Ander Mateo Baraibar Sierra

Ander Mateo Baraibar Sierra is a postdoctoral researcher whose work focuses on astrocyte-neuron communication, cortical network activity and astrocyte metabolism in health and disease. He holds a PhD in Pharmacology and Physiology from the Universidad Autónoma de Madrid, where he studied alterations in synaptic communication associated with aging and neurodegeneration.

During his postdoctoral training at the University of Minnesota, the University of the Basque Country, Achucarro Basque Center for Neuroscience and IIS Biobizkaia, he developed extensive expertise in astrocyte physiology and cortical function. His research has combined advanced electrophysiology and calcium imaging with two-photon microscopy, fiber photometry, optogenetic and chemogenetic approaches, and genetically encoded calcium and metabolic sensors.

His current research focuses on how astrocyte metabolism shapes cortical network activity and sensory processing, particularly in the context of neuroinflammation. He has investigated the role of astrocytic GLUT1 and glucose metabolism in cortical dysfunction and is developing approaches to study astrocyte lactate signalling in neuroinflammatory disease.

His research programme connects astrocyte physiology, brain metabolism and cortical network dysfunction, providing a strong foundation for understanding how metabolic alterations in astrocytes contribute to neurological disease. He has published 35 scientific contributions and has received international recognition for his work in neuroinflammation, including the Excellence in Neuroinflammation Award 2025.