Sara Mederos

Short Biosketch

My research focuses on understanding how brain circuits give rise to flexible behaviour and learning. I am Group Leader at the Hospital del Mar Medical Research Institute (HMRIB), Barcelona (Spain).

I did my postdoc (2019-2025) in the laboratory of Sonja Hofer at the Sainsbury Wellcome Centre (University College London), where I investigated subcortical circuits involved in sensory guided defensive behaviour. Funded by the EMBO and the Wellcome Early Career Award , I identified a visual pathway linking cortex and thalamic structures that enables animals to learn to suppress instinctive fear.

During my Ph.D. in the Neuron-Glia Networks Lab lead by Gertrudis Perea I pioneered innovative techniques to study astrocyte-neuron interactions. By developing a melanopsin-based optogenetic approach to manipulate astrocytic signaling, I uncovered the role of astrocyte-parvalbumin interneuron interactions in goal directed behaviors.

Across these studies, my research has aimed to understand how brain circuits dynamically coordinate activity to generate internal representations that guide behaviour and learning.

CV

Research experience

Ramón y Cajal Independent Researcher 2026 – present

Hospital del Mar Medical Research Institute (HMRIB), Barcelona Biomedical Research Park, Barcelona (Spain)

La Caixa Incoming Junior Leader 2025 – present

Hospital del Mar Medical Research Institute (HMRIB), Barcelona Biomedical Research Park, Barcelona (Spain)

Postdoctoral Fellow 2019 – 2025

Sainsbury Wellcome Centre (Uuniversity College London), London UK in the laboratory of Sonja Hofer.

Graduate Research Fellow 2014 – 2019

Cajal Institute, Spanish Research Council (CSIC) (Spain), Neuron-Glia Networks Lab lead by Gertrudis Perea.

Undergraduate Research Fellow 2013 – 2014

Instituto de Investigaciones Biomédicas Sols-Morreale. IIBM (CSIC-UAM, Spain), in the laboratory of Margarita Diaz-Guerra.

Academic formation

PhD in Biochemistry, Molecular Biology and Biomedicine 2015 – 2019

School of Biology, Complutense University of Madrid (Spain).

MC in Neuroscience 2014 – 2015

School of Medicine, Autonoma University of Madrid (Spain).

BCs in Biology & Biochemestry, Degree in Science 2009 – 2013

School of Biological Sciences & School of Medicine Sciences, Autonoma University of Madrid (Spain).

Scientific awards and honors

2025

• The Janett Rosenberg Trubatch Career Development Award, Society for Neuroscience (SfN), San Diego (US)
• Eppendorf Science Prize for Neurobiology, Finalist
• Ramón y Cajal Fellowship, 2024 call, ranked 1st in Biomedicine
• Ikerbasque Research Fellow, award declined due to incompatibility
• UC3M ATRAE International Excellence Grant 2024, award declined due to incompatibility
• La Caixa Incoming Junior Leader Award, Barcelona (Spain)

2024

• TDPA Award, Society for Neuroscience (SfN), Chicago (US)

2023

• Best Talk Award, XX Christmas Meeting, Instituto de Neurociencias, Alicante (Spain)

2022

• Wellcome Early Career Award, UK
• Margarita Salas PhD Thesis Award, Madrid (Spain)
• FENS EJN Young Investigator Prize, Paris (France)

2021

• European Molecular Biology Organization (EMBO) Postdoctoral Fellowship, UK

2019

• Extraordinary PhD Award, Mention with Honors, Spain
• Alberto Rábano Prize for Best PhD Thesis in Basic Neuroscience, Fundación Romanillos
• Laia Acarin Prize, Spanish Glial Network (Spain)
• European Molecular Biology Organization (EMBO) Short Term Fellowship, Buzsáki Lab, NYU

2018

• Three Minute Thesis Prize for Science, Madrid (Spain)
• Research Short Period Award, Spanish Government Grant, Ponomarenko Lab, Düsseldorf (Germany)

2016

• Remedios Caro Almela Award, Society for Neuroscience (SfN), San Diego (US)

2015

• MINECO PhD Research Fellowship, Spanish Ministry of Economy and Competitiveness (Spain)