I obtained my PhD in 1991, from Universidad Autónoma de Madrid (Spain). During this period, I participated in 3 Research Projects from Fondo de Investigaciones Sanitarias (FIS) & EU.

POSTDOCTORAL STUDIES. Between 1993 and 1998 I worked at University of Glasgow (UK), in the groups of Prof. McGrath and Prof. Dominiczak, funded by an EU Biomed Program Grant and Research Contracts. During these years I participated in 4 UK and EU funded projects, being PI in a Wellcome Trust Project.

Relevant contributions: I developed novel applications combining confocal microscopy and image analysis to study vascular structure and function, to visualize intact arteries at the cellular level. I would like to mention that these methods are now incorporated in the routine work of numerous laboratories in the field of vascular research.

RESEARCH AT UAM. From 1998 I established my academic and research career at the Department of Physiology (Faculty of Medicine, UAM), where I currently hold the position of Professor.

Relevant contributions: In 2004 I initiated a new research line related to vascular elastin, funded by 2 Regional projects from Comunidad de Madrid. My main contribution was to demonstrate in hypertensive rats the role of defective elastin in early postnatal life for subsequent development of hypertension through the alteration of mechanical function. I established collaborations with Prof. Hinek (Canada), where I spent a 6-month research stay at the pediatric hospital SickKids Hospital of Toronto, between 2005-2006, and Prof. Greeenwald (UK), one of the first researchers establishing the role of elastin in fetal programming of hypertension. These early studies lead to the development of a research line from 2010 in Developmental Origins of Health and disease, studying experimental animals and women during pregnancy and lactation. In a rat model of intrauterine growth restriction (IUGR) I assessed the relationship between fetal undernutrition and development of cardiometabolic alterations assessing the influence of sex, and studied the role of placenta, postnatal catch-up growth and the counteracting effects of antioxidant supplementation through lactation or adult life. More recently, I have contributed to the development of a mouse model of preterm birth to study of long-term cardiometabolic health. I have also evaluated in women the role of nutrition and lifestyle habits during gestation and lactation on pregnancy complications, breastmilk composition and neonatal outcome.

Research contributions: I have been PI of 4 research projects from Plan Nacional I+D+I. Among relevant results, I established in IUGR rats the association between early antioxidant deficiency and accelerated postnatal growth during lactation for cardiac, vascular and adipose tissue alterations, particularly in males. In the clinical field, in collaboration with the Obstetrics& Gynecology Department of Hospital Universitario La Paz (HULP), we found that a poor maternal antioxidant status in early pregnancy can predict a gestational complication, and the role of psychological factors during pregnancy for birth weight. I have also collaborated with the Neonatology Services at HULP and Hospital Clínico San Carlos of Madrid assessing the role of preterm birth and maternal nutrition on milk composition. In a clinical Trial in preterm infants, I have demonstrated that nutritional supplementation with LCPUFA in preterm infants improves their oxidative status. From 2018 I coordinate, together with Prof. M Angeles Martin Cabrejas, the multidisciplinary research group FOSCH (Food Oxidative Stress and Cardiovascular health) consolidated group at UAM and recently incorporated to IdiPaz in the area of materno-infantil-adolescente (MIA). At present the group has two research focus: 1) the antioxidant and antiinflamatory effects of supplements derived from food by-products in animal models of hypertension and obesity, and in physical exercise-induced damage in human subjects in an intervention trial, and 2) fetal and perinatal programing, evaluating woman reproductive health from a biopsychosocial point of view. This research has been funded by 2 projects from Plan Nacional and 2 projects with the nutraceutical and pharmaceutical industry.  International collaborations: I have clinical collaborations with Neonatology and Obstetrics&Gynecology services at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center (Harvard Medical School, USA) and Srinagarind Hospital (Khon Kaen University;Thailand) assessing antioxidants, hormones and inflammatory biomarkers in plasma and breast milk from women with obstetric complications and premature birth.

Training activities: I have supervised 16 PhD Thesis and I have 2 on-going. My former PhD students have at present research, academic or clinical positions. We regularly receive students and researchers from our international collaborators consolidating alliances. Transfer to Industry and Society: Besides our industrial collaborations, I regularly take part in dissemination activities to the society, particularly focused on the promotion of healthy nutrition for women during the reproductive period promoted by Unidad de Cultura Cientifica UAM and funded by FECYT projects. 

Key words: Fetal programing of hypertension, cardiometabolic diseases, oxidative stress biomarkers, food antioxidants, women´s health during reproductive period, prematurity