Javier Fernández Ruiz holds a PhD in Biology (1986) from the Complutense University of Madrid (UCM). He is currently a professor in the UCM's School of Medicine. He has been working as a researcher for the last 36 years and has written many research articles and chapters for books. He has filed 5 patents. He lectures in universities, research centres and at conferences. He is currently the principal investigator of the CANNABINOIDS-BBM3 research group of the University Institute of Research in Neurochemistry at the UCM, the CIBERNED, and the IRYCIS. The group's work centres on the study of the therapeutic potential of cannabinoids in various neurodegenerative diseases. It collaborates with several Spanish and international groups. Dr Fernández Ruiz has been principal investigator on 26 research projects. He was the president of the "International Cannabinoid Research Society (ICRS)" from 2002-2003 and was a founding member of the Spanish Cannabinoid Research Society (SEIC), of which he has been the Secretary (2000-2007) and President (2007-2011). He currently sits on the governing board of the IRYCIS, the scientific advisory board of the company VivaCell Biotechnology Spain and the editorial committee of the British Journal of Pharmacology.