DC 18: Marta Zubizarreta Ruiz
Marta Zubizarreta Ruiz (Spain) is a biotechnology graduate from the Universidad Politécnica de Madrid and a master’s student in Biomedicine at the Universitat de Barcelona, specializing in translational cancer research. Her academic and research trajectory has focused on tumor immunology, cell-based therapies, and the tumor microenvironment, with hands-on experience at leading Spanish biomedical institutions, including the Centro Nacional de Investigaciones Oncológicas and the Instituto de Salud Carlos III. She has contributed to projects exploring replicative stress in cancer, antibody production, and the role of macrophages in CAR T cell therapies for osteosarcoma. In addition, Marta worked on developing advanced in vitro 3D models to study the tumor microenvironment in colorectal cancer at the Institute for Bioengineering of Catalonia (IBEC) in the Biomimetic Systems for Cell Engineering Group. Marta’s commitment to scientific outreach is reflected in her leadership roles with the Asociación de Biotecnólogos de Madrid and her participation in educational initiatives promoting biotechnology among youth.
At the beginning of September 2025 has joined the Marie Skłodowska-Curie Doctoral Network as a Doctoral Candidate (DC-18) in the Mentor Program, where she will study the interaction between human epithelial cells and immune cells in Autosomal Dominant Polycystic Kidney Disease as part of the PKD Research Group.
Planned secondments: 2 months at Univrsity Clinic of Essen to investigate the contribution of the candidates to mTORC1 signaling in human patient derived cell lines. 2 months at the University of Fribourg for mass spectrometry-based proteomics approaches. 3 months at Mimetas for patient derived kidney on chip.
University Clinic of Essen
2 monthsEssen, Germany
University of Fribourg
2 monthsFribourg, Switzerland
Mimetas
3 monthsLeiden, the Netherlands
My research project
Despite the well-known contribution of the mammalian target of rapamycin (mTOR) in cyst growth and progression, clinical studies with mTOR inhibitors in the context of Autosomal Dominant Polycystic Kidney Disease (ADPKD) have been disappointing. DC18 aims at performing a deeper dissection of mTORs upstream regulators and downstream effects, identified in this consortium, involved in cyst progression. For this, we will modulate these players in the mTOR signaling pathway in human renal epithelial cell lines of human patients with ADPKD or contiguous gene syndrome (tuberous sclerosis complex associated with PKD) and analyze their effect on relevant disease-specific cellular phenotypes. In addition, DC18 will expand on the role of altered mTOR as an orchestrator of inflammation during cyst progression. DC18 will investigate the role of the upstream and downstream mTOR associates in human epithelial and immune cells (PBMCs and macrophages) on cytokine production, differentiation, and their interaction (co-cultures). We also hold an extensive longitudinal biobank of biological samples (urine, blood, tissue) of ADPKD and mTORopathy patients and healthy individuals available for the overall benefit of the project.
PhD enrolment : 
DC 17: Daoud Abu Husein