Montserrat Fernandez Guarino
Montserrat Fernández-Guarino is a Spanish dermatologist and clinical researcher whose work focuses on photodynamic therapy, photoprotection, and non-surgical treatment of non-melanoma skin cancer. Her research spans dermatological oncology, photobiology, and light-based therapies.
Education
Fernández-Guarino obtained a diploma in psychology from the National University of Distance Education (UNED) in 2002. She earned a medical degree from the University of Alcalá in 2004 and completed specialist training in dermatology through the MIR residency program at Ramón y Cajal University Hospital in Madrid.
In 2010, she received a doctorate in medicine from the University of Alcalá with a dissertation on photodynamic therapy for actinic keratoses, which was awarded the Extraordinary Doctoral Prize. She later completed postgraduate studies in clinical nutrition, physical rehabilitation, pharmacy, healthcare management, and healthcare business administration.
Career
Fernández-Guarino has practiced dermatology at Ramón y Cajal University Hospital, Central Red Cross Hospital San José and Santa Adela, and La Zarzuela University Hospital. She holds accreditation from National Agency for Quality Assessment and Accreditation (ANECA) as a university professor and has taught at Alfonso X El Sabio University, Francisco de Vitoria University, Complutense University of Madrid, and the University of Alcalá.
She is affiliated with the Ramón y Cajal Institute for Health Research (IRYCIS) and leads the Research Group in Dermatology, Photobiology, Light Source Therapies, and Skin Cancer Prevention at Alfonso X El Sabio University.
Fernández-Guarino is a member of Spanish Academy of Dermatology and Venereology (AEDV), the European Academy of Dermatology and Venereology (EADV), and the International Society of Photobiology.
In 2022, she founded Madriderma, a dermatology clinic in Madrid. In 2025, she coordinated a course organized by the AEDV on photodynamic therapy. She has participated in national and European research projects in experimental dermatology and cutaneous biology.
Research
Fernández-Guarino's research addresses photodynamic therapy, photoprotection, wound healing, and non-surgical treatment of non-melanoma skin cancer. Her studies include combination protocols integrating topical agents with photodynamic therapy, evaluations of alternative light sources, and investigations of DNA repair enzymes and antioxidants in photoprotection.
She has also studied cutaneous lymphomas, inflammatory dermatoses, pigmentary-vascular syndromes, and rare skin tumors. Her publications include pulsed dye laser–assisted photodynamic therapy for viral warts, dermatofibrosarcoma protuberans, cryotherapy for actinic keratoses, early mycosis fungoides, phakomatosis pigmentovascularis, and radiofrequency treatment of hypertrophic scars and keloids.
Her work on actinic keratoses includes comparative studies of methyl aminolevulinate (MAL) and aminolevulinic acid (ALA) using low-dose red LED illumination. She has supervised doctoral research on molecular biomarkers associated with response to photodynamic therapy.
Fernández-Guarino has co-authored review articles on wound healing mechanisms, biomarkers in photodynamic therapy, mast cells in tissue repair, and dermatological manifestations of COVID-19. She has contributed editorials and research topic articles in Frontiers and has served as a guest editor for special issues of the International Journal of Molecular Sciences. Her publications include clinical trials, observational studies, review articles, and book chapters, and are indexed in databases of the Spanish National Research Council (CSIC).
Selected publications
- Fernández-Guarino, M.; Fonda Pascual, P.; Lizuain Gómez, P.; Harto Castaño, A.; Jaén Olasolo, P. (2019). Split-face study comparing conventional MAL photodynamic therapy in multiple actinic keratosis with conventional full-time versus half-time red LED illumination. Journal of the European Academy of Dermatology and Venereology, 33(8), 1529–1534.
Public outreach
Fernández-Guarino has contributed to educational materials on atopic dermatitis, acne, photoprotection, and skin changes during pregnancy. She is the author of Mom's Skin (Piel de Mamá), a guide on dermatological changes during pregnancy and postpartum, and The Dermatologist at Home: A Skin First Aid Guide (El dermatólogo en casa: Guía de primeros auxilios de la piel) (2025). She has contributed to patient education resources produced by the AEDV's Healthy Skin Foundation.
She has provided media commentary on skincare routines and sun protection. She has contributed to magazines focused on women's and children's health.