Though the CICERONE Program is open to Masters and advanced undergraduate students for extending their scientific training through hands-on experience of laboratory-based biomedical research during the summer recess. In addition to carrying out a supervised research project, the students also attend CNIC seminars.

The aim of the program is to give university students first-hand knowledge of biomedical research so that they can make more informed choices about the possibility of pursuing a scientific career.

Link	Size
2017 Guidelines	386 KB
Application form
Document of acceptance	545 KB

For the 2017 call, we are offering two different research projects:

• Role of p38MAPK in metabolic diseases: Metabolic syndrome is a medical disorder defined by the co-occurrence of obesity, impaired glucose tolerance, dyslipidemia and hypertension. Stress activated protein kinases have been shown to control both obesity by itself and diabetes associated to obesity. These stress kinases are activated by several MAPK activated kinases (MKK). We want to investigate the role of MKK3 in this process and the molecular mechanism by which this kinase could affect diabetes.
• p38MAPK in heart phisiology: The p38 MAPK pathway transduces a variety of extracellular signals regulating cellular responses to stress, being implicated in cell proliferation, differentiation and apoptosis. Its implication in the development of human diseases it is being deeply studied. Four p38 MAPK family members have been identified: p38α, β, γ and δ.
  Preliminary data from our laboratory show that these kinases may control cytokine production during acute and chronic inflammatory processes. Moreover, studies with genetically modified mice made in our laboratory confirm that p38MAPKs have a role in the development of the heart. Our main objective is to determine if the regulation of the p38MAPK signaling pathway could have beneficial effects in the cardiac response to exercise.