Josep Dalmau

Josep Dalmau

Fundació de Recerca Clínic Barcelona-Institut d'Investigacions Biomèdiques August Pi i Sunyer

Life & Medical Sciences

Dr. Dalmau received his MD, PhD from Autonoma University of Barcelona.  He trained in Neuro-oncology at Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center, New York, and then joined the faculty. After 11 years, he became co-director of Neuro-oncology, University of Arkansas. In 2002 he was named Professor of Neurology at the University of Pennsylvania. Currently he is ICREA Research Professor, IDIBAPS-Clinic Hospital, Associate Professor Medicine, University of Barcelona, Adjunct Professor Neurology, University of Pennsylvania, and Guest Researcher, NIH, USA. He is Editor of Neurology: Neuroimmunology and Neuroinflammation, and member of many academic societies including the National Academy of Medicine, USA. He has received numerous awards, including the Jacoby Award (American Neurological Association), the Zülch Prize (Max Planck Society), and Premio Rey Jaime I (Spain). Since 2015 he is listed as a Highly Cited Researcher by Clarivate Analytics.

Research interests

My research focuses on immune-mediated diseases of the nervous system. Although this work initially focused on cancer associated (paraneoplastic) disorders, it evolved with our discovery of a category of diseases named antibody-mediated encephalitis. These diseases occur in association with antibodies against neuronal cell-surface proteins, ion channels, or synaptic receptors involved in synaptic transmission and plasticity. Antibody-mediated changes in the structure or function of these antigens result in several different syndromes characterized by psychosis, epilepsy, memory deficits, abnormal movements, sleep dysfunction, or cognitive decline. My research group carries out translational studies including the identification of novel diseases (e.g., anti-NMDAR encephalitis among others), the development of diagnostic tests and treatment strategies, as well as basic studies aimed at elucidating the cellular and molecular mechanisms underlying the immune-mediated brain dysfunction.

Selected publications

- Guasp M, Rosa-Justicia M, Muñoz-Lopetegi A, Martínez-Hernández E, Armangué T, Sugranyes G, Stein H, Borràs R, Prades L, Ariño H, Planagumà J, De-La-Serna E, Escudero D, Llufriu S, Sánchez-Valle R, Santamaria J, Compte A, Castro-Fornieles J & Dalmau J 2022, 'Spanish anti-NMDAR Encephalitis Study Group. Clinical characterisation of patients in the post-acute stage of anti-NMDA receptor encephalitis: a prospective cohort study and comparison with patients with schizophrenia spectrum disorders', Lancet Neurol, 21(10):899-910.

- Radosevic M, Planagumà J et al. 2022, 'Allosteric modulation of NMDARs reverses patients’ autoantibody effects in mice'. Neurol Neuroimmunol Neuroinflamm 9(1), e1122.

- Maudes E, Mannara F, García-Serra A, Radosevic M, Mellado A, Serafim AB, Planagumà J, Sabater L, Dalmau J & Spatola M 2022, 'Human Metabotropic Glutamate Receptor 5 Antibodies Alter Receptor Levels and Behavior in Mice', Ann Neurol, 92:81-86.

- Guasp M, Martín-Aguilar L, Sabater L, Bioque M, Armangué T, Martínez-Hernández E, Landa J, Maudes E, Borràs R, Muñoz-Lopetegi A, Saiz A, Castro-Fornieles J, Graus F, Parellada E, Querol L & Dalmau J 2022, 'Neurofilament Light Chain Levels in Anti-NMDAR Encephalitis and Primary Psychiatric Psychosis', Neurology, 98, 14, E1489 - E1498.

- Joubert B, Petit-Pedrol M, Planagumà J, Mannara F, Radosevic M, Marsal M, Maudes E, García-Serra A, Aguilar E, Andrés-Bilbé A, Gasull X, Loza-Alvarez P, Sabater L, Rosenfeld MR & Dalmau J 2022, 'Human CASPR2 Antibodies Reversibly Alter Memory and the CASPR2 Protein Complex', Annals Of Neurology 91:801-813.