Clara Tourino
About Clara Tourino
Clara Tourino is a scientist specializing in in vivo pharmacology, currently working at Prothena Corporation plc. She holds a Ph.D. in Neuropharmacology and has extensive experience in managing animal models and advancing CNS research programs.
Current Role at Prothena Corporation
Clara Tourino currently serves as a Scientist in In Vivo Pharmacology at Prothena Corporation plc, a position she has held since 2016. Based in the San Francisco Bay Area, she focuses on advancing central nervous system (CNS) programs. Her responsibilities include identifying and implementing suitable animal models for the company's CNS targets. Clara also manages colonies of transgenic animal models, ensuring their production and availability for research purposes.
Education and Academic Background
Clara Tourino completed her Bachelor of Science in Human Biology at Pompeu Fabra University from 1998 to 2003. She continued her studies at the same institution, earning a Ph.D. in Neuropharmacology over a five-year period from 1998 to 2003. Additionally, she served as a Graduate Student in the Neuropharmacology lab at Universitat Pompeu Fabra from 2003 to 2009, where she gained significant research experience.
Previous Research Experience
Before her current role, Clara Tourino worked as a Postdoctoral Research Scholar at Stanford University School of Medicine from 2009 to 2016 in the Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences Department. She also held a position as a Visiting Researcher at UC Irvine in 2006, where she spent five months in the Pharmacology Department's Daniele Piomelli lab. These roles contributed to her expertise in pharmacology and neuroscience.
Leadership and Committee Involvement
Clara Tourino has chaired the Institutional Animal Care and Use Committee (IACUC) at Prothena Corporation plc. In this capacity, she oversees the ethical use of animals in research, ensuring compliance with regulations and promoting best practices in animal care. Her leadership in this role reflects her commitment to responsible research practices.
Research Contributions and Collaborations
Throughout her career, Clara Tourino has initiated relationships and partnered with consultants and experts to enhance research capabilities. She has also collaborated with finance and legal teams to finalize contracts with Contract Research Organizations (CROs) and vendors. Clara's contributions include writing reports for three Investigational New Drug (IND) filings, showcasing her involvement in the drug development process.