Paula Otero & Vanesa Álvarez

Somatic mutation in livers with hepatitis B infection

Hepatitis B virus infection is a major cause of human hepatocellular carcinoma. During the last years, it has been demonstrated that the genomic complexity of this cancer arises during progression to chronic liver disease, sometimes years before cancer diagnosis. Here, we analyse the genomes of cirrhotic HBV-infected liver microbiopsies to study the impact of the infection in somatic evolution and transformation.

CV highlights:

Paula Otero obtained her Biomedical Science degree in 2018. Following a master in Genomics and Genetics, she started the Ph.D. at Mobile Genomes group. In 2022, she did a research stay at Gael Cristofari’s lab in Nice. Her thesis project is focused on studying the genetic basis of viral oncogenesis in humans.

Paula Otero Sánchez. Mobile Genomes Group.

Maintenance of chromatin composition in cycling cells

DNA replication causes the disruption of the whole chromatin environment and structure of the nucleus. These structures and protein composition have to be re-established before the next S phase. We use Nascent Chromatin Capture (NCC) coupled with mass spectrometry along the cell cycle to decipher how euchromatin and heterochromatin are restored after the passage of the replication fork.

CV highlights:

Vanesa obtained her PhD at the Salamanca Cancer Research Centre, studying how DNA damage tolerance pathways are regulated in yeast. She moved to the University of Dundee, to join the lab of Dr. Constance Alabert to study how chromatin is restored after DNA replication in human cells and its implication in cell identity. Now, she is part of the Gene Regulatory Control in Disease group at CiMUS, studying ribosome heterogeneity. 

Vanesa Álvarez Álvarez. Gene Regulatory Control in disease Group.

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