Ainara Vallejo-Illarramendi
Dr. Ainara Vallejo Illarramendi is Chief Scientific Officer and co-founder of Miramoon Pharma. She holds a PhD in Neuroscience from the University of the Basque Country (UPV/EHU), where she also earned her degree in Biology. Her doctoral research focused on molecular mechanisms in neurological diseases. Following a 5-year postdoctoral stay at the University of California, San Francisco (UCSF), where she specialized in neuromuscular and cardiac pathophysiology, Dr. Vallejo returned to Spain with a Marie Curie IRG grant to establish an independent research line on calcium handling in neuromuscular diseases.
In 2014, she was awarded a Ramón y Cajal contract, and in 2017, she became head of the Neurosciences Group at the Department of Pediatrics, UPV/EHU. Her research integrates expertise in the central nervous system, muscle, and heart to develop innovative therapeutic strategies for Duchenne muscular dystrophy and other neuromuscular diseases. She employs advanced drug screening platforms, cellular and animal models, and human samples. Dr. Vallejo has authored over 35 peer-reviewed publications in high impact journals such as Lancet Neurology, eLife Journal of Neuroscience, and The Journal of Clinical Investigation.
She has secured competitive funding from international and national agencies as well as patient associations, actively collaborates with leading researchers worldwide and supervises PhD students and postdoctoral researchers. In 2019, Dr. Vallejo co-founded Miramoon Pharma, driven by a deep commitment to finding cures for rare and devastating diseases. Her vision is to bridge the gap between academic research and industry, accelerating the development of innovative therapies that can transform the lives of patients and families affected by conditions with limited or no treatment options.
