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Diabeheart: Nuclear receptors and diabetic cardiomyopathy

National Center for Cardiovascular Research Carlos III (CNIC)


The research team "Signaling of Nuclear Receptors" led by Dr. Mercedes Ricote was established as a research group at the National Center for Cardiovascular Research (CNIC) in 2004. The research team of Dr. M. Ricote is composed of members that have extensive experience in the study of macrophages and nuclear receptors in the field of chronic inflammatory diseases such as diabetes and atherosclerosis. Dr. Ricote is currently an Associate Professor at CNIC. She has been working for more than 20 years in the field of nuclear receptor signaling focused on its role on metabolic and cardiovascular diseases. The group has received competitive funding from national agencies (SAF2012-31483, SAF2015-64287R, SAF2015-71878REDT, SAF2017-90604-REDT, RTI2018-095928-B-I00), regional (B2017/BMD-3684), private foundations (Mutua Madrileña, La Marató TV3), and the EU (FP7-PEOPLE-2005-RG, FP7-PEOPLE-2008-IEF, FP7-PEOPLE-2009-RG, EFSD/Lilly Research Fellowships, FP7-PEOPLE-2013-ITN). Research lines of her group are focused on elucidating the molecular mechanisms that regulate the processes of activation and differentiation of macrophages in homeostasis and in metabolic and cardiovascular diseases. To carry out these projects, the research group has established a large number of state-of-the-art technologies such as omics (RNA-seq, ChIP-seq and ATAC-seq), animal models, conditional knockout mice, and advanced non-invasive imaging techniques. Metrics of the scientific productivity of Dr. M. Ricote are the following: Total citations: 8,969. Average citations / year during the last 5 years (2014/2018): 351.6 citations / year (1,758 total cites). Total publications of the group: 52, 26 of them in D1 (50% of total) and 43 in Q1 (83% of total). Book chapters: 4. Index: H: 29.

Dr. Ricote has directed 5 doctoral thesis and has supervised numerous master students and internship training technicians. She participates very actively in different training programs of the CNIC such as Invesmir, ResCNIC and Cicerone. Dr. Ricote has been invited to national and international meetings and conferences such as "Keystone Symposium", "EMBO", FEBS ..., which is a good indication that she is a world-recognized researcher in the field of nuclear receptors. The research group has international and national collaborations. International collaborations with Drs. C.K. Glass (UCSD, La Jolla, USA), M. Merad (Icahn School of Medicine, Mount Sinai, New York, USA), J. Cancelas (Cincinnati Children's Hospital, USA), J. Welch (Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, USA) and D. Metzger (IGBMC, France), and national collaborations with groups that belong to MOIR2: Drs. G. Medina (URJC, Madrid), and M.P. Ramos (CEU, Madrid).

Funding (last 5 years):


  1. 2019-2021. Spanish Ministry of Science, Innovation and Universities (RTI2018-095928-B-100). Role of the nuclear receptor RXR in the origin, differentiation and functions of tissue macrophages. PI: Dr. M. Ricote.
  2. 2018-2020. Spanish Ministry of Economy and Competitiveness (SAF2017-90604-REDT). Research network on nuclear receptors in cancer, metabolism and inflammation. PI: Dr. M. Ricote. Coordinator: Dr. M. Ricote.
  3. 2018-2021. Comunidad de Madrid (B2017/BMD-3684). Molecular mechanisms and inter-tissular communication in insulin resistance. PI: Dr. M. Ricote. Coordinator: Dr. G. Medina.
  4. 2017-2019. Fundació TV3 Marató (ref. 201605-32). Control of systemic and tissue-specific obesity-induced insulin resistance by nuclear receptors. PI: Dr. M. Ricote. Coordinator: Dr. C. Caelles Franch.
  5. 2016-2018. Spanish Ministry of Economy and Competitiveness (ref. SAF2015-64287-R). Molecular control of hematopoietic stem cells by nuclear receptors. PI: Dr. M. Ricote.
  6. 2015-2017. Spanish Ministry of Economy and Competitiveness (ref. SAF2015-71878-REDT). Research network on nuclear receptors in cancer, metabolism and inflammation. PI: Dr. M. Ricote. Coordinator: Dr. A. F. Valledor.
  7. 2013-2017. European Commission, 7th Framework Program (ref. FP7-PEOPLE-2013-ITN, PITN-GA-2013-608027). Next generation training in cardiovascular research and innovation (CardioNext). PI: Dr. Ricote. Coordinator: Dr. A. G. Arroyo.