17 September, 2024
In memory of Dr Ernest Arenas Cases (1962 – 2024)
Professor Ernest Arenas has left us unexpectedly and prematurely, brilliant neuroscientist and excellent person. A life dedicated to science, addressing one of the main medical challenges of our society: the search for treatments for neurodegenerative diseases.
Dr Arenas was born in 1962 in Lleida, although he spent his childhood in Manresa. Ernest studied Medicine and Surgery at the University of Lleida. He later performed his doctoral thesis at the University of Barcelona under the supervision of Dr Jordi Alberch. During his pre-doctoral stage, Ernest already stood out for his ability to work and for his critical, innovative and creative spirit. Ernest published multiple articles on the pharmacological regulation of acetylcholine release in the striatum during his predoctoral stage. It is worth highlighting the article that he published in the Journal of Neuroscience, which we could consider one of the first works carried out by an exclusively Spanish group in 1991, when neuroscience, or science in general, was not very competitive in Spain. This fact adds additional merit to Ernest’s work and genius. His doctoral thesis was awarded with the extraordinary prize. After finishing his doctoral thesis, Ernest moved to the Karolinska Institute (Stockholm, Sweden) in 1991 for a postdoctoral stay with Professor Hakan Persson to study neurotrophins’ function in the central nervous system that was an emerging and extremely competitive field in the 90s.
In Sweden, Ernest stood out again. In 1994, he obtained an Associate Professor position at the Karolinska Institute, and in 1998 he consolidated his position with an Assistant Professor position. Since 2002, Ernest was Professor in Stem Cell Neurobiology directing the Molecular Neurobiology laboratory at the Department of Medical Biochemistry and Biophysics of the Karolinska Institute. He has made important scientific contributions to the knowledge of the development and regeneration of dopaminergic neurons of the nigrostriatal pathway, as well as the possible involvement of stem cell differentiation in regenerative therapies for Parkinson’s disease. These results have been published in the best scientific journals such as Science and Nature, among others. Ernest has also received numerous awards and recognitions at national and international level.
Ernest was diagnosed with kidney failure at a very early age, but this strengthened his character, always with a pragmatic and resolute vision of life, which did not prevent him from having a productive scientific life, and a full personal life. His work focused on research into the causes of neurological diseases and the discovery of possible innovative and effective treatments. Ernest has always been an example for his great intelligence and ability to overcome adversity, with great dedication to others, especially to his family, his wife Carmen and his daughters Clara and Julia, but also to his scientific colleagues establishing close professional and personal ties.
Despite carrying out most of his professional career in Sweden, Ernest always maintained a strong link with Catalan and Spanish science. His critical and constructive spirit led him to participate as an external advisor to different Catalan and Spanish institutions, contributing with creative ideas that have allowed us to improve our scientific institutions. He also participated in many European and international projects with researchers from our country.
Professor Ernest Arenas is an example of intellectual capacity, creativity, and also overcoming; is and will continue to be a national and international scientific reference in the field of Neuroscience, and specifically in the study of the therapeutic involvement of stem cells in Parkinson’s disease. His scientific and personal imprint will live on for future generations. It is a great loss for Catalan, Spanish and international neuroscience.
All his collaborators and friends will remember him both professionally and personally.
Barcelona on, September 16, 2024
Jordi Alberch, Esther Perez-Navarro, Josep M Canals
Institut de Neurociències de la Universitat de Barcelona