Research lines

• 1. Deep phenotyping of pulmonary hypertension in chronic respiratory diseases

  Our group is currently investigating the endogenous phenotype that determines the heterogeneity of pulmonary hypertension in chronic airway obstructive pulmonary disease and interstitial lung disease using advanced imaging and -omics technologies, with the aim to identify biomarkers associated with the presence of pulmonary hypertension and/or its severity, which would allow establishing a molecular signature for its characterization.

  In addition, we are developing experimental models of obstructive pulmonary disease induced by cigarette smoking and interstitial lung disease to evaluate the effect of therapeutic interventions that target the nitric oxide-cyclic GMP pathway on the transcriptomic profile of pulmonary vessels.

• 2. Metabolic profiling of pulmonary vascular cells in chronic thromboembolic pulmonary hypertension

  To characterize the cell proliferative process that underlies the development of pulmonary hypertension in patients with thromboembolic pulmonary disease we are evaluating cell metabolism in lungs and heart by molecular imaging using positron emission tomography with fluorodesoxiglucose. Furthermore, we are generating in vitro cell models of different types of pulmonary hypertension using pulmonary vascular cells harvested from surgical endarterectoy specimens and catheter tips to assess their functional and metabolic properties, and analyze the response to treatments.

• 3. Assessing prehabilitation as preventive intervention to reduce postoperative complications

  The group is currently involved in a randomized control trial evaluating the impact of a prehabilitation program in the setting of cardiac surgery. Additionally, we are investigating potential interventions on preventing postoperative cognitive dysfunction.

• 4. Evaluating modalities of perioperative ventilatory support

  We are working on several physiological proof-of-concept studies and have promoted three international, multicentre, randomized controlled trials.

• 5. Implementation of integrated care services with a digital health and systems medicine approach

  We are currently undertaking research projects addressed to clinical risk assessment and service selection, promotion of healthy lifestyles, collaborative management of complex chronic patients, transfer of specialized diagnostic tools to primary care and interoperability in a digital health framework.