Principal Investigator Celia P. Martinez-Jimenez
Molecular Ageing
Research
Single-cell genomic approaches have the power to reveal different sources of cellular variability (Fig.1). These technologies are allowing us to investigate the slow or subtle changes in cell type composition (cellular heterogeneity) or the changes in gene expression in homogenous populations of cells (transcriptional variability) which occur in chronic diseases and during healthy aging (Martinez-Jimenez et al. Science 2017).
Molecular features such as DNA methylation have recently been adopted as a predictor of “molecular age”. Celia P. Martinez-Jimenez has confirmed an additional feature predictive of molecular age: cell-to-cell transcription variability. Old mice have increased cell-to-cell transcriptional variability in their immune system in response to an external stimulus (Martinez-Jimenez et al. Science 2017).
Although this increase in cell-to-cell transcriptional variability during aging has been reported in other cell types (Bahar R at al. Nature 2006), the impact of individual expression variability on tissue function has not yet been explored.
Martinez-Jimenez Lab aims to compare “molecular age” (predicted by molecular features such as DNA methylation, chromatin accessibility and cell-to-cell transcriptional variability) with conventional “chronological age” (defined by the age of an individual in time units, years). These molecular features will be used to decipher the impact of cellular variability on tissue function during ageing and chronic disease.
Martinez-Jimenez Lab integrates single-cell genomic approaches (transcriptomics, epigenomics and metabolomics) to study how ageing affects individual cells, different tissues and impact the health of the whole organism. (Fig.2)
Dr. Celia P. Martinez-Jimenez
Principal Investigator, Molecular Ageing
Throughout my scientific career I have focused my studies on mechanisms of gene regulation. In Spain, I was awarded with a predoctoral fellowship and two grants for short stays abroad. I obtained a European PhD, acknowledged with a National PhD Award. I performed two postdoctoral stays funded by a Marie Curie Program and FEBS long-term fellowship respectively, expanding my knowledge to in vivo models. In 2015, I was funded by the Wellcome trust Sanger Institute and I was seconded in the University of Cambridge. At present, I am a principal investigator in the Helmholtz Pioneer Campus (Helmholtz Zentrum München, Munich, Germany)
Complementarily, I studied a Master in Business Administration (and I obtained the 1stCEU Entrepreneurship Award) being able to understand the priorities of the private sector and develop high-quality translational research. During three years, I was working as Business Development Manager in a spin-off. Additionally, I have experience as an assistant professor in the University for five academic years along with experience in mentoring students.
Factsheet
Positions and Career
2018-present
Principal Investigator Helmholtz Pioneer Campus, Helmholtz Zentrum München
2015-2018
Post-doctoral Fellow (3rd) University of Cambridge / CRUK CI / Sanger Institute (UK)
2012-2014
Business Development Manager Applicacell Biotech, S. L. (Spin-off, ES)
Education
2001-2006
European Ph.D. in Biochemistry. University of Valencia (Spain)
2001-2004
Diploma of Advanced Studies in Biochemistry applied to Clinics, Medicine and Immunology. University of Valencia (Spain).
2000-2003
Diploma of Advanced Studies in Biochemistry applied to Clinics, Medicine and Immunology. University of Valencia (Spain).
1995-2000
M.Sc. in Biology. University of Valencia (Spain)
Honors and Awards
2015
Inaugural Janet Thornton Fellow (1)
2010
Postdoctoral Long-Term FEBS fellowship by Federation of European Biochemical Societies (FEBS)
2007
National PhD Award by the University of Valencia (ES)
2006
Marie Curie postdoctoral fellowship (ITN)2015
(1) The Janet Thornton Fellowship was launched in 2015 providing an opportunity specifically for those who have been out of scientific research for 12 months or more to return to high-quality postdoctoral training. See more infomration about the Janet Thornton Fellowship here.
Postdoc
Dr. Ioannis Deligiannis
Research focus: Transcriptional dynamics in individual cells during ageing
PhD Students
Maria Richter
Research focus: Analysis and interpretation of transcriptional profiles and epigenetics data during ageing
Eva Sofia Sanchez Quant
Research focus: Precision toxicology during ageing
Collaborators
Selected Publications
Staged developmental mapping and X chromosome transcriptional dynamics during mouse spermatogenesis
Ernst C, Eling N, Martinez-Jimenez CP, Marioni JC, Odom DT
Nat Commun. 2019 Mar 19; 10:1251; doi: 10.1038/s41467-019-09182-1
Aging increases cell-to-cell transcriptional variability upon immune stimulation.
Martinez-Jimenez CP, Eling N, Chen HC, Vallejos CA, Kolodziejczyk AA, Connor F, Stojic L, Rayner TF, Stubbington MJT, Teichmann SA, de la Roche M, Marioni JC, Odom DT.
Science. 2017 Mar 31;355(6332):1433-1436. doi: 10.
The mechanisms shaping the single-cell transcriptional landscape.
Martinez-Jimenez CP, Odom DT.
Curr Opin Genet Dev. 2016 Apr;37:27-35. doi: 10.1016/j.gde.2015.11.004.
Five-vertebrate ChIP-seq reveals the evolutionary dynamics of transcription factor binding.
Schmidt D, Wilson MD, Ballester B, Schwalie PC, Brown GD, Marshall A, Kutter C, Watt S, Martinez-Jimenez CP, Mackay S, Talianidis I, Flicek P, Odom DT.
Science. 2010 May 21;328(5981):1036-40. doi: 10.1126/science.1186176.
Hepatocyte nuclear factor 4alpha coordinates a transcription factor network regulating hepatic fatty acid metabolism.
Martinez-Jimenez CP, Kyrmizi I, Cardot P, Gonzalez FJ, Talianidis I.
Mol Cell Biol. 2010 Feb;30(3):565-77. doi: 10.1128/MCB.00927-09.
Transcriptional activation of CYP2C9, CYP1A1, and CYP1A2 by hepatocyte nuclear factor 4alpha requires coactivators peroxisomal proliferator activated receptor-gamma coactivator 1alpha and steroid receptor coactivator 1.
Martínez-Jiménez CP, Castell JV, Gómez-Lechón MJ, Jover R.
Mol Pharmacol. 2006 Nov;70(5):1681-92.
Transcriptional regulation of the human hepatic CYP3A4: identification of a new distal enhancer region responsive to CCAAT/enhancer-binding protein beta isoforms (liver activating protein and liver inhibitory protein).
Martínez-Jiménez CP, Gómez-Lechón MJ, Castell JV, Jover R.
Mol Pharmacol. 2005 Jun;67(6):2088-101.
Contact us
Helmholtz Pioneer Campus
Helmholtz Zentrum München
Deutsches Forschungszentrum für Gesundheit und Umwelt (GmbH)
Ingolstädter Landstr. 1
85764 Neuherberg
Germany