Lipobeta:
Short Biography & research interests Dr. Gema Medina-Gomez
Dr Gema Medina-Gomez's lab (LIPOBETA) focuses on elucidating the mechanisms of obesity and their associated metabolic complications. More specifically the group is interested in the regulation of energy balance and the expansion of adipose tissue typically associated to lipotoxicity, obesity and insulin resistant states.
Thus, from the beginnings of her research career, including her PhD and subsequent postdoctoral training, she has been investigating on obesity, type 2 diabetes (T2D), thermogenesis and energy balance. During her postdoctoral training in Cambridge (UK), she obtained extensive experience in murine metabolic phenotyping on lipotoxicity and she was instrumental in establishing a new programme of research focused on the phenotypical characterisation of genetically modified mice for the study of metabolic diseases under the direction of my colleague Prof. Vidal-Puig. In this exciting time, they established de novo what is now an internationally recognised programme funded by Wellcome Trust. During those years, she gathered the knowledge required to be able to create one of the most competitive platforms of metabolic phenotyping currently in Europe. This experience gave her the ability to make decisions about new equipment, recruitment and development and optimisation of new phenotyping techniques (Comprehensive laboratory animal metabolic system, CLAMS) that now she is developing in Madrid within the Laboratory of Metabolic phenotyping of experimental animals (LAFEMEX, nº 170 from REDLABU of the Community of Madrid), from which she is the director. Furthermore, this expertise gave her the opportunity to be the linchpin in collaborative studies with other investigators from well-recognized research centres of Europe and America. This experience also has allowed her to build up a precious network of investigators working in related scientific. She was poached by the Universidad Rey Juan Carlos (URJC) in Madrid to develop the vision of a very competitive programme in murine metabolic research.Since then, she has been very active in developing a very successful research program. Her experience in generation and characterization of genetic modified mice has allowed her to conduct sophisticated in vivo experiments and develop new assays to characterize metabolic phenotypes of transgenic/knockout mouse models related to energy balance, obesity and TD2. She has obtained regularly funding from the MICINN, MINECO and other entities (Foundacion Maphre, Santander-URJC, Institute Karolinska) to investigate, that has resulted in several publications with high impact factor (H index 23) and several thesis (read CV). Measures of recognition of the value and the interest of her research are the awards from L' Oréal-UNESCO 'Women in science' in 2009 and other Spanish associations such as SEEN in 2010 and 2013, and SEBBM in 2014. After the experience as co-coordinator in the previous MOIR1 consortium together with Prof. Manuel Ros, coordination of the scientific group "Molecular Bases of Pathology" of SEBBM, member of the Board of Directors of the SEEDO and other experiences as a participant in other (ADIPOPLAST), she has decided to coordinate this new MOIR2 consortium in this call.
Funding 5 last years:
- Nuclear receptors in podocytes as new targets in renal failure associated with obesity and type 2 MINECO diabetes. I+d+i projects, of the state research, development and innovation programme oriented to the CHALLENGES of society. BFU2016-78951-R. 2016-2020
- Research network on adipose plasticity and its pathophysiological impact ADIPOPLAST PLUS. Dynamic actions "Networks of Excellence" Directorate-General for Scientific and Technical Research Subdirectorate General of Research Projects BFU2017-90578-REDT, 2018-2020
- TFGB3 in murin models. Article 83. Karolinska Institute. 2018-2019
- Identification of new biomarkers in the adaptation of beta cell to insulin resistance during MINECO pregnancy. I+d+i projects, of the state research, development and innovation programme oriented to the CHALLENGES of the society. BFU2013-47384-R. 2014-2016
- Molecular mechanisms of renal glucolipotoxicity in the development of Metabolic Syndrome: role of miRNAs. SEEN. FSEEN Basic/Clinical Research Assistance Scholarship. 2500. 2014.