Rowett Seminar

The physiological impact of extra virgin olive oil intake in metabolic diseases

Franz Martin's short biography

Franz Martín is an MD, PhD for U. of Seville (1991). He had a predoctoral FPI fellowship (1988; U. of Seville, School of Medicine). During this period, he enjoyed a research short-term stay with Prof. L. Best (Dept. of Medicine, U. of Manchester). In 1991, he defended his doctoral dissertation on the cytotoxic effects of immunosuppressants on pancreatic islets and their mechanisms of action. Then, he enjoyed a postdoctoral fellowship with Prof. M. White (Joslin Diabetes Center, Harvard University) working on insulin signaling (IRS proteins). From 1993 to 1997, he was a member of the Dept. of Physiology and Institute of Neurosciences (School of Medicine, U. of Alicante) under the figures of Postdoctoral Fellowship, Visiting Professor and Associate Professor. His research was focused in the process of the stimulus-secretion coupling in pancreatic β-cells, in response to nutrients and its role in diabetes physiopathology. In 1997, he moved, as an Associate Professor, to the Dept. of Applied Biology (U. Miguel Hernández) and then in 2001, he became a member of the Institute of Bioengineering (same University). At that time, he set up his own research group and he added two new research lines: i) the role of nutrients in gene expression and its relationship with diabetes and ii) the use of stem cells for diabetes cell therapy. Between 1997 and 2001, he carried out three short-term research stays at: i) the lab of Prof. A. Escobar (Center of Biophysics and Biochemistry; IVIC); ii) the lab of Prof. F. Ashcroft (Dept. of Physiology, U. of Oxford) and iii) the lab of Prof. P. Herrera (Dept. of Morphology, U. of Geneve). In 2005, he joined the U. Pablo Olavide where he set up a new research group (Group PAI BIO311 from Junta de Andalucía) and got the position of Full Professor in 2007. Since them, the overarching theme of his work is to investigate the role of nutrients and foods in the development of metabolic diseases. He is pursuing two major research lines: i) to elucidate the impact of nutrients and foods in type 2 diabetes (T2DM) and non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) and ii) to understand the mechanisms of actions by which hypercaloric high-fat and high-carbohydrate diets promote the onset of T2DM and NAFLD. Between 2006 and 2007, he became a member, as principal investigator, of the Andalusian Center of Molecular Biology and Regenerative Medicine (CABIMER) and the CIBER of Diabetes and Associated Metabolic Diseases (CIBERDEM). In conclusion, he has published more than 150 articles (among papers and book chapters), he has been principal investigator of 28 research projects, he has 12 patents (6 of them are licensed) and 13 contracts with companies and he has directed 17 doctoral thesis. Moreover, he has been involved in 2 clinical trials. The most important awards received are the Best Young Researcher Award from the European Society for the Study of Diabetes (EASD), Prize of the General Board of the Principality of Asturias - International Society of Bioethics and the Prize to the Best Young Researcher of the Spanish Society of Diabetes (SED). His experience as a manager at the level of scientific and technical research include Vice Presidency of the Scientific Committee of the Spanish Food Safety and Nutrition Agency (AESAN), President of the panel of “Nutrition and Health” of the Spanish Research Agency, expert of the European Food Safety Agency (EFSA), Vice Presidency of Spanish Diabetes Society, the participation in the panel of the Alliance for European Research in Diabetes (EURADIA) and member of the Governing Board of International Diabetes Federation (IDF-Europe). At the University level he has been Head of the Department of Molecular Biology and Biochemistry Engineering and Vice-chancellor of Teaching Staff (U. Pablo Olavide).

Speaker

Franz Martin

Hosted by

Dr Madalina Neacsu

Venue

The Rowett Institute

Contact

Staff only event