Lorena Ortega Moreno

Lorena Ortega Moreno is an Assistant Professor in the Basic Health Sciences Department at King Juan Carlos University (URJC), Madrid, Spain. Her research focuses on the intersection of lipidomics, metabolomics, and inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) pathogenesis, with particular emphasis on biomarker discovery and gut-brain axis mechanisms. She leads the IMPULSO-URJC project investigating extracellular vesicles in colorectal cancer.

Her research interests span:

• Lipidomics and metabolomics for biomarker discovery in gastrointestinal disorders
• Adipokine biology in inflammatory and metabolic diseases
• Long non-coding RNA roles in IBD pathogenesis and treatment response
• Extracellular vesicle characterization in colorectal cancer
• Gut-brain axis interactions in neurodegenerative conditions

Her work integrates multi-omics approaches to identify non-invasive diagnostic tools and therapeutic targets for IBD and related conditions.

Analysis of her 15 most recent publications reveals consistent focus on:

• IBD biomarker discovery through lncRNA, proteomic, and metabolomic profiling
• Translational applications of microbiome-derived compounds
• Metabolite signatures for disease stratification (COVID-19, diabetes complications)
• Cross-disease applications of lipidomics in neurodegeneration

Her methodology emphasizes clinical validation of omics findings for diagnostic applications.

Scientific recognition includes:

• Two Research Quinquennia (Sexenios de Investigación) awarded by ANECA in 2023
• Extensive international collaboration network across Europe and US institutions

Her advisory and grant portfolio demonstrates strong leadership in translational research:

• Principal Investigator for IMPULSO-URJC project on extracellular vesicles in colorectal cancer (2025)
• Recipient of Comunidad de Madrid Talent Attraction Grant (2018-2022)
• Previous Hearst Foundation postdoctoral fellowship at Joslin Diabetes Center

She maintains active collaborations with Hospital Universitario La Princesa and international research groups.

Her laboratory work centers on the Gut Immunology Research Lab, utilizing:

• Multi-omics platforms (lipidomics, metabolomics, proteomics)
• Extracellular vesicle isolation and characterization
• Translational animal models for gut-brain axis studies
• Clinical sample analysis from IBD and colorectal cancer cohorts

Current efforts focus on developing non-invasive diagnostic tools for gastrointestinal disorders.