Team members
Rodrigo Jiménez-Saiz
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Dept. of Immunology, IIS-Princesa
Hospital Universitario de La Princesa
Diego de León 62, 28006, Madrid Spain
PhD: Universidad Autónoma de Madrid, Madrid, Spain, 2008 - 2012
Postdoc: McMaster Immunology Research Centre (MIRC), Hamilton, Canada, 2012 - 2017
Immunology Instructor: Faculty of Health Sciences, McMaster University, Hamilton, Canada, 2013 - 2018
Research Associate Academic: MIRC, Hamilton, Canada, 2017 - 2018
Assistant Professor (part-time): Dept. of Medicine, McMaster University, Hamilton, Canada, since 2019
Associate Professor (part-time): Faculty of Experimental Sciences, Universidad Francisco de Vitoria, Madrid, Spain, since 2019
Juan de La Cierva Researcher: Dept. of Immunology & Oncology, CNB-CSIC, Madrid, Spain, 2018 - 2020
Junior Group Leader: Dept. of Immunology & Oncology, CNB-CSIC, Madrid, Spain, 2020 - 2021
Miguel Servet Principal Investigator: Dept. of Immunology, IIS-IP, Hospital Universitario de La Princesa Madrid, Spain, since 2021
Celia López-Sanz

I completed a BSc in Biochemistry at the Universidad Autónoma de Madrid (Spain) in 2018, and I am currently an Immunology Intern at the Hospital Universitario de La Princesa.
I took my first steps in science in the last year of college, when I performed my end-of-degree project about the pre-TCR signaling pathway and its possible implication in T acute lymphoblastic leukaemia (T-ALL) at the Centro de Biología Molecular Severo Ochoa (CBMSO).
After that, I started my studies in the clinical setting and I am currently working as an Immunology Intern at the Hospital Universitario de La Princesa. In the course of my internship the multidisciplinary research caught my attention. For that reason, I got interested in Dr. Jiménez-Saiz’s research lines and decided to begin my PhD in his group.
Dept. of Immunology, IIS-Princesa
Hospital Universitario de La Princesa
Diego de León 62, 28006, Madrid Spain
Lucía Moreno Serna

I graduated in Biotechnology in 2021 at the CEU San Pablo University (Madrid) where I did my end-of-degree project about the viability of viruses in contact with face masks. After that, I spent three months in the University of Natural Resources and Life Sciences (Austria, Viena) collaborating to improve the protein production in Pichia pastoris yeast.
Furthermore, I took a Master's degree in Microbiology applied to Public Health and Infectious Diseases research in Alcalá de Henares University (Madrid). My master's thesis was focused on Study of the infective capacity, morphology and movement and phagocytic capacity of macrophages after the use of three tyrosine kinase inhibitors (imatinib, dasatinib and ponatinib) compared with a baseline in HIV. It was carried by the AIDS Immunopathology department of Instituto de Salud Carlos III (Madrid).
Dept. of Immunology, IIS-Princesa
Hospital Universitario de La Princesa
Diego de León 62, 28006, Madrid
Spain
Elisa Sánchez Martínez

I graduated in Biology in 2022, at the Universidad Complutense de Madrid (UCM, Spain). I am currently studying a Master in Immunology Research at UCM.
I have been interested in different projects related to nutrition and antibiotic resistance. Hence, I participated in activities related to this topic organized by the Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas (CSIC, Spain) and collaborated with the Small World Initiative (SWI) Project. In summer 2022, I participated in a cross-European team as part of the Una Europa One Health Summer School at the University of Edinburgh.
I met Dr. Jiménez-Saiz doing biochemistry laboratory, which prompted me to choose his group for beginning to develop myself as a scientist. I performed my end-of-degree project about mast cell immunomodulation with his group. In the future, I would like to do a PhD, focusing my studies in clinical immunology.
Dept. of Immunology, IIS-Princesa
Hospital Universitario de La Princesa
Diego de León 62, 28006, Madrid Spain
Paula H. Ruiz de Azcárate

I graduated in Biotechnology in 2020, at the University of Barcelona (Spain). I went to the University of Padua (Italy) to develop my end-of-degree project. It was focused on cellular bioenergetics in the pathways of mitochondria and Ca2+ tethering. We were also developing a new organelle proximity sensor (SPLICS).
Then, I took a Research Master in Translational Medicine, specialized in neurologic diseases at UCM (Spain). My end-of-master project was carried at the Neuroscience and Mental Health Dept. of the 12th of October Hospital (Dr. Bartolome´s lab). It was focused on SORL1 mutation in humans with Alzheimer’s Disease.
Now, I am studying a Master in Clinical Trials Monitoring at CESIF; but as I want to follow the research pathway I started looking for a laboratory that centers its attention on translational research and joined Dr. Jimenez-Saiz’s lab.
Dept. of Immunology, IIS-Princesa
Hospital Universitario de La Princesa
Diego de León 62, 28006, Madrid Spain
Manuel Garrido Romero

I graduated in Biotechnology in 2018 at the University Miguel Hernández of Elche (Spain) and I developed my end-of-degree project in the field of tissue engineering. Then, I took a Master degree in Advances in Food Safety in the University of Jaén (Spain) and I managed to complete my end-of-master project which was related to the relationship of hypertension and sodium intake. Afterwards, I studied another Master degree in Food, Environmental and Industrial Biotechnology in the University Pablo de Olavide in Sevilla (Spain).
Then, I joined the APC Microbiome of Ireland, which was based in the University of Cork, and I was part of an investigation related to the study of the effects of the Mediterranean diet in human gut microbiota using a human artificial colon model. Finally, I joined the Dr. Jiménez-Saiz’s laboratory and in conjunction with Dr. F. Javier-Moreno of the Institute of Food Science Research (CIAL) I am developing an investigation related to the study of peanut allergy and anaphylaxis.
Dept. of Immunology, IIS-Princesa
Hospital Universitario de La Princesa
Diego de León 62, 28006, Madrid Spain
Research
Our goal is to understand immunological principles of type 2 immunity in the context of allergic disease, particularly as it pertains to acute allergic reactions and its modulation by the microbiota, mast cell-neuron communication, and the impact of allergic disease in the development of atherosclerosis.
Our lab has a marked translational identity, which has been achieved through research in pre-clinical models of allergic disease and a close collaboration with clinicians.
We are constantly seeking for new members that are highly motivated and have strong critical thinking skills!
Collaborators
Drs. Alberto Caminero & Manel Jordana, McMaster University, Hamilton, Canada
Drs. Franscico Sánchez-Madrid & Carlos Blanco, Hospital Universitario de La Princesa, Madrid, Spain
Drs. Vanesa Esteban & Joaquín Sastre, Fundación Jiménez Diaz, Madrid, Spain
Drs. Wayne G. Shreffler and Sarita U. Patil, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, USA
Dr. Yolanda R. Carrasco, CNB-CSIC, Madrid, Spain
Dr. F. Javier Moreno, CIAL-CSIC, Madrid, Spain
Drs. Domingo Barber & Alma Villaseñor CEMBIO, Madrid, Spain
Funding Sources
Publications
Selected Publications
López-Sanz C*, Sánchez-Martínez E and Jiménez-Saiz R*. Protocol to desensitize human and murine mast cells after polyclonal IgE sensitization. STAR Protocols, 2022, 3(4):101755
Fernández-Gallego N, Castillo-González R et al. [...] Jiménez-Saiz R*. The impact of type 2 immunity and allergic diseases in atherosclerosis. Allergy, 2022, doi:10.1111/all.15426
Riggioni C, Comberiati and Giovannini M et al. [...] Jiménez-Saiz R* & Akdis CA*. A compendium answering 150 questions on COVID-19 and SARS-CoV-2. Allergy, 2020, 75:2503-2541
Jiménez-Saiz R, et al. Microbial Regulation of enteric eosinophils and its impact in Th2 immunity and tissue remodeling. Frontiers in Immunology, 2020, 11:55
Jiménez-Saiz R, et al. Human BCR analysis of single-sorted IgE+ memory B cells in food allergy. Journal of Allergy and Clinical Immunology, 2019, 144:336
Jiménez-Saiz R, et al. The IgE memory reservoir in food allergy. Journal of Allergy and Clinical Immunology, 2018, 142:1441
Ellengbogen Y, Jiménez-Saiz R, et al. The initiation of Th2 immunity towards food allergens. International Journal of Molecular Sciences, 2018, 19:1447
Jiménez-Saiz R, et al. IgG1+ B cell immunity predates IgE responses in epicutaneous sensitization to foods. Allergy, 2018, 74:165
Jiménez-Saiz R, et al. Initiation, persistence and exacerbation of food allergy. In: Allergy Prevention and Exacerbation, 121-144. Springer. ISBN: 978-3-319-69967-7
Jiménez-Saiz R, et al. Lifelong memory responses perpetuate humoral Th2 immunity and anaphylaxis in food allergy. Journal of Allergy and Clinical Immunology, 2017, 140:1604
Chu DK, Mohammed-Ali Z, Jiménez-Saiz R, et al. T helper cell IL-4 drives intestinal Th2 priming to oral peanut antigen, under the control of OX40L and independent of innate-like lymphocytes. Mucosal Immunology, 2014, 7:1395
Chu DK, Jiménez-Saiz R, et al. Indigenous enteric eosinophils control DCs to initiate a primary Th2 immune response in vivo. Journal of Experimental Medicine, 2014, 211:1657
Lab News
April 2023
-- Rodrigo participated in the thesis tribunal of Diego Pazos Castro, who defended her work entitled "Towards a deeper understanding of the pathophysiology of allergic diseases" at UPM
March 2023
-- Rodrigo participated in the thesis tribunal of Marisa Delgado Dolset, who defended her work entitled "Biomarkers associated with severe asthma and polyposis" at IMMA-CEU
-- Rodrigo gave an invited talk at the Immunology/Allergology Service of the Clínic Hospital
February 2023
-- Rodrigo gave an invited talk at the Dept. of Immunology and Oncology Seminars at CNB-CSIC
January 2023
-- Rodrigo gave an invited talk on the impact of allergic disease on cardiovascular risk in allergic disease at the XIX CYNA meeting in Madrid (Spain)
December 2022
- New collaborative review, published in Pediatric Allergy and Immunology: Pathogenesis, immunology, and immune-targeted management of the multisystem inflammatory syndrome in children (MIS-C) or pediatric inflammatory multisystem syndrome (PIMS): EAACI Position Paper
November 2022
-- Lucía Moreno Serna has joined the lab as Research Assistant, welcome Lucía!
October 2022
-- Rodrigo gave an educational lecture entitled "The allergic immune response for beginners" for the Scientific Basis of Allergy module of the Allergy MSc programme at the Imperial College (UK)
-- Lab publication: Protocol to desensitize human and murine mast cells after polyclonal IgE sensitization in STAR Protocols
September 2022
-- Rodrigo gave an invited talk on mast cell and IgG memory in anaphylaxis at the GA2LEN ANACARE Anaphylaxis and Food Allergy Forum in Padua (Italy)
August 2022
-- We are very thankful to the ISCIII for supporting our project on the impact of allergic disease in atherosclerosis with a research grant
July 2022
-- Invited review published in Allergy: The impact of type 2 immunity and allergic diseases in atherosclerosis
June 2022
- Invited review published in Frontiers in Allergy: Mast Cell Desensitization in Allergen Immunotherapy
- Congratulations to Elisa Sánchez Martínez for successfully defending her Bachelor´s Thesis!
May 2022
-- Rodrigo gave an invited talk on the immunological relationship between the skin and allergic disease at the 2nd congress of the Sociedad Catalana de Alergia e Inmunología Clínica (SCAIC) in Barcelona (Spain)
April 2022
-- New collaborative article, published in PLoS Pathogens: Type I interferon regulates proteolysis by macrophages to prevent immunopathology following viral infection
March 2022
- Rodrigo has joined the section Therapies, Therapeutic Targets & Mechanisms of Frontiers in Allergy as Associate Editor
February 2022
-- New collaborative article, published in the European Respiratory Journal: Cigarette smoke augments CSF3 expression in neutrophils to compromise alveolar-capillary barrier function during influenza infection
January 2022
Rodrigo attended the 20th Immunology Winter Immunology School - Digital as Junior Member Representative of the Immunology Section of EAACI
December 2021
-- New article: The cannabinoid WIN55212-2 impairs peanut allergic sensitization and promotes the generation of allergen-specific regulatory T cells in Clinical & Experimental Allergy
November 2021
-- Rodrigo gave an educational lecture entitled "The allergic immune response for beginners" for the Scientific Basis of Allergy module of the Allergy MSc programme at the Imperial College (UK)
October 2021
-- Rodrigo gave an invited talk on the mechanisms underlying persistent allergy at the 3rd meeting of the food allergy interest group (ALiADOS) at the 33rd annual congress of SEAIC in Zaragoza (Spain)
September 2021
-- New collaborative review, published in Frontiers in Immunology: Oral Immunotherapy for Food-Allergic Children: A Pro-Con Debate
August 2021
-- New editorial in Allergy: Local inflammation enables a basophil-neuronal circuITCH in atopic dermatitis
July 2021
- Rodrigo gave an invited talk entitled "Understanding immunological mechanisms that confer a higher risk of allergy" at the JMA Scientific Symposium of the EAACI Hybrid Congress 2021
June 2021
- We are very thankful to the SEAIC Foundation for supporting our project on effector cell neuromodulation in allergic disease with a research grant
- Congratulations to Regina Rubira for successfully completing her Bachelor´s Thesis!
May 2021
- New review, in collaboration with the Jordana Lab at McMaster University, published in Immunotargets & Therapy: Memory Generation and Re-Activation in Food Allergy
April 2021
- Rodrigo gave an invited talk at the CBGP UPM-INIA seminars
March 2021
- New preprint: Memory Generation and Re-Activation in Food Allergy
- Rodrigo gave an oral presentation at the Basic Immunology and Innate Immunity session of the 42nd Congress of the Spanish Society of Immunology (SEI)
February 2021
- New preprint: Oral Immunotherapy for Food-Allergic Children: A Pro-Con Debate
- Rodrigo has joined the Editorial Board of Frontiers in Immunology!
January 2021
- We were awarded a grant from The Nutricia Research Foundation to investigate microbiota and anaphylaxis together with Alberto Caminero (McMaster University)
December 2020
- New article: Interrupting reactivation of immunological memory diverts the allergic response and prevents anaphylaxis in The Journal of Allergy and Clinical Immunology
November 2020
- New editorial in Allergy: Enlightening human B‐cell diversity
October 2020
- Rodrigo attended the Food Allergy and Anaphylaxis Meeting (FAAM)-EUROBAT Digital as a member of the Scientific Committee. He gave 2 invited talks and moderated one symposium
- Rodrigo received the Allergy's Distinguished Reviewer Award
- New editorial in Allergy: Single‐cell RNA analysis: Guiding the treatment of DiHS/DRESS
September 2020
- Congratulations to María Cottereau for successfully completing her Bachelor´s Thesis!
- New editorial in Allergy: The neuroimmunological toll of nutrient absorption
August 2020
- New editorial in Allergy: Thinking small: Zinc sensing by the gut epithelium
July 2020
- New reviews on SARS-CoV-2 and COVID-19 in Allergy:
A compendium answering 150 questions on COVID-19 and SARS-CoV-2
June 2020
- Rodrigo received the EAACI Allergopharma Reserch Award at the EAACI Annual Congress 2020 where he gave an invited talk entitled "Route of exposure determines the immune response to food allergens"
April 2020
- Alberto Caminero (McMaster University) and Rodrigo were awarded a New Frontiers in Research Fund – Exploration 2019 grant!
March 2020
- New article, on B cell biology, through a collaboration with Drs. Ana Cuenda and Yolanda R. Carrasco at CNB-CSIC: B Cell Development and T-Dependent Antibody Response Are Regulated by p38γ and p38δ in Frontiers in Cell & Developmental Biology
- New editorial: Follicular T cells: from stability to failure in Allergy
February 2020
- New article: Microbial Regulation of Enteric Eosinophils and Its Impact on Tissue Remodeling and Th2 Immunity in Frontiers in Immunology
- New editorial: Drug‐induced IgG‐neutrophil‐mediated anaphylaxis in humans: Uncovered! in Allergy
January 2020
- Rodrigo has joined the Editorial Board of Allergy!
- Rodrigo attended the 18th Immunology Winter Immunology School in Chamonix (France) as Junior Member Representative of the Immunology Section of EAACI.