Javier Martinez-Picado is ICREA Research Professor at the IrsiCaixa Immunopathology Research Institute in Barcelona. He is also an associate professor at the University of Vic, and an elected member of the Royal Academy of Science and Arts of Barcelona. He obtained his PhD in Microbiology from the University of Barcelona, where he also lectured as an associate professor. In 1996, he joined Massachusetts General Hospital as a research fellow at Harvard Medical School, where he focused on HIV/AIDS research. In 2000 he obtained the position of biomedical researcher at the Spanish Health Department appointed to the Hospital Germans Trias de Badalona. In 2006 he obtained his current ICREA position. Dr. Martinez-Picado serves on different government, academic and industry advisory boards. He has given numerous invited lectures in multiple countries, and has published more than 270 articles on virology and immunology topics, mainly related to the pathogenesis of HIV, in international journals
Research interests
His research is focused on characterizing the immuno-virological mechanisms of viral pathogenesis in human diseases, including HIV-1, Ebola virus, arenaviruses and, more recently, SARS-CoV-2. His group’s translational program has the ultimate goal of investigating potential new viral therapeutic strategies, especially in the field of HIV/AIDS, through basic and applied research. They work closely with other national and international biomedical institutes, focusing on three priority research topics: understanding viral persistence to tackle HIV cure strategies, viral pathogenesis mediated by myeloid cells, and extreme phenotypes of virus disease progression. As a result of the COVID-19 pandemic, they have expanded their research to the pathogenesis of SARS-CoV-2, implementing organoid models to assess viral infection and inflammatory responses.
Selected publications
- Puertas MC et al 2025 'Rapid clearance of inducible HIV-1 proviruses after initiation of antiretroviral therapy', PLoS Pathogens 21(9):e1013466
- Martinez-Picado J et al 2025 'The power of ten in HIV remission: insights from hematopoietic stem cell transplantation', Current Opinion in HIV and AIDS 20(5):456-62
- Bayón-Gil A et al 2025, 'Host genetic and immune factors drive evasion of HIV-1 pathogenesis in viremic non-progressors', Med 6(2):100518.
- Bayón-Gill A et al 2025, 'Viremic non-progression in HIV/SIV infection: A tied game between virus and host', Cell Reports Medicine 6(1):101921.
- Gunst JD et al 2025 'Time to HIV viral rebound and frequency of post-treatment control after analytical interruption of antiretroviral therapy: an individual data-based meta-analysis of 24 prospective studies', Nature Communications 16(1):906.
- González-Navarro I et al 2025, 'Assessing advances in three decades of clinical antiretroviral therapy on the HIV-1 reservoir', Journal of Clinical Investigation, 135(2):e183952.
- Laguía F et al 2025, 'Massive endocytosis mechanisms are involved in uptake of HIV-1 particles by monocyte-derived dendritic cells', Frontiers in Immunology 15:1505840.
- Bailón L et al 2025, 'Strategies to Minimize Time From HIV Acquisition to ART Initiation: The Barcelona Early-cART Program', Open Forum Infectious Diseases 12(9):ofaf545.
- van Leeuwen R et al 2025, 'The imperative for increased investment for an HIV cure', Lancet HIV 12(10):e671-3.
- Pita-Martínez C et al 2025 'Immune and senescence profiles associated with non-AIDS-defining cancer risk in people with HIV: a case-cohort study', Frontiers in immunology 16:1707510.
- Garrido-Rodriguez V et al 2025, 'Unveiling altered CD8 T-cell metabolism and homeostatic proliferation behind a low CD4/CD8 ratio in ART-suppressed HIV individuals with normal CD4 recovery', Frontiers in immunology 16:1617674.
Selected research activities
Co-Chair of the 16th Spanish HIV/AIDS Conference GeSIDA, Granada 23-26 Nov 2025