focusing in clinical trials in different phases and studying different pathologies being her main activities Clinical Research Associate (CRA) and Coordinator CRA in PAREXEL International, Clinical Trial Coordinator in the Oncology Service of Hospital U. Virgen de la Victoria (Malaga) and Regional Monitoringⁱ Manage in Quintiles – Instituto Euroclin (Pfizer, main client).
Actually, she is the Clinical Trials Manager for the Andalusian Initiative for Advanced Therapies and also the Coordinator of one of the modules for the Programme for Training in Advanced Therapies 2009-2010.
In addition, she is collaborating in several investigational research projects in different pathologies where the cell therapy is the investigational product. These clinical trials are sponsored by Fundación Progreso y Salud.

Quality Assessment and GMP Facilities Manager since the Andalusian Initiative for Advanced Therapies was created in October 2008. From February 2008 until the Andalusian Initiative was created, she worked as Quality Assessment and Accreditation Manager in the Andalusian Program for Cell Therapy and Regenerative Medicineⁱ.
Gloria has experience in different positions of Quality Assurance in biotechnological products, Quality Assurance Manager in the Andalusian Center for Molecular Biology and Regenerative medicine, Quality Assurance technician in Cellerix and clinical documentation technician in Pfizer.
Gloria is a Pharmacist graduate and has a Master’s degree in Pharmaceutical Parapharmaceutical Industry. She has experience in training people up in quality systems and good manufacturing practices in advanced therapies medicines, having taken part as a speaker in a large range of specialized congresses in the biotechnological sector.

Currently Product Development Manager of the Andalusian Initiative for Advanced Therapies, Degree in Biology from the Autonomous University of Madrid and Microbiology postgraduate, specialized in high-performance technology platforms (Trancriptomics and Proteomics). Full time assistant professor at the same university for several years, he has been member of its Governing Council as well as of several of its delegated committees, including Research and International Relations committees. Author of several publications and numerous oral communications, he has made several long term stays at leading research institutes both nationally and internationally, participating in competitive research projects. First prize for Young Entrepreneurs 2002 has been a partner-founder and Scientific Director of the spin-off Phyllum Biotech SL, membership of the Spanish Association of Biocompanies. Collaborator of patent and industrial property firms, he has also been consultant for R&D within the scope of the Seventh European Framework Program and served as webmaster of various social webs related to R&D.

As Preclinical Research Manager of the Andalusian Initiative for Advanced Therapies, she is responsible for identifying translational research lines advising on the design and execution of studies needed for the development of Non-Clinical and Quality Files for obtaining both Clinical Trials Authorizations and its Registry. Furthermore, she gives support on surveillance and technology transfer, application and justification of Grants, as well as dissemination of knowledge.
Laura has 12 years of research experience in significant laboratories of cellular and molecular biology, which enabled her to specialize in Cell Therapy, Gene Therapy and Tissue Engineering. As Scientific Director of Cellerix, she managed programs for basic and preclinical research for the use of adipose tissue derived stem cellsⁱ and bio-engineered skins and she participated in activities of Competitive Projects, Products Development, Intellectual Property, Regulatory Affairs and Business Development. She is also author of several scientific publications and numerous communications to national and international conferences in the field. In addition, she has extensive experience teaching in public and private entities.
Laura has a Degree in Biology and Ph.D. in Biochemistry from the Universidad Autónoma de Madrid, thanks to the award of scholarships Torres Quevedo, Marcelino Botin Foundation and Universidad Autónoma de Madrid.

Management Assistant of the Andalusian Initiative for Advanced Therapies from March 2009. Her work experience has been mainly developed in the Marketing and Public Relations field. She has worked as PR in companies such as Sogexpo S.A (PR’s company of the Expo’92, Seville), Estudio Buque (Press Agency of fashion designers and main Spanish Catwalks), GDM (PR’s Company of Grupo Prisa, Madrid) and the International Bureau of Fiscal Documentation (Amsterdam, The Netherlands) in which she was working as marketing coordinator for three years.
She has got a University Degree in History of Art (Universidad Autónoma de Madrid) and a Bachelor Degree in Business Administration, Marketing and Public Relations (ESERP, Madrid).