Sandra Viz-Lasheras

Researcher

“I can't understand why people are frightened of new ideas. I'm frightened of the old ones”.

John Cage

I am a biology graduate from Universidad de Santiago de Compostela where I found myself dazzled for first time by the exciting world of scientific research. I was especially interested about health research, genetics and molecular biology fields. During this period, I had the great opportunity to perform laboratory practices in prestigious research centers such as the Centre for Research in Molecular Medicine and Chronic Diseases (CIMUS) or the “Instituto de Investigación Sanitaria del Hospital Universitario de Santiago de Compostela” (IDIS), within the department of neuroendocrinology, energy, homeostasis, metabolism and cancer and the group of neuroendocrine and rheumatic diseases respectively.

In 2017, I moved to Barcelona to study a Master degree in Advanced Genetics at the Universidad Autónoma de Barcelona where I had the pleasure to took part in the research activity of the laboratory of the Genomic Instability and DNA Repair group of the university, directed by Dr. Jordi Surrallès.

I have developed driving skills in different techniques as mammalian cell cultures, molecular cloning, cytotoxicity assays, lentiviral particles production, Western Blot, PCR, CRISPR Cas9 gene editing, etc.

I actively collaborated in research studies and publications about breast cancer risk magnitude of FANCM truncating mutations, which are part of national and international projects.

From October 2019, I am working as PhD student of Molecular Medicine in the GENPOB group directed by Pr. Antonio Salas and located in the Instituto de Investigaciones Sanitarias de where I perform functional genomic studies using the leading technologies of gene editing, specially focused in analyze transcriptomics markers that were found to be differentially expressed by the host in response to viral or bacterial infections but also studying the molecular basis of a rare disease: Progressive Osseous Heteroplasia (POH), both in “in vitro” and “in vivo” models. In January 2020 I obtained a pre-doctoral fellowship offered by Fundación IDIS.

As a woman researcher that is always curious and open to what science can offer, I feel very identified with a statement of the Aavant-garde composer John Cage that said “I can't understand why people are frightened of new ideas. I'm frightened of the old ones”.

Follow:

ORCID Twitter
Sandra Viz

Publications within the group

  • 2025
    • Pischedda, Sara; Gómez-Carballa, Alberto; Pardo-Seco, Jacobo; Viz-Lasheras, Sandra; Camino-Mera, Alba; Bello, Xabier; Curras-Tuala, María José; Rivero-Calle, Irene; Dacosta-Urbieta, Ana I.; Martinón-Torres, Federico; Salas, Antonio; López, Miriam Cebey; Gliemmo, Ana Vega; Guitián, José Peña; Novo, Carmen Curros; Trabazo, Rosaura Leis; Torres, Nazareth Martinón; Sánchez, José María Martinón; Pérez, Belén Mosquera; Collazo, Lorenzo Redondo; Rodríguez-Tenreiro, Carmen; Puga, Miriam Taboada; Bellas, Ana Cotovad; Morelle, Ana María Pastoriza; Rey, Silvia Cerqueiro; Vázquez, Sara Rey; Ferreiro, Ana María Senín; Fernández, Sonia Serén; Iglesias, Maria Soledad Vilas; García, Mirian Ben; Casuso, Patricia Regueiro; Martinez, Lara Martinez; Rodríguez, Máximo Francisco Fraga; Lago, Orlando Fernández; Antúnez, José Ramón; Padilla, Carmen Martínez; de la CruzMoreno, Jesús; Martínez, Eugenia Villanueva; Espín, Ana González; de las Mercedes Martínez Rebollo, María; Moya, María Rocío Martín; Victoria Ramos Casado, M.; Rojo, Pablo; Alba, Palacios Cuesta; Orive, Francisco Javier Pilar; Tubert, Carla Pintos; Urabayen, Diego García; Sanchez, Esteban Gomez; Ramos, Juan Valencia; López-Herce, Jesús; Alvarez, Débora Sanz; Calvo, Cristina; Alcolea, Sonia; Sánchez, Rocio; Atucha, Jorge; Hurtado, Jara; Fernández, Ana López; González, Clara Gil; López, Teresa González; Vázquez, Delfina Suarez; Vázquez, Ángela Vázquez; García, Susana Rey; Sande, Nathalie Carreira; Pérez, Nuria Romero; Lozano, Diego Bautista; Jose, Alcaraz Romero Andres; Martin, Sara Guillen; Aragón, Ana Pérez; Paredes, Catalina Ortiz; Ferreiro, María Teresa Rives; Salgado, Jose Luis Moreno; Leiva, Olalla Moyano; Rubinos, Carla Taboada; Miranda, Ana Capilla; Contreras, Jorge; Torre, Andrés Concha; del Castillo Navío, Elena; Tejada, Ana Grande; García, Alfredo Tagarro; Herreros, María Luisa; del Valle, Rut; Galarraga, Laura Moreno; Iturbe, Enrique Bernaola; Álvarez, Jorge; Herranz, Mercedes; Gil, Francisco; Gembero, Eva; Rodríguez, Jorge; García, María Luz García; Rey, Cristina Calvo; Arnal, Iciar Olabarrieta; Rincón, Adelaida Fernández; Reyes, Susana Beatriz; León, María Cruz León; Alfayate, Santiago; Mercader, Beatriz; Sánchez, Francisco Giménez; Salas, Elvira González; De Miguel, Sira Fernández; García, Alfredo Tagarro; Sanchidrián, María Concepción Zazo; García-Fontecha, Esteban; Lorenzo, Marta González; Esteban, Mariano; Castello, María Carmen Vicent; Requena, Lorena Moreno; Martín, César Gavilán; Franco, Monterrat López; Bravo, Mª Nieves Glez; Cabero, María Jesús; Pareja, Marta; Carretero, Adriana Navas; Vazquez, Elvira Cobo; Perez, Patricia Flores; del Prado, María Yolanda Ruiz; Gianzo, José Antonio Couceiro; Perez, Nazareth Fuentes; Piñeiro, Roi; Abancens, Belen Joyanes; de Liria, Carlos Rodrigo Gonzalo; Méndez, Maria; Sánchez, Francisco Giménez; Forte, Miguel Sánchez; Ortega, María José Cilleruelo; Golmayo, Luz; Azorín, Francisca Portero and GENDRES Consortium (2025). DNA methylation signatures of severe RSV infection in infants: evidence from non-invasive saliva samples. Epigenetics & Chromatin; 18(1):25. https://doi.org/10.1186/s13072-025-00587-5
    • Sandra Viz-Lasheras, Alberto Gómez-Carballa, Xabier Bello, Irene Rivero Calle, Ana Dacosta-Urbieta, Myrsini Kaforou, Dominic Habgood-Coote, Marieke Emonts, Jethro Herberg, Victoria Wright, Enitan Carrol, Stephane Paulus, Werner Zenz, Daniela Kohlfürst, Nina Schweintzger, Ronald de Groot, Luregn Schlapbach, Philipp Agyeman, Andrew Pollard, Colin Fink, Taco Kuijpers, Suzanne Anderson, Clementien Vermont, Michael Levin#, Federico Martinon-Torres, Michiel Van der Flier, Aubrey Cunnington, Ulrich von Both, Dace Zavadska, Marko Pokorn, María Tsolia, Henriette Moll and Antonio Salas (2025). A diagnostic host-specific transcriptome response for Mycoplasma pneumoniae pneumonia to guide pediatric patient treatment. Nature Communications; 16(1). https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-025-55932-9
    • Sandra Viz-Lasheras, Alberto Gómez-Carballa, Jacobo Pardo-Seco, Xabier Bello, Irene Rivero-Calle, Ana Isabel Dacosta, Myrsini Kaforou, Dominic Habgood-Coote, Aubrey J. Cunnington, Marieke Emonts, Jethro A. Herberg, Victoria J. Wright, Enitan D. Carrol, Stephane C. Paulus, Werner Zenz, Daniela S. Kohlfürst, Michiel Van der Flier, Ronald de Groot, Luregn J. Schlapbach, Philipp Agyeman, Andrew J. Pollard, Colin Fink, Taco T. Kuijpers, Suzanne Anderson, Cristina Calvo, María del Carmen Martínez-Padilla, Ana Pérez-Aragón, Esteban Gómez-Sánchez, Juan Valencia-Ramos, Francisco Giménez-Sánchez, Paula Alonso-Quintela, Laura Moreno-Galarraga, Ulrich von Both, Marko Pokorn, Dace Zavadska, María Tsolia, Clementien L. Vermont, Henriëtte A. Moll, Michael Levin, Federico Martinón-Torres and Antonio Salas (2025). A 5-transcript signature for discriminating viral and bacterial etiology in pediatric pneumonia. iScience. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.isci.2025.111747
  • 2023
    • Alberto Gómez-Carballa, Laura Navarro, Jacobo Pardo-Seco, Xabier Bello, Sara Pischedda, Sandra Viz-Lasheras, Alba Camino-Mera, María José Currás, Isabel Ferreirós, Narmeen Mallah, Sara Rey-Vázquez, Lorenzo Redondo, Ana Dacosta-Urbieta, Fernando Caamaño-Viña, Irene Rivero-Calle, Carmen Rodriguez-Tenreiro, Federico Martinón-Torres & Antonio Salas (2023). Music compensates for altered gene expression in age-related cognitive disorders. Scientific Reports; 13(1):21259. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-023-48094-5
    • Jacobo Pardo-Seco, Sandra Viz-Lasheras, Xabier Bello, Alberto Gómez-Carballa, Alba Camino-Mera, Sara Pischedda, María José Currás-Tuala, Irene Rivero-Calle, Ana Dacosta, Fernando Caamaño-Viña, Carmen Rodríguez-Tenreiro, Isabel Cifuentes, Cristina Méndez, Chiea Chuen Khor, Federico Martinón-Torres, Antonio Salas, the CAPPRIC study group (2023). Whole exome sequencing identifies new susceptibility candidates underlying community-acquired pneumonia. Genes & Diseases. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.gendis.2023.101170
    • Alberto Gómez-Carballa, María José Currás-Tuala, Sara Pischedda, Miriam Cebey-López, José Gómez-Rial, Irene Rivero-Calle, Jacobo Pardo-Seco, Xabier Bello, Sandra Viz-Lasheras, Antonio Justicia-Grande, Julián Montoto-Louzao, Alba Camino-Mera, Isabel Ferreirós-Vidal, Máximo Fraga, José R. Antúnez, Rodolfo Gómez, Federico Martinón-Torres and Antonio Salas (2023). Multi-tissue transcriptomics of a unique monozygotic discordant twin case of severe progressive osseous heteroplasia. Genes & Diseases. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.gendis.2023.05.001
    • Navarro, Laura, Gómez-Carballa, Alberto, Pischedda, Sara, Montoto-Louzao, Julián, Viz-Lasheras, Sandra, Camino-Mera, Alba, Hinault, Thomas, Martinón-Torres, Federico and Salas, Antonio (2023). Sensogenomics of music and Alzheimer’s disease: An interdisciplinary view from neuroscience, transcriptomics, and epigenomics. Frontiers in Aging Neuroscience; 15. https://doi.org/10.3389/fnagi.2023.1063536
  • 2022
    • Cebey-López, Miriam, Currás-Tuala, María José, Gómez-Rial, Jose, Rivero-Calle, Irene, Pardo-Seco, Jacobo, Mendez-Gallart, Roberto, Sara Pischedda, Gómez-Carballa, Alberto, Barral-Arca, Ruth, Justicia Grande, Antonio José, Viz Lasheras, Sandra, Rodríguez-Tenreiro, Carmen, Gómez, Rodolfo, Salas, Antonio and Martinón-Torres, Federico. (2022). Everolimus reduced bone turnover markers but showed no clinical benefit in a patient with severe progressive osseous heteroplasia. Frontiers in Pediatrics. https://doi.org/10.3389/fped.2022.936780
    • Alberto Gómez-Carballa, Jacobo Pardo-Seco, Sara Pischedda, Irene Rivero-Calle, Guillaume Butler-Laporte, JB Richards, Sandra Viz-Lasheras, Federico Martinón-Torres, Antonio Salas (2022). Sex-biased expression of the TLR7 gene in severe COVID-19 patients: Insights from transcriptomics and epigenomics. Environmental Research; 215(2):114288. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.envres.2022.114288
    • Alberto Gómez-Carballa, Irene Rivero-Calle, Jacobo Pardo-Seco, José Gómez-Rial, Carmen Rivero-Velasco, Nuria Rodríguez-Núñez, Gema Barbeito-Castiñeiras, Hugo Pérez-Freixo, Miriam Cebey-López, Ruth Barral-Arca, Carmen Rodriguez-Tenreiro, Ana Dacosta-Urbieta, Xabier Bello, Sara Pischedda, María José Currás-Tuala, Sandra Viz-Lasheras, Federico Martinón-Torres and Antonio Salas (2022). A multi-tissue study of immune gene expression profiling highlights the key role of the nasal epithelium in COVID-19 severity. Environmental Research; 210(1):112890. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.envres.2022.112890
    • Sara Pischedda, Irene Rivero-Calle, Alberto Gómez-Carballa, Miriam Cebey-López, Ruth Barral-Arca, Jose Gómez Rial, Jacobo Pardo-Seco, María José Currás Tuala, Sandra Viz Lasheras, Xabier Bello, Ana B. Crujeiras, Angel Diaz-Lagares, Teresa María, Federico Martinon-Torres and Antonio Salas (2022). Role and diagnostic performance of host epigenome in respiratory morbidity after RSV infection: the EPIRESVi study. Frontiers in Immunology; 13:875691. https://doi.org/10.3389/fimmu.2022.875691
  • 2020
    • Barral-Arca R, Gómez-Carballa A, Cebey-López M, Currás-Tuala MJ, Pischedda S, Viz-Lasheras S, Bello S, Martinón-Torres F, Salas A (2020). RNA-Seq data-mining allows the discovery of two long non-coding RNA biomarkers of viral infection in humans. International Journal of Molecular Sciences; 21(8):2748. http://doi.org/10.3390/ijms21082748