Celia Martinez has been awarded a highly competitive ATRAE grant from the Spanish government that is designed to attract and retain leading scientific talent. This substantial funding will allow Celia to further advance her research on the aging field, specifically by investigating the molecular links between aging and chronic diseases, with particular emphasis on deciphering how cellular diversity impacts tissue function.
As societies age, individuals over 65 face an increased risk of adverse drug reactions, yet effective predictive tools to predict such adverse events remain elusive. The Martinez-Jimenez lab's groundbreaking work has already identified a significant increase in cellular heterogeneity in the liver during ageing and further investigated the role of polyploid hepatocytes. With the support of the ATRAE grant, the lab plans to develop advanced human 3D liver organoids that mimic aging in a controlled environment. This innovative approach will allow to meticulously study how aging impacts drug metabolism at the single-cell level.
"Our goal is to foresee drug-drug interactions and contribute to the development of new therapeutic strategies to treat aging effects pharmacologically and to reduce the incidence of age-related diseases," says Dr. Martinez-Jimenez.
"Dr. Martinez-Jimenez's achievement reflects the scientific excellence we aim to foster at the Pioneer Campus. We are proud to have supported her pioneering work and look forward to her continued contributions to aging research."
Maria Elena Torres-Padilla, Director of Biomedicine, Pioneer Campus
By integrating these 3D liver organoids with single-cell multi-omics and functional assays, Celia’s lab aims to establish a novel platform for thoroughly testing the efficacy and safety of medications commonly co-administered to older adults. This research holds immense promise to develop safer and more effective treatment regimens for an aging global population.
Dr. Martinez-Jimenez's transition marks an exciting milestone, building on the significant contributions and collaborative spirit fostered in her previous role at the PioneerCampus.
“The support and collaborative environment at Pioneer Campus provided a strong foundation for establishing my group and advancing our work on cellular heterogeneity in ageing and disease. The initiative and vision of the Pioneer Campus were key reasons I joined, their support for innovative science has been invaluable, and I’m eager to build on this momentum as I take the next step.”
We extend our sincere congratulations to Dr. Martinez-Jimenez and her team as they embark on this exciting new chapter. We are confident that their pioneering research will yield vital advancements in the field of aging and chronic diseases.
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The ATRAE Grant: The ATRAE (Attraction and Retention) program is a Spanish government initiative managed by the State Research Agency under the Ministry of Science, Innovation, and Universities. As part of Spain's national plan to attract and retain top scientific and innovative talent, ATRAE targets internationally recognized researchers who have recently worked abroad. The program offers comprehensive support for a 3-4 year research project, covering the principal investigator's salary, research infrastructure including lab upgrades and equipment, and is expected to lead to a permanent research position in Spain. It is open to all nationalities and fosters collaboration with public and private universities, research centers, and healthcare institutions across Spain.
At the Helmholtz Pioneer Campus independent Principal Investigators from a variety of fields define the future of research and medicine by closely collaborating at the interfaces of biomedicine, bioengineering and biomedical_AI. We are part of HelmholtzMunich, uniquely support our PI's with a dedicated technical-, projects-, communication- and grant writing team, benefit from brand-new lab infrastructures, access to core facilities, and an on Campus life-sciences incubator. TO JOIN: please get in touch to explore ERC-, Emmy Noether- or other competitive funding schemes to establish your future lab in Munich.