2022-Imperial College London 2017-University of Bristol 2016-University of Barcelona
I am Dr. Julià Agramunt, a bioengineer with a PhD from Imperial College London (2022), where I investigated the role of hair follicles in tactile sensation. Funded by Procter & Gamble’s prestigious £97,000 (≈892,400 CNY) iCASE award, my work challenged established neuroscience paradigms and was published in Science Advances (2023). This research gained widespread recognition, including a feature in The New York Times under the headline, “Tingly All Over: A Hairy Truth About Your Sense of Touch.”My academic journey began with a BSc in Experimental Psychology from the University of Barcelona (2016), followed by an MSc in Molecular Neuroscience from the University of Bristol (2017). During my MSc, I investigated the pharmacodynamics of a novel drug targeting NMDA receptors, with implications for memory and depression treatment. This work explored the drug’s ***-like effects and its potential as a therapeutic agent for mood disorders.In 2024, I co-invented two European patents focused on dermatology and pharmacology. I led all data generation in the lab and contributed to the intellectual property development, resulting in the discovery of two previously unknown compounds with significant potential for treating hair loss and skin pigmentation disorders.Beyond research, I have mentored numerous MSc students and taught two PhD students, both of whom have continued my PhD work within my research group at Imperial College London.Throughout my career, I have been recognised for my contributions to science and leadership. I received the Best Talk Award at the 2019 European Neuroscience Conference and a £2,000 (≈18,400 CNY) grant from the European Hair Research Society (2018) for developing innovative volumetric immunostaining techniques for skin research. Additionally, I was awarded €4,800 (≈36,480 CNY) by the University of Barcelona (2014) for investigating numerical cognition.Beyond research, I served as the PhD Representative at Imperial College London, where I represented all PhD students from my department, promoting collaboration and improving academic support systems. Finally, in 2022, I was selected as one of 27 participants from a pool of 1,000 applicants for the prestigious PhD R&D Procter & Gamble seminar in Germany.