Yurena Vivas Garcia

Research interests

In 2015 I joined the group of Professor Colin Goding as a postdoctoral researcher in the Ludwig Institute for Cancer Research, where I am currently developing my research, focusing on melanoma metabolism. Briefly, we study metabolic mechanisms underlying melanoma progression, focussing on the identification of metabolic factors able to switch cells from a proliferative to invasive phenotype. We are now especially interested in clarifying the possible role of fatty acids as drivers of phenotype-switching.

Background

I obtained my degree in Biology in 2008 from the Complutense University (Madrid), which gave me the necessary background to start my scientific career in the group led by Professor Delgado. There, I studied the circadian dependence of leptin effects on food intake and circulating levels of glucose and triglycerides in Carassuis auratus. In 2010 I moved to the laboratory of Dr. Medina, at the Rey Juan Carlos University (Madrid), There, I obtained a PhD focused on the study of PPARg and its role in the maintenance of metabolic homeostasis in mouse models of insulin resistance and lipotoxicity.