Ramon Farré

Biography

Ramon Farré is Associate Professor from Department of Medicine at University of Barcelona. He has attained his Degree in Medicine, School of Medicine, University of Barcelona. Degree in Biomedical Engineering, School of Medicine, University of Barcelona. Master in Biomedical Engineering, University of Barcelona – Polytechnic University of Catalonia Ph.D. on Biomedicine. University of Barcelona.

Research Interest

Lung function is primarily determined by the mechanical properties of airways and parenchymal tissues. Mechanical dysfunction of the lung is associated with prevalent respiratory diseases. The research of my group is aimed at furthering our understanding of the mechanical behavior of the respiratory system to improve the diagnosis and treatment of respiratory diseases. We use basic and translational approaches in a multidisciplinary framework involving close cooperation with clinical research groups working in the field of respiratory medicine. We study respiratory mechanics with a multiscale approach extending from organ to molecule. At the organ level, we study the mechanical properties of the airways and lung tissues and the alterations of the mechanical function associated with respiratory diseases. Our work is mainly focused on mechanics of the upper airway in sleep apnea syndrome, and on mechanical ventilation in acute and chronic respiratory failure. At the cellular and molecular level, we develop and apply cutting edge nanotechnologies and advanced biophysical techniques to probe the mechanical behavior of the cells and their mechanical interactions with the microenvironment. We study the mechanical properties of the cell and its response to inflammation and mechanical stresses. We develop new approaches to differentiate stem cells using mechanical stimuli. Our research also focuses on the study of the biophysical mechanisms regulating the adhesion and vascular transmigration of leukocytes. One of the projects we are currently developing is focused on the field of regenerative medicine, specifically lung bioengineering. Our work is aimed at the bioartificial fabrication of functional lungs by recellularizing the organ scaffold with stem cells and recreating the in vivo mechanical micro/nano-environment.