Manuel Serrano obtained his PhD in 1991 in Madrid, Spain, working under the supervision of Margarita Salas. In 1993, as a postdoctoral researcher in the laboratory of David Beach at Cold Spring Harbor Lab, NY, USA, he reported the discovery of the tumor suppressor gene p16, that has led to the discovery of p16-mimetic drugs that are now extensively used for the treatment of cancer. Working in Madrid and Barcelona, Serrano pioneered some of the most important advances in the understanding of cellular senescence. His team has also worked on several aspects of aging, including cellular senescence, metabolism, and cellular reprogramming. A major discovery from his laboratory was the demonstration that pluripotency reprogramming can be achieved within organisms (considered Discovery of the Year by Nature Medicine in 2013). In 2023, Serrano moved to Altos Labs in Cambridge, UK, where he continues working on understanding aging and rejuvenation.
