Carolina Serena

I obtained a degree in Biology from the University Autonoma of Barcelona in 2002. PhD from the Rovira i Virgili University (URV) in 2007. I developed my postdoctoral stage at the Weastmead Millenium Institute in Sydney, Australia. During this stage, I participated as a researcher in the international project "Phylogeny as a basis for Molecular Identification of Pathogenic Fungi" Grant number 3352303 and as a professor of a postgraduate course at the University of Sydney. Currently, I am I3 Senior Scientist (former Ramón y Cajal tenure) at the Research Group on Diabetes and Associated Metabolic Alterations at the Health Institute Pere Virgili (IISPV, Tarragona). My main line of research was to identify the key factors that intervene in the triggering of the innate immune response of adipose tissue in local or systemic inflammation in the context of obesity and Crohn's disease. I led a project associated with my RyC contract (RYC-2013-13186) and a national project (PI15/00143), which had produced the fruit of 6 scientific publications in prestigious journals in its area and two patents (PCT/EP2019/051157; EP17382615.7). I have been granted a national project (PI18/00037) to evaluate the role of peri-intestinal adipose tissue as a barrier to bacterial translocation presented by patients with Crohn's disease and its immunomodulatory function mediated by adipose-derived stem cells which so far has produced two publications in prestigious journals in its area and one more is under review. I also received a grant prize from the European Crohn's and Colitis Organization (ECCO) to perform an integrative analysis of DNA methylation and RNA sequencing in human adipose-derived stem cells of Crohn's disease patients with different clinical activities. In addition, I participated as a collaborating researcher in an interciber project (PIE14/00045), a project of the Marató de TV3 (PV17013S) and Caixaimpulse project (SUCCIPRO). Recently, I have created my own research group in Inflammatory Bowel Diseases (IBoDi) at IISPV (https://www.iispv.cat/grup/grup-de-recerca-en-malalties-inflamatories-intestinals/). In terms of teaching ability, I am directing two doctoral thesis and I also directed 3 Master's final projects and 6 final degree projects (URV and University of Barcelona) in the last 5 years. I am an associate professor in the Department of Biochemistry and Biotechnology at the URV. In reference to institutional responsibilities, I am part of the Steering Committee HRS4R and the Committee of Seminars and Training of the IISPV. In the last years, I participate in several acts of scientific dissemination (European Research night, 11th of February, Pint of Science, Talks in open school health program of the city of Reus, schools and high schools,...) and currently, I am a member of the board of directors of the scientific dissemination association, DivulgaTarragona (https://divulgatgn.wordpress.com/).