Dr. Sonia Rodriguez-Fernandez

TVPlab · Cambridge

Dr. Sonia Rodriguez-Fernandez

Sir Henry Wellcome Postdoctoral Fellow

Emailsr942@medschl.cam.ac.uk

Profile

Investigates the molecular steps that control human brown adipocyte differentiation and activation, seeking pathways that could increase brown fat recruitment and thermogenesis.

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Research focus

My primary research aim is to characterize the stepwise molecular mechanisms that regulate brown adipocyte differentiation and activation in humans. We hope to identify novel targets and pathways that could promote adipocyte recruitment and enhance thermogenesis in obese patients, ultimately contributing to the development of more effective metabolic therapies.

Background and experience

I obtained a Bachelor's degree in Biology with Honours from the University of Santiago de Compostela, Spain in 2013. I then completed a Master’s in Biology and Clinical Oncology at the University of Salamanca (2014), followed by a PhD in Biosciences at the same institution. I joined TVPlab at the end of 2019 thanks to a fellowship from the Ramon Areces Foundation (Spain) and currently as a Sir Henry Wellcome Postdoctoral Fellow.

Key publications

  1. Rodríguez-Fdez, S.*, Lorenzo-Martín, L.F., Fernández-Pisonero, I., Porteiro, B., Veyrat-Durebex, C., Beiroa, D., Al-Massadi, O., Abad, A., Diéguez, C., Coppari, R., Nogueiras, R., and Bustelo, X.R. (2020). Vav2 catalysis-dependent pathways contribute to skeletal muscle growth and glucose homeostasis. Nat Commun 11, 5808 (2020). https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-020-19489-z
  2. Lorenzo-Martín, L.F.*, Rodríguez-Fdez, S.*, Fabbiano, S.*, Abad, A., Garcia-Macias, M., Dosil, M., Cuadrado, M., Robles-Valero, J., and Bustelo, X.R. (2020). Vav2 pharmaco-mimetic mice reveal the therapeutic value and caveats of the catalytic inactivation of a Rho exchange factor. Oncogene 39: 5098-5111.
  3. Rodríguez-Fdez, S.*, Nevado, L.F, Lorenzo-Martín, L.F. and Bustelo, X.R. (2020). Lysine acetylation reshapes the downstream signaling landscape of Vav1 in lymphocytes. Cells 9: 609.
  4. Rodríguez-Fdez, S.*, Citterio, C., Lorenzo-Martín, L.F., Baltanás-Copado, J., Llorente-González, C., Corbalán-García, S., Vicente-Manzanares, M., and Bustelo, X.R. (2019). Phosphatidylinositol monophosphates regulate optimal Vav1 signaling output. Cells 8: 1649.
  5. Barreira, M., Rodríguez-Fdez, S.*, and Bustelo, X.R. (2018). New Insights into the Vav1 Activation Cycle in Lymphocytes. Cell Signal 45: 132–144
  6. Rodríguez-Fdez, S.*, and Bustelo, X.R. (2019). The Vav GEF family: an evolutionary and functional perspective. Cells 8: 465