The main objective of our research work is the development of new methodologies that allow us to access new chemical entities (NCE= new chemical entities; structural skeletons capable of interacting with a therapeutic target). The generation of NCEs is currently one of the most important constraints in the drug discovery process. In this context, our research activity addresses the application of new methodologies recently incorporated into the arsenal of tools of organic chemistry to the preparation of new chemical structures of interest. The rise of organocatalysis and photoredox catalysis in the last decade has been extraordinary, due among other things to the operational simplicity of both methodologies, and to the incorporation of new ways of activating molecules through different mechanisms that allow new transformations to be carried out very efficiently. Both techniques are being studied in our working group. Specifically, we implemented enantioselective desymmetrisation processes using the intramolecular aza-Michael reaction. This gives us access to a new family of disubstituted piperidines, skeletons that are considered privileged structures given the wide range of biological activities they induce. Also within the framework of organocatalysis, we designed new organocatalytic tandem processes where one of the individual processes in an intramolecular aza-Michael reaction. This allows us to obtain new families of polycyclic nitrogenous systems with simultaneous generation of several stereocentres.

The combination of organocatalytic processes with dipolar cycloadditions is also being studied in our group. On the basis of iminic activation, organocatalytic nucleophilic addition on ortho-substituted cinnamaldehydes with a trifluorovinyl unit will give rise to the corresponding conjugated addition product, capable of undergoing an intramolecular (3+2) nitrone reaction. This process will allow us to generate quaternary centres containing a trifluoromethyl unit. The generation of such stereocentres is a major synthetic challenge, only partially solved by conjugated additions.

Finally, we intend to enter the field of photo-redox catalysis. Given our previous experience with fluorinated substrates, and the wide variety of fluoroalkyl radicals generated by this methodology, we intend to extend the generation of this type of radicals to difluorobromo propargyl systems and imidoyl halides. Therefore, the feasibility of these intermediates will be studied, as well as a preliminary evaluation of their reactivity, in insertion reactions on various unsaturated systems. As an application of this methodology, the synthesis of fluorinated gamma amino acids will be carried out.

The prevalence of frailty syndrome and cognitive impairment represent an often overlapping clinical entity that has a major health, social and economic impact. Frailty and cognitive impairment have also been shown in several international studies to be a precursor to disability, dependency and premature mortality.

The group’s research activity focuses on two fundamental aspects of ageing

1) The pathophysiological alterations that induce and accompany frailty syndrome and cognitive impairment in older people or in younger people whose pathologies and comorbidities lead to earlier development of frailty syndrome and cognitive impairment (such as people with psychiatric illnesses or oncology patients).
2) Nursing multidisciplinary interventions that are able to delay the onset or slow the progression of frailty and cognitive decline.

The first aspect is approaches from a clinical perspective by looking for biomarkers in blood, saliva or other biological samples that characterise the frailty syndrome and cognitive impairment or are predictive of its appearance and changes either in the sense of progression or improvement after clinical interventions. The use of a panel of biomarkers that can be measured in routine clinical testing allows the detection of individuals at risk of developing frailty and cognitive decline or progressing to more severe stages of frailty and dependence, monitoring the effectiveness of treatments, non-pharmacological interventions and care that slow or delay frailty and cognitive decline or its progression. In the aspect of clinical interventions, the impact that these have on other fundamental variables in the integral assessment of the patient is also evaluated, such as their functional state, mode and quality of life from a holistic perspective of people.

Study of the cellular and molecular mechanisms that trigger retinal diseases such as diabetic retinopathy and age-related macular degeneration. Approaches for the prevention of the development of these pathologies, as well as therapeutic approaches to the development of advanced stages of the disease. To this end, we consider: 

• To study the role of redox regulation in the development of retinal diseases such as diabetic retinopathy of age-related macular degeneration. 
• Analysis of the protective role of natural antioxidants in the development of eye diseases related to oxidative stress. 
• Identification of markers in tears to determine and follow the evolution of diabetic retinopathy and age-related macular degeneration. 
• To study the physiopathology of uveal melanoma, search for new therapeutic approaches and biomarkers for its early detection.

Our team has been working for approximately 20 years on several research lines related to different neuropharmacological and neurochemical aspects of the treatment of alcoholism relapse.

One of our current research lines focuses on the study and analysis of drugs for the treatment of relapse that act on new potential therapeutic targets. In this sense, our research has allowed us to demonstrate that acetaldehyde sequestration, using D-Penicillamine (DP), is an effective and promising therapeutic strategy to block relapse in alcohol consumption. In addition, we have demonstrated the advantage of the combined use of PD with naltrexone (an opioid receptor antagonist currently used in the treatment of relapse in alcohol dependence, although with very limited efficacy) compared to single treatment with naltrexone for relapse prevention. 

We are currently evaluating the effectiveness of a new drug in alcoholism relapse: N-acetylcysteine, an amino acid that could potentially normalise the alteration of glutamatergic homeostasis caused by ethanol at the level of GLT-1 and xCT transporters. 

Our second research line is focused on establishing the mechanistic basis underlying the action of ethanol on the mesolimbic system. Activation of dopaminergic (DA) neurons in the ventral tegmental area (VTA) is an initial event necessary for the development of drug addiction. Although the mechanisms involved in this activation are known in detail for drugs such as psychostimulants, opiates or nicotine, the same does not apply to ethanol. Our research aims to specify certain aspects of the mechanism by which ethanol takes over this important dopaminergic pathway. 

Our group has suggested that the action of ethanol on the mesolimbic system is dual: on the one hand, those responsible for the activation of this system would be the products derived from the brain metabolism of ethanol and, among them, salsolinol (a product derived from acetaldehyde and dopamine) which would act through mu-type opioid receptors. On the other hand, the non-metabolised fraction of ethanol would act in the opposite direction, limiting the activation of DA neurons by promoting of GABAergic inhibition of these neurons. This knowledge may be useful for identifying new therapeutic targets, as well as developing new pharmacological strategies for the treatment of alcoholism.

Currently, two new reseach lines have been incorporated into our group. In the study of relapse, certain factors that may promote relapse and/or the risk of suffering a new drug use disorder play a major role. Among these factors, we are currently analysing how the presence of pain alters the mesocorticolimbic system and, in particular, the pharmacology of opioid receptors. These neurobiological alterations may lead to the development of comorbidities, such as negative-affective states. Negative-affective states are a known component that can either increase the risk of suffering a drug use disorder or precipitate relapse in their consumption, including alcohol. In this sense, we are analysing the neurobiological alterations that allow us to detect new therapeutic targets which, in a more selective and effective way, can prevent initiation or relapse in drug use. As a result of the analysis of these new targets, we are developing pharmaceutical forms that allow us to vectorise treatments to the central nervous sytem, thus limiting the appearance of side effects on other organs.

Finally, the last research line incorporated analyses the role of microglia in the regulation of the expression, internalisation and function of opioid receptors in the mesocorticolimbic system in pathological situations such as the presence of pain and/or drug use disorder.

Chirality is a property related to the three-dimensional shape of molecules. Chiral molecules can exist in two forms (enantiomers) that are mirror images of each other. This subtle difference has tremendously important implications in chemistry, as two enantiomers can exhibit completely different or even opposite biological or pharmacological properties. Similarly, the mechanical, magnetic or electrical properties of many materials can vary completely depending on whether they are made up of a single enantiomer or mixtures of enantiomers.

As a consequence of all this, there is a real need at both laboratory and industrial level for synthetic procedures that allow chiral compounds to be obtained selectively in a defined enantiomeric form. Among the different methodologies available for this purpose, those using chiral catalysts are the most suitable, as they allow minimising the consumption of chiral starting materials and reducing waste production, contributing to more efficient, more economical and more environmentally friendly chemical processes.

In this context, the asymmetric catalysis group investigates the development of new chiral catalysts based on both metal complexes and organocatalysts and their application in various enantioselective C-C bond formation reactions aimed at the synthesis of enantiomerically enriched chiral organic compounds of pharmacological interest. These reactions include functionalisation reactions of aromatic and heteroaromatic compounds (Friedel-Crafts reactions), carbanion addition reactions (aldol reactions, Henry reactions), addition reactions of organometallic reagents (alkylation and alkynylation) or cycloaddition reactions (Diels-Alder reactions, 1,3-dipolar addition) etc.

We have recently incorporated the use of photoredox catalysis in C-C bond formation reactions.

The main objective of our research is the synthesis of new compounds with potential biological activity. Therefore, our work focuses on the development of new methodologies that lead to these molecules in a simple and selective way. In this context, the preparation of new organofluorine compounds has been one of the hallmarks of the group, since it is well known that the introduction of fluorine atoms in organic molecules often improves their chemical and pharmacological properties. In addition, we are interested in the design and synthesis of new peptidomimetics and other small molecules capable of activating or inhibiting specific therapeutic targets. The main lines are described below: 

1. Design, synthesis and reactivity of new fluorinated chemical entities containing the alkyne function.
   1. Study of the differential reactivity of fluorinated propargylic amines in gold-catalysed hydroamination and hydroarylation processes. Extension to tandem processes mediated by electrophilic fluorination agents.
   2. Synthesis of fluorinated propargylic acetates and preliminary evaluation of their reactivity towards gold salts (I).
   3. Development of a catalytic process for the synthesis of 1-fluoroalkynes from terminal alkynes.
2. Diversity-Oriented Synthesis (DOS): application to the asymmetric synthesis of fluorinated and non-fluorinated benzofused compounds as new molecular entities in drug discovery.
   1. Asymmetric synthesis of benzofused compounds by tandem or one-pot processes.
   2. Application of fluorinated 2-iodo(bromo)benzyl 2-iodo(benzyl)amines as building blocks in the synthesis of optically pure fluorinated nitrogen heterocycles.
3. Development of new enantioselective processes using organocatalysis, metal catalysis or a combination of both.
   1. Extension of the intramolecular aza-Michael intramolecular (AMI) organocatalytic reaction to conjugated esters as acceptors.
   2. Study of the asymmetric AMI reaction applied to desymmetrisation processes of prochiral compounds.
   3. Design of new organocatalytic tandem processes: aza-Henry-AMI and aza-Morita Baylis Hillman-AMI.
   4. Asymmetric synthesis of alcohols and cyclic amines using organocatalyst/transition metal binary systems (relay catalysis).
   5. Study of the catalytic enantioselective intramolecular catalytic allylation reaction.
4. Target Oriented Synthesis (TOS): design, synthesis and biological evaluation of a new generation of peptidomimetics capable of inhibiting the RRE-Rev interaction of human immunodeficiency virus type 1.

The group's research revolves around the study of the Middle Ages, both from a strictly historical perspective and from the perspective of written culture, art history and didactics, which are the different areas of knowledge to which the member researchers belong. The aim of this diverse research activity, which is at the same time united by its focus on the final centuries of the Middle Ages, is to try to understand and make explicit the complexity of European societies that were much more dynamic and changing than is usually considered. The analysis is based on a concentric vision that reaches from the ancient Kingdom of Valencia to the Crown of Aragon, and from there to the western Mediterranean as a whole. Starting, therefore, from the local reality, the aim is a comparative approach that makes it possible to identify the common trends and explain the particularities and their whys and wherefores.

Given the wealth of sources of all kinds that the panorama of medieval studies in the Valencian Country presents, and the tradition of research that has been typical of this University for some decades, research on this period is currently enjoying a great boost, recognised both at national and international level. The medieval kingdom of Valencia can thus constitute one of the privileged laboratories for the understanding of a fundamental period of the European past, only comparable, due to the possibilities of its archives, with Catalonia or some regions of Italy. This abundant and rich raw material allows us to tackle a wide range of subjects and raise a wide range of questions as part of a major research project.

Given the size of the group, and the presence in it of specialists from different areas of knowledge, the aim is also to consolidate multidisciplinary studies that include political, economic and social history, the history of culture, the history of mentalities, the history of art, archaeology and the study of territory, among others. This research activity takes the form of five lines of research, supported by five funded projects:

• The study of the fundamental change that took place with the Christian conquest of the former Sharq al-Andalus and the implementation of the feudal system, with the consequent demographic, economic, social and spatial transformations...
• The configuration of a macrocephalic kingdom, a kingdom conceived for its capital, Valencia, which articulated around it the economic, but also the social, political and cultural realities of its territory, with a peculiar version of rural-urban relations in the Middle Ages.
• This arrangement corresponds to a society in which its elites were basically concentrated in the capital, and formed an urban patriciate that tried to monopolise power and at the same time present itself as the spokesman for the interests of the kingdom. The formation of this ruling class is therefore also fundamental to the explanation of the historical development of the country.
• Within this elite, the group of converts from Judaism stands out. Their integration into the majority society and into the machinery of power, and the imposition of the inquisitorial court as a filter for this process, is another line of research to be followed.
• This society, basically urban in its behaviour, gave rise to an abundant and refined literary production, and used writing as a means of expression and communication. The edition of medieval Valencian texts and their contextualisation therefore allows us to penetrate a little further into a whole culture and the spirit of an era.
• Finally, the analysis of local society cannot be exhausted in itself, but can be better understood by looking in the mirror at other contemporary realities, especially those close to us, such as the Italian one. 

The Elcis research group has carried out research into reading, literary, media and linguistic training in multicultural and multilingual contexts at different educational levels in both L1 and L2 and foreign languages. It began when we were awarded the research project "Globalisation, exclusion and multiculturalism in Children's and Young Adult Literature" (UV-AE-20060713) in 2006.

Since then and until now we have been working on different research, cooperation and innovation projects. A determining factor for the consolidation and expansion not only of research lines, but also of members and collaborators was the award of the R+D+I project "Literary Education and Interculturality" of the Ministry of Science and Innovation (EDU 2008-01782/EDUC), National Programme for Fundamental Research in the framework of the 6th National Plan for Scientific Research.

We have taken part in other projects such as "Diversity and (in)equality in contemporary Spanish literature for children and young people" (UV-IMV-PRECOMP-13-115502), "Literary images of diversity: citizenship and identity through reading and literary education" (GV 2015-050). Or the centre innovation projects "Innovation, Research and Quality in Higher Education: Projects and Proposals in teaching research in the Complementary Activities Weeks" in different editions or "Work on the impact of the use of interactive whiteboards in the higher education of teachers of Infant, Primary and Secondary Education". As well as "Comparative study of DLL subjects in the new degrees of Early Childhood Education" project awarded by the University of Seville. Projects for Teaching Research (038-A6-2010) with researchers from the universities of Seville, Jaén, Granada, Valencia, Barcelona, A Coruña; the project DETERMINING FACTORS IN THE READING HABITS OF SECONDARY EDUCATION STUDENTS (PR2017-040) granted by the University of Cadiz. Or the cooperation project "Preparation of teacher training agents and institutional teams to enable innovation and improvement in research and teacher training in intercultural bilingual education in the Andean and Caribbean areas" of the Spanish Agency for International Cooperation (D/030992/10); "Linguistic competences and cultural identity of students of immigrant origin - integration variables in immigration contexts" (APE/2015/004).

We have also been part of the project "MEDIATIC COMPETENCIES OF THE CITIZENSHIP IN EMERGING DIGITAL MEDIA (SMARTPHONES AND TABLETS): INNOVATIVE PRACTICES AND EDUCOMUNICATIVE STRATEGIES IN MULTIPLE CONTEXTS of the Ministry of Economy and Competitiveness. National Programme for R&D Projects (EDU2015-64015-C3-1-R) with 40 researchers from 11 Spanish universities and 8 Latin American and European countries or the project "YOUTUBERS AND INSTAGRAMMERS: MEDIATIC COMPETITION IN EMERGING PROSUMERS" of the STATE RESEARCH AGENCY - 2018 Calls for Knowledge Generation R&D Projects and R&D Projects and RESEARCH CHALLENGES.

The Elcis group has also organised all kinds of scientific meetings related to our research: among others, the 3rd International Conference on Catalan Literature for Children and Young Adults (2006); and the International Conference on Literary Education and Society. The teaching of literature to young adults (2007); Interdisciplinary Conference on Women's Studies (2009); : 3rd Conference on Teaching Innovation in Higher Education (2014); 1st and 2nd International Conference Teaching Literature in English for Young Learners (2012) and (2015); 15th International Conference of the Spanish Society of Language and Literature Didactics (2014); Conference on Research, Innovation and Best Practices in Early Childhood Education (2014), (2015), (2016), (2017) and ((2018) or the Conference on Reading, Literary and Linguistic Education. They are currently part of the network of excellence of the project EXCELLENCE NETWORK IN MEDIATIC EDUCATION of the Ministry of Economy, Programme of Dynamisation Actions Networks of Excellence R+D (Action 2016) (EDU2016-81772-REDT) participating entities: 10 R+D IPs 10 Spanish universities.

The group's research focuses on various aspects of insect biology and can address any general topic in Entomology. In the field of morphology, basic questions concerning the form and function of these organisms are addressed. This includes questions such as the morphology of venom glands in parasitic wasps and the structure and function of sexual organs in butterflies and moths, including aspects of sexual selection. In the field of taxonomy, work is carried out on groups such as Homoptera, Hymenoptera, Lepidoptera and Diptera, addressing the problem of identification, taxonomy and phylogeny from both morphological and molecular points of view. In the field of ecology, aspects such as host-parasitoid relationships in wasps (braconids and chalcidids) or the population dynamics of butterflies are dealt with. Applied Entomology deals with aspects such as the detection and identification of pests, the study of their biological cycles, the use of useful insects in biological control (bioassays of compatibility with the use of insecticides) or biorational insecticides and the use of pheromones in biological control. 

Particularly noteworthy are the aspects related to the populations of culicidae and cockroaches. We also work on aspects related to the conservation of fauna such as the generation of red lists, studies of endangered fauna and micro-reserves and the conservation of protected butterflies.

Since 2006, the EDIFICA group (Evaluation and dissemination of science, promotion of knowledge of research methodologies and academic communication) has been developing different lines of research, including the performance of scientometric and bibliometric studies for the evaluation of research, as well as the development of materials based on e-learning, with the aim of providing a reference framework to enhance knowledge of research methodologies and written and oral communication skills in the academic environment.

The EDIFICA group has developed an outstanding activity in relation to these lines of research, with the publication of numerous works that analyse the production, collaboration or impact of research activity at analytical levels (authors, institutions, disciplines or countries). Likewise, since 2012, different projects have been launched to deepen the knowledge of the phenomenon of scientific collaboration in order to better understand this phenomenon and provide relevant information to both institutions and researchers in order to enhance and manage cooperative practices; and in relation to the development of materials based on e-learning, in order to provide a complementary reference framework to the tutoring process for the development of the final degree project as well as in the development and collection of resources to enhance the skills of written and oral communication in the academic environment.

Likewise, the EDIFICA group has been characterised over the last few years by an outstanding activity of dissemination of Valencian cultural heritage, participating in exhibitions, conferences and through different informative publications, particularly of its native sport par excellence, Valencian pilota. The development of control indicators to identify unethical practices in research activities is the group's most innovative line of work.

The Joint Research Unit on Experimental Hepatology was established in 2008 through a research agreement between the Universitat de València and the La Fe Hospital Research Foundation, integrating teaching and research staff from both the Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology of the UVEG and the Health Research Institute of La Fe Hospital. Its main objective is translational research in hepatology. Based on the study of the cellular and molecular biology of hepatocytes, the group conducts in-depth research into problems of clinical relevance in hepatology, using complex cellular models capable of mimicking the behaviour of the human liver. In addition, with the support of advanced analytical technologies, we develop new diagnostic and therapeutic strategies.

More specifically, the group carries out relevant and pioneering research activity in:

1. The development of human liver cell models with a differentiated phenotype, which are able to reproduce the pathophysiology of hepatocytes.
2. The study of drug-induced hepatotoxicity, trying to elucidate the molecular mechanisms and genes involved, and searching for new biomarkers for clinical translation.
3. Research into non-alcoholic fatty liver disease. With a particular emphasis on 
4. The development of new strategies for diagnosis, monitoring and clinical prognosis in drug-induced hepatotoxicity, and their validation in clinical trials.
5. Improving cell transplantation as a therapy for certain liver diseases

The overall objective of the research is to develop and apply methodologies that improve and facilitate decision-making for both financial professionals and regulators. It also extends to the analysis and management of climate change risks based on the fundamentals of financial theory, applying quantitative finance techniques to energy commodity price series quoted in international financial markets (spot and forward).

The Group of Heterogeneous Catalysis integrated in the Department of Chemical Engineering of the Universitat of València focuses its activity on the study of alternative catalytic reactions to those currently developed at industrial level and the design of new catalysts that are efficient in different industrial processes. Thus, it studies those catalytic processes in which the aim is:

• to revalorise starting materials of low economic value or
• to eliminate toxic and polluting compounds through their transformation.

The different fields of research in which the group is working are shown below. The group works specifically in:

• Elimination of toxic and polluting compounds,
  • Total oxidation of volatile organic compounds.
  • Elimination of CO by oxidation to CO2.
• Processes of interest in the petrochemical industry:
  • Selective oxidation of hydrocarbons into high value-added compounds.
  • Dehydrogenation of saturated hydrocarbons.
• Processes of interest in the refining industry:
  • Catalytic cracking and hydrocracking reactions.
  • Solid catalyst alkylation.
  • Disproportionation of aromatics.
• Processes for obtaining and using hydrogen:
  • Obtaining hydrogen from hydrocarbons by alternative methods.
  • Dehydrogenation of saturated compounds.
  • Obtaining hydrogen peroxide from hydrogen and molecular oxygen.

Basic research in genetic diseases with neurological alterations. Our group mainly studies the Friedreich's Ataxia and Spastic Paraplegia Type 7 diseases, which are rare mitochondrial pathologies with Mendelian inheritance, and Schizophrenia, relatively more frequent, but whose inheritance is complex. Friedreich's Ataxia (FRDA): Through the development of different experimental models of the disease (animal models created in Drosophila and cell models from lines of human origin), we generate tools that allow us to address:

1. The identification of genes that, by altering their expression, can increase the level of frataxin, a protein deficient in FRDA, or improve some of the pathological phenotypes in the models. 
2. The search for new molecules with therapeutic potential to be proposed in preclinical trials, together with a methodological strategy that facilitates the identification of the molecular mechanism underlying the action of these molecules. 
3. The identification of new targets that make it possible to design different therapeutic strategies.

Spastic Paraplegia Type 7 (SPG7): It is a neurodegenerative disease caused by mutations in the SPG7 gene that encodes the paraplegin protein. So far, the only models described are those of total loss of paraplegia function due to a complete deletion of the gene. However, the effects caused by complete loss of function may be different from those caused by a particular point mutation. New mass sequencing methodologies identify genetic changes that are often difficult to characterise as pathological. Our aim is to use Drosophila to assess the possible pathogenic effect of genetic variations identified in the SPG7 gene in patients with the disease. In addition, these humanised Drosophila models will make it possible to understand the pathological mechanism of these mutations in order to propose actions aimed at a more personalised medicine.

Schizophrenia: This disease is clinically very heterogeneous with complex inheritance involving factors of different aetiology. The identification of genetic risk factors is still a challenge. Our group carries out, in chronic patients and in patients with first psychotic episodes, expression studies of candidate genes that have been identified in Genome Wide Association Studies (GWAS). We also analyse the effect of medication on gene expression patterns in blood samples by identifying biomarkers of treatment response. By generating Induced Pluripotent Stem Cells (iPSCs) from psychotic patients and healthy individuals, differentiated into different neuronal types (inhibitory, excitatory and dopaminergic), the group aims to understand why some patients respond to medication while others are totally refractory to treatment.

The research group focuses its work on the innovative firm and makes academic contributions regarding the following issues:

1. Characteristics of the innovative firm. 
2. Strategy of the innovative firm. 
3. Entrepreneurship and innovation. 
4. Innovation and business performance.
5. New products design.
6. Organizational learning and knowledge management. 
7. Implications of the company's innovative strategy for human resources. 

Both qualitative and quantitative methodologies are followed according to each specific research objective. 

Human behaviour is fascinating. “If you want to understand a person, do not listen to their words, observe their behaviour”, said Einstein. But observable behaviour is complex and, understood within the framework of neuroscience, involves the integration of knowledge from different fields (Psychology, Economics, Biology, Genetics...). Within this framework, the research group “Laboratory of Behavioural, Affective and Cognitive Neuroscience” (BACNeuLab) carries out interdisciplinary research that addresses the biological bases of behaviour, highlighting the importance of cognitive and affective processes, in interaction, as well as their relationship with manifest behaviour, both adaptive and maladaptive. Thus, our foundations are the study of human emotion and cognition within the framework of psychobiology, and our studies address diverse topics ranging from the cognitive biases that affect our life decisions in different populations, to the influence of stress on health in general, to the effects of music on cognitive performance, as well as its potential therapeutic application, among others. All of them, with the aim of describing, understanding and, finally, explaining human behaviour from the integrative and rigorous point of view that neuroscience allows us. In this way, the work carried out is characterised by the collaboration with researchers from other fields and from different areas of knowledge and various Universities (national and international). The methods used are from psychophysiology (variables such as cardiac variability, electrodermal response, electromyography, respiratory) and cognitive psychology (attention tasks, cognitive biases, information processing) and affective (emotions). In addition, the statistical methods used vary from frequency statistics to Bayesian statistics, including computational models.

This research group focuses on the study of the characteristics, structure, processes and incentive systems of the management bodies of companies, and their relationship with the strategies they use, as well as with the results of the organisations.

The research team that makes up this group specialises in competitive and corporate strategy, as well as in the approaches of top management teams (Upper Echelons), Corporate Governance, and sustainable competitiveness (i.e. the balance between competitiveness, survival and Corporate Social Responsibility in a broad sense). 

In the field of strategy, this research group has carried out multiple research projects on competitive strategy (strategy clock and competitive positioning), strategic orientation of organisations, internationalisation strategies, diversification strategies, entry modes, mergers and acquisitions, strategic alliances, etc. These works have been published in both national and international academic journals, with considerable weight being given to those in the main international lists of research journals (i.e. JCR, Scopus, etc.).

Since 2002, much of this work has focused on the fundamental role of management teams and governing bodies in defining strategies and in the disposition of certain attitudes that are reflected in strategic decision-making. Market orientation, proactive, innovative and risk-taking orientation, open-mindedness, acceptance of change, self-confidence, optimism, complacency, globally responsible attitudes, ethics or personalistic and particularistic approaches are areas of interest in the research.

Among the aspects considered in relation to management teams and governing bodies, this research group pays attention to team composition, diversity, power and participation structure, hierarchical and horizontal role distribution, interaction processes, cognitive and affective conflict, shared values, incentive systems, as well as demographic and psycho-sociological characteristics of specific members of executvie management, such as General Management or certain functional or divisional managers.

Both antecedents and consequences of the above-mentioned variables and the relationships between them are of interest to us. With regard to the effects of these relationships on organisational performance, attention is paid to aspects such as competitiveness (profitability, growth, solvency, survival), reputation, value creation, etc. 

Our research is mainly carried out through the execution of competitive research projects, financed by the Generalitat Valenciana (Valencian Government) and the Spanish Ministry of Economy and Competitiveness, among others. However, this research group maintains close contact with the economic-business context, and carries out technical advice, training, diagnosis and technical studies and reports aimed at the practical application of our line of work.

The purposes of our projects are to explore the mechanistic principles of membrane protein insertion, folding and assembly into lipid membranes and to investigate the factors that determine membrane protein stability. Our interest focuses on protein/protein-interactions relevant for maintaining tertiary and quaternary structure and function of integral membrane protein complexes. More specifically, we investigate the role of membrane-spanning domains, i.e. of transmembrane segments. The study is performed through an exhaustive investigation of glycophorin A as a model dimeric membrane protein, and from the knowledge of this system we try to understand the structure and function of the pulmonary surfactant SP-C protein, an extremely hydrophobic membrane protein.

On the other hand, we are interested in the cell-to-cell transport of plant virus. This transport process is mediated by specialized viral movement proteins, which in same cases are membrane proteins, that drive the viral genome to the cellular membrane in order to be transported into neighbouring uninfected host cells through the plasmodesmal channel. We are currently investigating the targeting and the insertion mechanisms of these viral membrane proteins into the biological membranes.

The Molecular Genetics of Development and Biomedical Models group uses the fly Drosophila melanogaster as an experimental organism. In recent years, Drosophila has become a very useful tool in biomedical research. The development of very powerful genetic techniques in this organism, and the fact that it shares part of its biology with that of humans, and that it contains homologues of most of the genes involved in human diseases, justify this success.

In this context, our group is using several approaches to study human genetic diseases in Drosophila in order to dissect their pathogenesis pathways and identify biomarkers that allow their diagnosis and/or study their progression, and to discover molecules with therapeutic potential to alleviate and/or delay their symptoms. Specifically, we are interested in the study of Parkinson's disease (PD), which is the second most common neurodegenerative disease. Although most cases of PD are sporadic, familial forms represent 5-10% and appear as a consequence of mutations in certain genes such as DJ-1, the gene responsible for a recessive and juvenile form of familial PD. DJ-1 is a multifunctional protein involved in processes such as the response to oxidative stress (OS), mitochondrial homeostasis and metabolism, the alteration of which is key to the onset of the disease.

The group has developed a model of PD in Drosophila based on the lack of function of the DJ-1beta gene (orthologue of the human DJ-1 gene), since the DJ-1? protein has biochemical properties similar to the human DJ-1 protein. The model flies show a high level of oxidative damage and reproduce some aspects of PD, such as high sensitivity to EO and motor defects.

We are currently using several experimental strategies in PD model flies in order to understand the pathophysiological alterations associated with the disease and to identify biomarkers that will allow us to establish new diagnostic and therapeutic tools. In addition, and given that PD is an incurable disorder for which there are only symptomatic treatments, we are looking for compounds capable of suppressing motor defects and reducing OE levels in model flies. The candidate compounds are then validated in human cells and in vertebrate models, and could therefore become potential therapeutic molecules for PD. Since the DJ-1 protein is inactivated in many patients with sporadic PD, the results obtained in model flies could be relevant for these more frequent cases of PD.

On the other hand, the group is interested in the study of basic developmental processes in Drosophila relevant to human health, such as embryonic dorsal closure (DC) and wound healing (WH) in this organism. DC is a morphogenetic process involving migration and fusion of epithelial layers and is used as an in vivo model of vertebrate CH, as the cellular machinery and signalling pathways involved in both are similar. Understanding the molecular basis of CH and regeneration is a major challenge in biology and medicine, as it will accelerate the repair of damaged tissues, the reconstruction of tissues/organs and the restoration of homeostasis.

The main objectives of the research group are the development of mathematical models for operations research, statistics and dynamic systems. The problems addressed are: optimisation with uncertainty, human resource management, project sequencing, optimisation of hospital processes, efficiency and analysis of the pension system, dynamic optimisation and statistical models in finance.

The Psychosocial Research Unit of Organisational Behaviour (UNIPSICO) is a basic and applied scientific group, created to research and provide solutions to problems related to work performance and human resources management in work organisations, especially the processes and variables involved in the appearance and development of psychosocial risks at work, paying special attention to work-related stress, psychological harassment and burnout syndrome, in order to design intervention strategies aimed at improving the quality of working life of professionals and workers in general. 

Intervention in these processes will help to reduce accidents and absenteeism, as well as the personnel costs derived from these incidents. At an applied level, this line of research is linked to the Law on Occupational Risk Prevention (B.O.E. 10-11-1995). On the other hand, the aim is to investigate the organisation as a socially constructed reality, and to analyse some of the most relevant psychosocial processes that contribute to the formation of the culture and climate of the organisation. To this end, the cognitions, emotions and attitudes of the organisation's groups are investigated, comparing the phenomena and processes at different organisational levels. The results obtained are intended to improve management and decision-making in the organisation. 

UNIPSICO is one of the main national and international references in research on psychosocial risks at work and quality of working life, and its members belong to some of the most relevant international scientific associations of psychology (APA, IAAP, EAWOP, EA-OHP, SOHP, etc.). The director of the group has been PI of research projects funded within the National Plan for R+D+i, by the Generalitat Valenciana and the UVEG. 

In terms of scientific and research productivity, the group has more than 200 publications, including articles in scientific journals, books and book chapters. A significant part of these are in journals indexed in JCR. It also has more than 300 papers presented at international and national conferences. One of the objectives of the group's scientific activity has been aimed at opening international channels of academic exchange between researchers, establishing references in this area, and contributing to the creation of critical mass in the field of research on psychosocial risks at work. 

As part of the "Knowledge Transfer and Innovation" activity, the creation of the CESQT questionnaire, an instrument translated and validated in other languages (Czech, Finnish, English, French, German, Italian, Polish, Portuguese, Romanian and Tamil), and the coordination of an international network of researchers working on its validation, should be highlighted. 

Among the awards and honourable mentions received by the group leader are the following:

1. He has been declared Guest of Honour, in the city of Puerto San Julián (Province of Santa Cruz, Argentina) (July, 2005) in consideration of his professional career.
2. He has received the Dr. Oscar Eduardo Alende awards in 2006 (second prize), and in 2008 (first prize), granted by the "Fundación Oscar Eduardo Alende" of the Colegio de Médicos de la Provincia de Buenos Aires, District II, for his co-authorship in research on quality of working life.
3. He has been recognised as an active member of the Red de Investigadores sobre Factores Psicosociales en el Trabajo A.C. (Mexico) for his outstanding contribution to Occupational Health Psychology at the international level. (Mexico) for his outstanding contribution to Occupational Health Psychology at the international level.
4. Award for lifetime achievement and contributions to research in Latin America on psychosocial factors, stress and mental health at work, granted by the Red de Investigadores sobre Factores Psicosociales en el Trabajo A.C. (Network of Researchers on Psychosocial Factors at Work). (October, 2010).
5. He has been institutionally recognised by the Government of Jalisco (Mexico) for his cooperation in assessing the psychosocial risks of prison staff (November 2008).
6. Recognition from the Universidad Fidélitas (San José, Costa Rica) for contributions to Psychology (May, 2010).
7. He has received the distinction of the Chilean Society of Work and Organisational Psychology (SCHIPTO) in recognition of his outstanding career and important contributions to training and research in the field of work and organisational psychology (October, 2016).
8. Recognition (tribute) from the Universidade Federal da Paraíba, Centro de Ciências da Saúde (João Pessoa, Brazil) for his significant contribution to international scientific production and for the development of an instrument for the assessment of burnout syndrome (May, 2019).

As Director of UNIPSICO, he has received the "Distinction 2014 for research work in occupational risk prevention" awarded by the Valencian Institute for Safety and Health at Work (INVASSAT) of the Generalitat Valenciana on the occasion of the celebration of the "International Day of Health and Safety at Work". This distinction is a recognition of the research work being carried out by this research group, led by Dr. Gil-Monte, with the aim of preventing psychosocial risks at work, promoting the quality of working life of workers and increasing the competitiveness and productivity of companies and organisations in the Valencian Community. The distinctions in occupational risk prevention have been created by the Generalitat Valenciana to promote health and safety at work, and as a stimulus and recognition of those companies, institutions, or individuals who stand out for their distinguished performance in occupational risk prevention, or for their involvement in the promotion and encouragement of health and safety at work in the Valencian Community, to serve as an example of good preventive work in the Valencian society as a whole.

Functional conjugated organic oligomers and polymers constitute an interesting group of materials for their application in optoelectronic devices. The combination of the mechanical properties (i.e. plasticity and processability) with their tuneable electrical and optical properties (conductivity, photo- and electroluminescence) makes them very attractive components, allowing for low-cost flexible thin films light-emitting diodes (LEDs), lasers, displays, photovoltaic cells, detectors or field-effect transistors (FETs). In the last 20 years, something that emerged as a promising field for new materials and applications has evolved to real industry with commercial products on the market.

The performance of the organic-based devices relies on several complementary processes which take place in the active layer, such as optical absorption, energy migration and emission as well as charge generation, transport and recombination. In order to understand these processes, it is necessary to acquire a deep knowledge in the nature and properties of the materials in the active layer. This concerns the intrinsic molecular properties, i.e. nature and (torsional) flexibility of the molecular backbone, effective conjugation length and substitution pattern, but also the specific arrangement of the molecules in the layer, which in turn is controlled by their intrinsic properties. The systematization of the relationship between the molecular structure, and their electronic and optical properties is thus the starting point in the rational design of new materials with improved properties. The design of materials prior to synthesis has become an important subject in material science, where theory works hand in hand with chemistry, physics, and device technology in a multidisciplinary approach. The last 10 years saw a rapid evolvement of quantum-chemical methods for the reliable prediction of material properties together with increasing computing capabilities. However, meaningful results require a profound knowledge on the possibilities and limits of the different quantum-chemical methods, only provided by specialists, but working in an interdisciplinary environment. My methodological toolbox ranges from cost-efficient semi-empirical methods, via density-functional based approaches, to different ab-initio methods, making use of various quantum-chemical packages to exploit the full spectrum of reliable theoretical description.

With the knowledge of the appropriate quantum-chemical method at hand, it is possible to determine accurately neutral and charged species of conjugated organic molecules in their ground and excited state. This concerns the molecular geometry and conformation, IR and Raman vibrational spectra, orbital energy and topology, electron affinity and ionization potentials, energy as well as the intensity and vibronic properties of electronic transitions. Similarly, intermolecular effects can be treated to extract excitonic and electronic couplings for modelling solid state spectra, and energy and charge transport properties, thus becoming an indispensable instrument in material design.

One of the main themes of our project is the analytical and numerical study of the so-called Relativistic Positioning Systems (RPS). A collaborator of our group (B. Coll) proposed this research line a decade ago. We will study in depth topics such as bifurcation and minimisation of positioning errors, and in the longer term gravimetry. We will also try to study – in its relativistic aspects–  satellite navigation based on pulsar observation. The European Space Agency has repeatedly shown its interest in relativistic positioning by setting up working groups and organising conferences.

We are also conducting the following studies within the framework of the theory of General Relativity (GR): (1) intrinsic characterisation of some physically significant solutions of Einstein’s equations (spherically symmetric solutions, cosmological models, etc.) and of the gravitational radiation states (Bel-Robinson tensor), and (2) study of the concepts of total intrinsic linear 4-momentum and angular 4-momentum of the universe, and application to the characterisation of universes that could be created by quantum vacuum fluctuations.

In addition, part of our team is working on the study of non-linear anisotropies of the cosmic microwave background using numerical simulations. Following this line, we intend to study the secondary Rees-Sciama, Sunyaev-Zel´dovich and lensing anisotropies and, above all, we are interested in the non-linear superposition of these effects to compare it with recent observational data obtained within the framework of the SPT (South Pole Telescope) and ACT (Atacama Cosmology Telescope) projects at very small angular scales. This topic requires complicated simulations that are being carried out in collaboration with the main researcher (H.M.P Couchman) and other members (R. Thacker) of the International Hydra Consortium for the development of numerical simulations of structure formation. In-house equipment and equipment from the UV Computing Centre are being used.

Finally, the nature of dark energy is a current topic of debate in which we want to participate by trying to study different alternatives to vacuum energy or of a certain dynamical scalar field (quintessence). Among others, we intend to analyse possible explanations based on: (a) the energy associated with certain vector fields (vector-tensor theories), (b) inhomogeneous universes within the framework of GR, and (c) negative pressure associated with the gravitational interaction between certain structures populating the universe.

We have always considered that theoretical developments and simulations complement each other when it comes to explaining observations and that, therefore, when working on gravitation, direct collaboration between theoretical researchers with a solid geometrical background and those with extensive experience in developing simulations is highly desirable. The composition of our group guarantees this collaboration, which has already yielded good results and which we are confident will continue to do so. Not all our work will be carried out within the framework of General Relativity, since some cosmological observations, such as anomalies in the angular spectrum of the microwave background and the luminosity-redshift relation of type Ia supernovae, suggest the existence of new fields in the framework of certain generalisations of Einstein's theory of gravitation (scalar-tensor, vector-tensor, tensor-tensor theories, etc.). These alternative theories are currently being seriously investigated and we join this trend with moderation. We also join the opposite trend, which tries to explain the so-called dark sector through application models of Einstein's theory, without additional fields.

Until 2015, we were funded by the FIS2012-33582 project of MINECO.

Knowledge generation on the basis that service innovation creates value and well-being for clients, workers, entrepreneurs and the community in general through new and/or improved service offerings, processes and models. All this is configured at the level of strategy, development and execution of the service, under a sustainable, multidisciplinary, international and technological perspective, at the level of business-to-customer (B2C), business-to-business (B2B) and customer-to-customer (C2C) relations, both in public and private, on-line and off-line organisations.

The SIV group is continuously monitoring the existing research gaps in the service field and also in specific service sectors with special relevance in Leisure -Tourism, Culture and Sport-, Health and Education, with a philosophy of continuous transfer to companies and institutions at national and international level.

The research work of the SIV group has been published in numerous academic journals, many of them international (more than 90) and indexed in the JCR, for example: Journal of Business Research, Tourism Management, Higher Education, Online Information Review, Current Issues in Tourism, Journal of Travel & Tourism Marketing, Service Industries Journal, International Journal of Service Industry Management, European Journal of Marketing, Service Business. In terms of dissemination in academic forums, it is worth mentioning the presentation of more than 150 papers in international conferences such as: European Marketing Academy, Global Innovation & Knowledge Academy, International Technology, Education and Development Conference, International Association of Public and Non-profit Marketing, International Marketing Trends Conference, Advances in Tourism Marketing Conference.

The research group has also led and participated in several major national and international projects. In this sense, it is worth mentioning the ENPI Newcimed: New Cities Of The Mediterranean Sea Basin project, funded by the European Commission; the project Configuration of universities as centres of education throughout the citizen life through the management of relations between its stakeholders granted by the Ministry of Education and Science and the project Sustainability Indicators for developed and developing destinations with vulnerable populations funded by the Spanish Agency for International Development Cooperation. Members of the research group have also carried out projects aimed at knowledge transfer. These projects include those sponsored by the Diputación de Valencia, Evaluation of the impact of the Valencia Terra i Mar brand in the field of sport; the Official Chamber of Commerce, Industry and Navigation of Valencia Report on the situation of innovation in the retail commercial sector: management and generation of services to the buyer and the Valencian Government Technical advice on foundations and sponsorship, among others.

With regard to the doctoral training capacity of the research group, it is worth highlighting the supervision of more than 10 doctoral theses, several of them with international mention, and all of them with the qualification Excellent cum laude. The group also has one FPU grant recipient.

The academic achievements of the members of the group throughout their career have been distinguished with several awards, among which the following are worth mentioning:

1. GIKA 2016 Award for the best paper in the Young Researchers category;
2. Highly Commended Paper in the 2016 Emerald Literati Network Awards for Excellence;
3. Emerald Literari Network 2010 Awards for Excellence, among others. The above accredits the research and transfer work of the SIV team and its updating on topics of academic and business relevance. AICO group grant 2017, Conselleria d'Educació, Investigació, Cultura i Esport

Public management is a fact of life in tourism. There is no longer any doubt about the decisive role of the Administration (at whatever level it is divided), to admit that its presence provides tourism with a stable framework, not exclusively conditioned to the evolution of the market. This should be so, fundamentally, because tourism activity requires the use of public goods and services for its development, which, in most cases, were either not created for this purpose or do not exist. From a micro vision, the tourism products created for this consumption are made up, among their basic components, of public goods which, in general, constitute the most valued elements in the choice of those who consume them. Equally decisive, although less visible, are other components (such as infrastructures, regulations, safety or health) which, from a macro vision, in many cases condition the success of tourism. These public goods and services, which, by the way, are not generally the responsibility of tourism, generate friction between administrations, and between administrations and the private and civil sphere, which translates into areas of conflict. Consequently, tourism no longer only creates economic benefits, but also other externalities that were discussed until very recently, but have now been taken on board.

Thus, in the public sphere, tourism management focuses its attention on how to mitigate the negative effects of the activity and how to make the most of the opportunities that can be glimpsed in territories with potential. All of this considering the diversity of actors involved and their interests, and not having to prioritise between the social, economic, cultural and environmental dimensions.

Aperturism, as a research group, was created with the general objective of analysing, deepening and reflecting on the public management of tourism, with a special focus on the local level.

Violence in intimate relationships, and in particular in parent-child and intimate partner relationships, is a huge social problem in our societies, with high costs at the individual, family and societal levels. Violence in intimate relationships affects large numbers of people throughout their life cycle, constitutes the majority of violence acts committed in our societies and remains a fundamental public health and human rights issue. Although significant progress has been made in recent decades in the recognition and understanding of this social problem, there are still many questions, challenges and controversies that arise for a better understanding and prevention of such a complex and multifaceted problem.

Research on the various types of violence in intimate relationships has traditionally been kept separate with little interconnection between the different lines of work. However, there is a growing recognition that different types of intimate partner violence share common ground, and that there may be an overlap in the processes, patterns, causes, risk factors and interventions in different types of intimate partner violence, and that an integrating and multifaceted approach to the study of this social problem is increasingly necessary. This research group proposes precisely an integrative approach to the violence investigation in intimate relationships. Through the combined efforts of a group of researchers from the Universitat de València with a solid and recognised career, and a group of national and international collaborators, an integrating strategy articulated around four lines of research is proposed.

The group considers that the activity is justified by the fact that the history of translation in Spain has rarely (and never systematically) focused on scientific and technical translations from French into Spanish, a very important area in the transmission of the history of scientific and technical knowledge from France to Spain. The studies carried out so far by the group are both historical-traductological and bibliographical in nature. The material used to develop the activity is of two types: critical historical sources on the periods taken into consideration (18th-19th centuries), computerised catalogues (BNE, Google books, REBIUN, CCPBE, etc.) as well as manual catalogues (library catalogues, in particular university libraries).

At present, we are implementing a double database that collects, on the one hand, the corpus of translations from French into Spanish, mainly published in Spain and France, on scientific and technical subjects between the 18th and 19th centuries. On the other hand, a corpus of the translators responsible for them. With this activity, the foundations are being laid for a future dictionary of translations and translators that offers a thematic classification of translations with their bibliographical characteristics, and also the corpus of translators with their bio-bibliographical characteristics. The group's activities include the regular biennial organisation of meetings between researchers, of which 4 editions have already been published. The first of these meetings, the I Conference on the History of Non-Literary Translation (www.uv.es/tradcyt2012), was held in 2012, the second (www.uv.es/tradcyt2014/index.htm), this time international, in 2014, the III International Conference (https://www.uv.es/uvweb/university-institute-history-medicine-science/en/inter-university-institute-lopez-pinero/iii-jornadas-internacionales-sobre-historia-de-la-traduccion-no-literaria-1285893059754/Novetat.html?id=1285985272606) in 2016 and the IV (https://www.uv.es/histradcyt18/index.htm) in 2018. The research and dissemination activity of the group, whose work in this field dates back to 2011, namely before its registration as a research group of the Universitat de València, has been, to our knowledge, extensive. In addition to numerous articles in national and international journals, five monographic journal issues have been published: Cuadernos de Filología Francesa nº22 (2011); Quaderns de Filología. Estudis lingüístics nº17 (2012), nº 21 (2016), nº24 (2019); Synergies Espagne, nº 12 (2019), online. In addition to the journals, five monographs on the History of Translation (2015, 2016, 2017, 2019, 2020) and two books on translators have also been published. The first published in 2017, Essay on a dictionary of Spanish translators of scientific and technical translations. (1750-1900): Medicine (author Julia Pinilla Martínez) http://www5.uva.es/hermeneus/?page_id=2110&lang=es. The second in 2019 Repertoire of Spanish Translators (1750-1900). Translated and own works in the field of the Humanities (edd. Noelia Micó Romero and Natalia Mª Campos Martín).

To sum up, the group's research activity seems to us to be particularly important for future research work both in the field of the history of translation from French into Spanish and in the history of science and technology from Europe, since, as we know, the French language in the 18th and 19th centuries was the vehicle for the transmission of European science. Our working methodology consists, first of all, in considering and studying the history of scientific and technical translation according to thematic axes (sub-areas) by adopting a systematic approach to aspects such as: the date of publication, the place, the printer/publisher. Secondly, we address the question of the translator with his or her social, professional and scientific characteristics. We also took into consideration the textual aspect of the translated works by analysing the paratexts of these works, a method that allows us to hypothesise both the purpose of each of the scientific or technical works translated from French into Spanish and their relationship with untranslated French works, as well as the reception in Spain of the knowledge they convey. The goal is, in addition to the above, to measure, qualitatively and quantitatively, the transmission of French technical and scientific knowledge from France to Spain at the time when the Peninsula was a recipient of this knowledge.

The MEDHISMO research group is the result of a long researcher career, founded thorugh competitive research projects of the Spanish Ministry of Economy and Competitiveness and coordinated from the Department of Modern History of the Universitat de València, thanks to the management work carried out by several of its members. 

The research work carried out focuses on social history research, incorporating the methodological innovation that have yielded the best results in recent years. Instead of considering social groups as static wholes over the long term, it gives priority attention to the study of the relationships and strategies adopted by individuals in pursuit of their personal, family or collective goals. 

As a result of the group’s research work, various databases have been compiled (from knights in the habit of a military order to craftsmen), and the individual careers of members of the various social categories have been traced. This is a task that requires continuity, as the aim is to study in greater depth the new perspectives opened up by the work already carried out. 

The methodology to be applied will combine the use of macro and micro-historical approaches. But its main added value is the use of the comparative method, analysing the trajectory of the Hispanic Mediterranean territories in a comparative framework, both nationally and internationally, especially in the Kingdom of Valencia and Sardinia. The dynamism experienced by both geographical areas favoured the process of social mobility, despite the restrictions derived from the dominant value system in the estates’ society, although its frequency and intensity was very different depending on the different opportunities and conditions that existed in each of them. Obviously, mobility was not only upward, since the aforementioned transformations were detrimental to several sectors that experienced a process of social regression and deterioration of their living conditions, which stimulated their resistance to the changes that were being experienced. 

The variety of lines of research addressed by the different approaches of the project members has allowed us to gain a deeper understanding of the social, economic, political and cultural transformations in these regions; in short, the historical evolution of the territories on the Mediterranean periphery of the Hispanic Monarchy, within a comparative framework, which needs to be further explored. 

The group’s research activity is carried out within the framework of three main lines of study: 

1. Labour and market relations in the urban world.
2. The study of social elites and their relationship to service to the monarchy.
3. Minorities, the marginalised and the conflicts associated with them.

Our group belongs to two institutions: the Universitat de València and the INCLIVA Health Research Institute, a research institute based at the Hospital Clínic Universitari of Valencia. This situation allows us to collaborate directly with clinicians in a wide range of disciplines to develop appropriate translational research. 

Cardiovascular diseases (CVD), such as coronary heart disease (CHD) and stroke, remain the leading cause of death in most European countries and atherosclerosis is the main contributor to them. In recent years, it has become clear that systemic inflammation is the main driver in the development of premature atherosclreosis and its complications. In this regard, it appears that low-grade systemic inflammation is often associated with metabolic disorders such as obesity and metabolic syndrome. 

Since 1992 our group has been working in the area of immunity and inflammation and, more precisely, in understanding the molecular and cellular mechanisms involved in endothelial dysfunction. As a result, we have found new potential biomarkers of cardiovascular disease and/or new therapeutic interventions to prevent endothelial dysfunction in chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), menopause or diabetes. In addition, we have proceeded to develop new active compounds with potential therapeutic applications in cardiovascular and metabolic disorders thanks to the union some years ago with the group of "Synthesis and Isolation of Bioactive Molecules" of the Department of Pharmacology with which we applied for and obtained joint projects in Competitive Calls. These collaborations will allow us to provide new insights into the understanding of the pathologies under study, therapeutic success and the generation of new patentable drugs. 

Today, inflammation and immunology are key areas in the understanding of cardiovascular and metabolic diseases, cancer and neurological disorders among other pathologies. We would also like to highlight that our group has received continuous funding since 1998 in Competitive Calls at national and regional level. It has also participated in several COST actions of the European Union and many of its members are part of different groups of CIBERDEM (CIBER on Diabetes and Associated Metabolic Diseases). The principal researcher, Dr. Sanz, has more than 100 original articles in indexed journals, 3 reviews and 9 book chapters. Of the indexed journals, 70% of the articles have been published in Q1 journals in the category and of these 43% are in D1. The most important are those published in Circulation, Circ. Res., Blood, PNAS, Nat. Commun., J. Immunol., Arterioscler Thromb Vasc Biol., Thorax, Cardiovascular Res., Br. J. Pharmacol., etc. It has an h-index of 34. 

All senior members of the research team have spent more than 2 years at prestigious research centres abroad. They have a notable number of publications in indexed journals with a medium-high impact index within their category. They have also supervised numerous doctoral theses in doctoral programmes with Quality Mention, many of them European. The group promotes short stays in research centres abroad during the pre-doctoral training of its doctoral students. A patent has recently been applied for with the new active ingredients synthesised and tested by our research group. Our group therefore carries out research that is clearly translational but with a clear projection towards the transfer of the results of its research.