Meritxell Huch
{{Short description|Stem cell biologist}}
{{Infobox scientist
| name = Meritxell Huch Ortega
| birth_date = {{birth year and age|1978}}
| birth_place = Barcelona
| workplaces = Max Planck Institute of Molecular Cell Biology and Genetics
University of Cambridge
Centre for Genomic Regulation
Hubrecht Institute
| alma_mater = University of Barcelona
| thesis_title = Estudi de l'eficàcia antitumoral d'adenovirus redirigits a receptors FGFR i valoració de la selectivitat dels virus AdCK7pLuc i AduPARpLuc en models de càncer de pancrees
| thesis_url = https://worldcat.org/en/title/892320371
| thesis_year = 2007
}}
Meritxell Huch (Barcelona, 1978)[https://www.mpg.de/18769168/molecular-cell-biology-genetics-huch Huch, Meritxell | Max-Planck-Gesellschaft] is a stem cell biologist and director at the Max Planck Institute of Molecular Cell Biology and Genetics. Her research considers tissue regeneration and the development of tissue-specific disease models for human organs. She was awarded a European Research Council Consolidator Grant in 2023.
Early life and education
After college Huch decided she wanted to work in science because of a desire to understand how aspirin works.{{Cite web |title=Meritxell Huch, PhD {{!}} Organoid Profiles {{!}} STEMCELL Technologies |url=https://www.stemcell.com/organoid-profiles-meritxell-huch.html |access-date=2023-02-05 |website=www.stemcell.com}} Huch was an undergraduate student at the University of Barcelona, where she studied pharmaceutical sciences.{{Cite journal |date=2016 |title=Cell scientist to watch – Meritxell Huch |url=https://journals.biologists.com/jcs/article/129/15/2877/55896/Cell-scientist-to-watch-Meritxell-Huch |access-date=2023-02-05 |journal=Journal of Cell Science|volume=129 |issue=15 |pages=2877–2879 |doi=10.1242/jcs.193797 }} She remained there for her graduate studies, earning a Master in 2003 and doctorate in 2007. She completed her PhD research in the Centre for Genomic Regulation, where she worked alongside Cristina Fillat.{{Cite web |title=Estudi de l'eficàcia antitumoral d'adenovirus redirigits a receptors FGFR i valoració de la selectivitat dels virus AdCK7pLuc i AduPARpLuc en models de càncer de pancrees {{!}} WorldCat.org |url=https://www.worldcat.org/title/892320371 |access-date=2023-02-05 |website=www.worldcat.org |language=en}} After completing her doctoral research she spent a year as a postdoctoral fellow before moring to the Hubrecht Institute on a Marie Curie Fellowship. In Utrecht she worked in the laboratory of Hans Clevers, where she isolated the stem cells responsible for the turnover of the adult stomach.{{Cite web |title=BINDER Innovation Prize for Meri Huch |url=https://www.mpi-cbg.de/news-outreach/news-media/article/binder-innovation-prize-for-meri-huch |access-date=2023-02-05 |website=MPI-CBG |date=26 September 2019 |language=en-US}}
Research and career
Huch was appointed a Sir Henry Dale Research Fellow at the Gurdon Institute at the University of Cambridge.{{Cite web |title=Group Leader |url=https://www.mpi-cbg.de/research/researchgroups/currentgroups/meritxell-huch/group-leader |access-date=2023-02-05 |website=MPI-CBG |language=en-US}} She held a joint position with The Wellcome Trust and the Department of Physiology. After five years in Cambridge, Huch joined the Max Planck Institute of Molecular Cell Biology and Genetics as one of the first members of the Lise Meitner Excellence Program.{{Cite web |title=Introducing StemJournal Associate Editor: Meritxell Huch, PhD |url=https://stemjnl.org/news-blog/introducing-stemjournal-associate-editor-meritxell-huch-phd |access-date=2023-02-05 |website=stemjnl.org |language=en}} She was appointed to the board of directors in 2022.{{Cite web |title=Spanish scientist investigates liver development, regeneration and disease. |url=https://nachrichten.idw-online.de/2022/07/05/meritxell-huch-appointed-as-new-director-at-the-max-planck-institute-of-molecular-cell-biology-and-genetics |access-date=2023-02-05 |website=nachrichten.idw-online.de |language=de-DE}}
Inflammation and tissue damage are associated with chronic liver disease and cancer. Her group have extensively developed human organoid models to study the molecular basis of adult tissue regeneration.{{Cite web |title=Research Focus |url=https://www.mpi-cbg.de/research/researchgroups/currentgroups/meritxell-huch/research-focus |access-date=2023-02-05 |website=MPI-CBG |language=en-US}}{{Cite web |last=Inchingolo |first=Dr R. |date=2018-02-28 |title=The body in miniature - organoid research at Meritxell Huch's lab |url=https://www.pdn.cam.ac.uk/news/the-body-in-miniature-organoid-research-at-meritxell-huchs-lab |access-date=2023-02-05 |website=www.pdn.cam.ac.uk |language=en}} Having identified stem cells responsible for the rapid turnover of the adult stomach, Huch showed that they could be maintained in culture. Next she moved on to liver cells, demonstrating the replicative potential of progenitor cells during regeneration and showing they are promising candidates for future therapeutic interventions in liver diseases.{{Cite journal |last1=Broutier |first1=Laura |last2=Andersson-Rolf |first2=Amanda |last3=Hindley |first3=Christopher J. |last4=Boj |first4=Sylvia F. |last5=Clevers |first5=Hans |last6=Koo |first6=Bon-Kyoung |last7=Huch |first7=Meritxell |date=September 2016 |title=Culture and establishment of self-renewing human and mouse adult liver and pancreas 3D organoids and their genetic manipulation |url=https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/27560176/ |journal=Nature Protocols |volume=11 |issue=9 |pages=1724–1743 |doi=10.1038/nprot.2016.097 |issn=1750-2799 |pmid=27560176|s2cid=33223450 }} Her research has the potential to reduce the use of animals in scientific research.{{Cite web |date=2014-02-26 |title=Mini-livers show promise to reduce animal use in science |url=https://www.cam.ac.uk/research/news/mini-livers-show-promise-to-reduce-animal-use-in-science |access-date=2023-02-05 |website=University of Cambridge |language=en}}{{Cite web |title=Mini-livers show promise to reduce animal use in science {{!}} NC3Rs |url=https://www.nc3rs.org.uk/news/mini-livers-show-promise-reduce-animal-use-science |access-date=2023-02-05 |website=www.nc3rs.org.uk}}
Select publication
- {{Cite Q|Q29616198}}
- {{Cite Q|Q34456438}}
- {{Cite Q|Q36791239}}
Awards and honours
- 2016 The Hamdan Award for Medical Research Excellence Hamdan Awards{{Cite web |last=Thomas |first=Glynn |date=2016-11-13 |title=Dr Meritxell Huch awarded Hamdan Award for Medical Research Excellence 2015-2016 |url=https://www.staff.admin.cam.ac.uk/awards/dr-meritxell-huch-awarded-hamdan-award-for-medical-research-excellence-2015-2016 |access-date=2023-02-05 |website=For staff |language=en}}{{Cite web |title=Dr. Meritxell Huch - Sheikh Hamdan Bin Rashid Al Maktoum Award for Medical Sciences - HMA |url=http://hmaward.org.ae/profile.php?id=1852 |access-date=2023-02-05 |website=hmaward.org.ae}}
- 2017 The Women in Cell Biology Early Career Medal{{Cite web |last=Administrator |date=2017-12-13 |title=Meritxell Huch awarded the Women in Cell Biology Early Career Medal |url=https://www.stemcells.cam.ac.uk/news/meritxell-huch-awarded-the-women-in-cell-biology-early-career-medal |access-date=2023-02-05 |website=www.stemcells.cam.ac.uk |language=en}}{{Cite web |date=2018 |title=WICB Medal Winner 2018: Meritxell Huch |url=https://bscb.org/wicb-medal-winners/wicb-medal-winner-2018-meritxell-huch/}}
- 2018 Dame Sheila Sherlock Prize{{Cite web |title=Cambridge Stem Cell News Issue 15 by University of Cambridge - Issuu |url=https://issuu.com/uni_cambridge/docs/csci_newsletter_issue_autumn_winter |access-date=2023-02-05 |website=issuu.com |date=20 December 2018 |language=en}}
- 2018 Elected EMBO Young Investigator{{Cite web |title=Find people in the EMBO Communities |url=https://people.embo.org/profile/meritxell-huch |access-date=2023-02-05 |website=people.embo.org}}
- 2019 The BINDER Innovation Prize
- 2022 German Stem Cell Network Hilde Mangold Award{{Cite web |title=German Stem Cell Network awards the GSCN 2022 Hilde Mangold Award to Meritxell Huch |url=https://www.mpi-cbg.de/news-outreach/news-media/article/german-stem-cell-network-awards-the-gscn-2022-hilde-mangold-award-to-meritxell-huch |access-date=2023-02-05 |website=MPI-CBG |date=19 September 2022 |language=en-US}}
- 2023 European Research Council Consolidator Grant{{Cite web |title=Two ERC Consolidator Grants |url=https://www.mpi-cbg.de/news-outreach/news-media/article/two-erc-consolidator-grants |access-date=2023-02-05 |website=MPI-CBG |date=31 January 2023 |language=en-US}}
- 2024 Otto Bayer Award{{Cite web |title=Winners Announcement: Otto Bayer Award and Early Excellence in Science Awards 2024 |url=https://www.bayer-foundation.com/winners-announcement-otto-bayer-award-and-early-excellence-science-awards-2024 |access-date=2024-12-04 |website=Bayer Foundation |language=en}}
References
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Category:Scientists from Barcelona
Category:Stem cell researchers
Category:Biologists from Catalonia
Category:Spanish medical researchers
Category:Women medical researchers
Category:21st-century Spanish biologists
Category:21st-century Spanish women scientists