Manel Esteller (Sant Boi de Llobregat, Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain, 1968) graduated in Medicine with Honours from the Universitat de Barcelona in 1992, where he also obtained his PhD degree in molecular genetics in 1996. He was an Invited Researcher at the School of Biological and Medical Sciences at the University of St. Andrews (Scotland, UK). From 1997 to 2001, Dr. Esteller was a researcher at the Johns Hopkins University and School of Medicine (Baltimore, USA) where he was decisive in establishing promoter hypermethylation of tumour suppressor genes as a common hallmark of all human tumours. From October 2001 to September 2008 he was CNIO Cancer Epigenetics Laboratory’s leader. Dr Esteller is Director of the Cancer Epigenetics and Biology Program (PEBC) of the Bellvitge Biomedical Research Institute (IDIBELL) and Chairman of Genetics at the School of Medicine in the University of Barcelona. He has been elected as Director of the Josep Carreras Research Institute (IJC).

Research interests

-Definition of the Epigenome of Cancer Cells: Profile of DNA methylation and histone modifications in tumor suppressor genes and repetitive sequences in cancer. Global and gene-specific definition of aberrant epigenetic changes and functional consequences in transcription regulation, DNA repair and chromosome instability. -Study of the Epigenetics Machinery and Mechanisms: Role and function of DNA methyltransferases (enzymes that maintain DNA methylation), specificity of methyl-CpG binding domain proteins (the nuclear factors that recognize DNA methylation), analysis of biological properties of histone deacetylases and methyltransferases (enzymes that modify histones).

-Study of Mutations in the Epigenetic Machinery: The mechanisms underlying the disruption of the epigenetic landscape in transformed cells are unknown. -Study of the Epigenetic and Genetic Disruption of Non-Coding RNAs in Human Cancer. -Characterization of the Epitranscriptome in Human Diseases.