Dr Antonio Peña-Fernández

Dr Antonio Peña-Fernández is a Senior Lecturer (VC2020) in Biomedical & Medical Sciences in the School of Allied Health Sciences at De Montfort University, Leicester, UK. He has a BSc in Chemistry from the University of San Pablo CEU, Spain (2000), a MSc in Toxicology from the University of Sevilla, Spain (2006), and a PhD in Physiology and Toxicology from the University of Alcalá (2011). Antonio’s interests include: parasitology, physiology, toxicology, and environmental and public health.

His research work focused in human biomonitoring as a tool for the assessment of internal doses of contaminants, particularly metals and metalloids, and the study of these compounds in urban and industrial environments for the characterisation of risks and the development of protocols to protect the human health.

Antonio has also worked in Parasitology, carrying out a study of the prevalence of Leishmania sp. in dogs in the Community of Madrid (Spain). He was awarded with a second research prize for novel researchers due to the performance of this project. 

Dr Peña-Fernández is also a Senior Fellow of the HEA (SFHEA) and he is involved in pedagogic research, e-learning development and curriculum design.

Biomedical & Environmental Health

Click here to view a full listing of Antonio Pena-Fernandez's publications and outputs. 

Peña-Fernández, A., Lobo-Bedmar, MC., González-Muñoz, MJ. (2015) Annual and seasonal variability of metals and metalloids in urban and industrial soils in Alcalá de Henares (Spain). Environmental Research, 136, pp. 40-46.

Peña-Fernández, A., Silvey, V., Wyke, S. (2015) Chemical recovery navigation tool. Available at: http://legacyassets.phe.org.uk/tools/CRT_elearning/index.html [accessed 15/05/2015]. The Chemical RNT is embedded in this webpage: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/chemical-and-radiation-recovery-navigation-tool-cr-rnt [accessed 15/05/2015].

Peña-Fernández, A., González-Muñoz, MJ., Lobo-Bedmar, MC. (2014) “Reference values” of trace elements in the hair of a sample group of Spanish children (aged 6-9 years) - are urban topsoils a source of contamination? Pharmacology and Environmental Toxicology, 38(1), pp. 141-152.

Peña-Fernández, A., González-Muñoz, MJ., Lobo-Bedmar, MC. (2014) Establishing the importance of human health risk assessment for metals and metalloids in urban environments. Environment International 2014, 72, pp. 176-185.

González-Muñoz, MJ., Peña, A., Meseguer, I. (2008) Role of beer as a possible protective factor in preventing Alzheimer’s disease. Food and Chemical Toxicology, 46, pp. 49-56.

• Genetic and molecular characterization of parasites
• Identification of parasites in clinical and environmental samples
• Human and environmental monitoring
• Environmental toxicology and risk assessment
• Food and chemical toxicology

• Anatomy and Physiology
• Biochemistry & Clinical Biochemistry
• Microbiology 
• Parasitology
• Clinical Perspectives
• Evidence Based Medicine

• PhD (2011), University of Alcalá, Spain. 
• MSc in Toxicology (2006), University of Sevilla, Spain.
• Research Proficiency (2005), University of Alcalá, Spain. 
• Teaching Proficiency Course (PGCE, 2002), Complutense University of Madrid, Spain.
• BSc Chemistry (2000), University of San Pablo-CEU, Spain. 

• Medical Science (BMedSci)
• Biomedical Science (BSc)

Second prize “Premio Cátedra Leche Pascual”. Work title: "Immunodiagnostic of canine leishmaniasis in the Madrid region: comparison of two methods". University of San Pablo CEU, October 2000.

Qualified Teacher Status (QTS), Teaching Agency, 2012 

Accreditation as Assistant Professor for the Service Charter of the Quality, Accreditation and Forecasting Agency of the Universities of Madrid, Spain (2012)

European Registered Toxicologist (EUROTOX). September 2013-2018

Senior Fellow of the Higher Education Academy (SFHEA). November 2016

Peña-Fernández, A., Lobo-Bedmar, MC., Foxall, K., González-Muñoz, MJ. Presence and distribution of thallium in urban soils: human health risks. British Toxicology Society, Annual Congress 2015; Birmingham, UK.

Hossain, R., Foxall, K., Aldred, D., Peña-Fernández, A. Models used to assess acute exposure to lead in the environment. British Toxicology Society, Annual Congress 2015; Birmingham, UK.

Peña-Fernández, A., Lobo-Bedmar, MC., González-Muñoz, MJ. Determination of reference values of essential metals in children’s hair aged 6-9 living in the Community of Madrid, Spain: Cr, Cu, Mn and Zn. British Toxicology Society Annual Congress 2014; London, UK.

Peña-Fernández, A., González-Muñoz, MJ., Lobo-Bedmar, MC. Possible reference values of carcinogenic elements (As, Be, Cd, Ni) in hair of children aged 6-9 years of the Community of Madrid, Spain. British Toxicology Society Annual Congress 2014; London, UK.

Peña-Fernández, A., González-Muñoz, MJ., Lobo-Bedmar, MC. Environmental contamination of lead: challenges for protecting future generations. 50th Congress of the European Societies of Toxicology. Edinburgh, UK, 7-10 September 2014. Toxicology Letters 2014; 229S:S121.

Peña-Fernández, A., Lobo-Bedmar, MC., González-Muñoz, MJ., Torrado, G., Peña, MA. Interest shown in environmental toxicology by postgraduate students of the specialty “Specialist in Industrial Pharmacy and Galenicals”. 50th Congress of the European Societies of Toxicology. Edinburgh, UK, 7-10 September 2014. Toxicology Letters 2014; 229S:S122.  

González-Muñoz, MJ., Meseguer, I., Mateos-Vega, CJ., Benedí, J., Sánchez-Muñiz, FJ., Lobo-Bedmar, MC., Peña-Fernández, A. Aluminium intoxication and beer consumption: effects in the levels of trace metals in mouse brain. 50th Congress of the European Societies of Toxicology. Edinburgh, UK, 7-10 September 2014. Toxicology Letters 2014; 229S:S70-S71.  

Peña-Fernández, A., González-Muñoz, MJ., Lobo-Bedmar, MC. Is children’s hair a reliable matrix for determining environmental exposition to trace elements? - Establishing possible “reference” values. 50th Congress of the European Societies of Toxicology. Edinburgh, UK, 7-10 September 2014. Toxicology Letters 2014; 229S:S222.     

Peña-Fernández, A., González-Muñoz, MJ., Lobo-Bedmar, MC. Elemental soil contamination in urban soils collected in Alcalá de Henares and the challenges of remediation. 50th Congress of the European Societies of Toxicology. Edinburgh, UK, 7-10 September 2014. Toxicology Letters 2014; 229S:S122.     

González-Muñoz, MJ., Mateos-Vega, CM., Lobo-Bedmar, MC., Peña-Fernández A. Human monitoring: levels of lead in hair of children and teenagers - a study by sex and area of residence. II Toxicology Training Forum. Rev Toxicol 2014; 31:99-100.

Peña-Fernández, A., Mateos-Vega, CM., Lobo-Bedmar, MC., González-Muñoz, MJ. Feasibility of using hair from school children as a biomonitor of exposition to aluminium from urban soil. II Toxicology Training Forum. Rev Toxicol 2014; 31:100.

Dr Peña-Fernández worked as a researcher in the following project supervised by Professor María José González-Muñoz at the University of Alcalá, Spain:

Possible protective effect of silicon content in beer in neurodegenerative diseases

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