Dr. Jordi Barquinero Mañez is a senior researcher at the Vall d'Hebron Research Institute (VHIR), where he leads the Gene and Cell Therapy group. His work focuses on gene therapy for rare genetic diseases, with a particular emphasis on congenital muscular dystrophy caused by merosin deficiency (LAMA2-MD). After postdoctoral training at the Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center in Seattle, Dr. Barquinero Mañez has dedicated his research to understanding disease mechanisms and developing therapeutic strategies for orphan diseases. His group has contributed to an innovative gene therapy approach for merosin-deficient muscular dystrophy, in close collaboration with the Pediatric Neurology team at VHIR.