Alba Carreras
Researcher, leave of absence
PhD
Have you realized how small the bacteria are and how big impact they can have on human health?
My research is focused on the role of gut microbiota in diabetes, obesity and cardiovascular diseases. To study how the gut microbiota contributes to the development and progression of metabolic and cardiovascular deseases I use a broad range of microsurgery techniques in conventional and gnotobiotic mouse models. Sleeve gastrectomies and cannulations of different blood vessels including hyperinsulinemic euglycemic clamps in conscious mice are some of the techniques that I am using to delineate how the gut microbiota contributes to the beneficial effects of bariatric surgery and regulates glucose homeostasis and insulin sensitivity. Additional work is focused on using several mouse models of heart failure in order to understand how gut microbial metabolites and gut microbial ecology alterations might contribute to the progression of cardiovascular diseases.