My expertise lies in studying the mechanisms that drive the progression of liver disease, with a particular focus on the innate immune response. In my lab, our current research explores the role of the intestine and its microbiome in preserving liver health and influencing disease development.

In 2004, I obtained my PhD at the University of Navarra. My interest at that time was to elucidate the mechanisms underlying liver regeneration and the role of the IL-6 family of cytokines in this process.

After receiving a post-doctoral grant in 2004, I moved to Germany to conduct research at the Medical School of Hannover and later at University Hospital Aachen. My work focused on the role of IKK complex subunits in regulating NF-κB activation and their impact on the liver’s response during regeneration, ischemia-reperfusion, metabolic dysfunction-associated steatohepatitis (MASH), and carcinogenesis. I also contributed to defining the role of NK cells in the development of fatty liver disease.

In 2009, I relocated to Spain, joining CICbioGUNE as a Ramon y Cajal Fellow. My research during this period expanded to explore how the innate immune system influences liver disease progression. I also began investigating how metabolic regulators control liver function and the body’s response to tissue damage. One key finding was that SIRT1, a central metabolic regulator, plays a key role in liver regeneration by tightly modulating bile acid homeostasis. I also carried out research on cholestatic liver disease, revealing the involvement of methyltransferases and histone deacetylases in its progression.

In 2015, I joined the Institute of Food Research, now part of the Quadram Institute, where I established my own research group. My team’s focus is on identifying the molecular mechanisms that regulate the gut-microbiome-liver axis, with the goal of promoting lifelong health and preventing liver disease. We have shown that the microbiome actively contributes to liver disease progression by modulating both the immune response and intestinal senescence, and we have further demonstrated how intestinal metabolic regulation controls the liver’s capacity to regenerate.

I currently lead the Food, Microbiome and Health programme at the Quadram Institute, which investigates how plant-based foods and the gut microbiome interact to influence human health.