Meet Dr. Cristina Llorente

About Dr. Llorente

Summary: 
Dr. Cristina Llorente is an Assistant Professor at UC San Diego, leading a translational research program focused on liver diseases. She holds a Biochemistry degree from Complutense University of Madrid and a Ph.D. from the Autonomous University of Madrid. During her postdoctoral fellowship at UC San Diego, Dr. Llorente conducted transformative research on diabetes and obesity in Dr. Olefsky’s lab and made groundbreaking discoveries in liver disease research in Dr. Schnabl’s lab. Her studies on the intestinal microbiome's role in alcohol-associated liver disease (ALD) and metabolic dysfunction-associated liver disease are published in top journals like Nature and Nature Communications. Her current research aims to discover cures for liver diseases, including ALD, metabolic dysfunction-associated steatotic liver disease (MASLD), metabolic dysfunction-associated steatohepatitis (MASH), and MASLD with alcohol use disorder (MetALD). 

Dr. Cristina Llorente is currently an Assistant Professor at UC San Diego, where she leads a translational research program dedicated to unraveling the molecular mechanisms underlying liver diseases. Her academic journey began with a degree in Biochemistry from Complutense University of Madrid in 2008. During her undergraduate studies, she conducted a pivotal internship at Santa Barbara’s Hospital of Soria, solidifying her early interest in biochemical research. Recognized for her academic excellence, she was awarded a pre-doctoral fellowship from the Ministry of Economy and Competitiveness (MINECO) to advance her studies. Dr. Llorente continued her academic pursuits, earning a Master's in Molecular Medicine and completing a Ph.D. in Biochemistry, Molecular Biology, and Biomedicine at the Autonomous University of Madrid in 2013. Her doctoral research focused on elucidating the intricate role of COX-2-dependent prostaglandins in chronic liver diseases, where she notably investigated COX-2 epigenetic modulation as a prognostic marker for hepatocellular carcinoma. Her findings, published in three first-author papers and complemented by three co-authored publications, underscored her early contributions to the field.

In 2012, Dr. Llorente's academic journey led her to the University of California San Diego (UC San Diego), where she conducted transformative research on diabetes and obesity in Dr. Olefsky’s laboratory under a prestigious fellowship from MINECO. This experience broadened her research expertise and set the stage for her subsequent role as a postdoctoral fellow in Dr. Schnabl’s laboratory at UC San Diego, focusing on liver disease research.

Dr. Llorente's lab is renowned for its research on the intestinal microbiome and chronic liver disease. Her pioneering work, published in top journals like Nature Communications and Nature, identified how gastric acid suppression promotes alcohol-associated liver disease by fostering intestinal Enterococcus overgrowth and subsequent liver translocation. They also discovered that Enterococcus faecalis produces a cytolytic toxin linked to alcoholic hepatitis mortality and explored bacteriophage therapy as a novel approach to mitigate ethanol-induced liver injury, resulting in a patented treatment strategy.

Dr. Llorente's current research focuses on exploring and understanding the complex interactions among the components of the intestinal mucosal barrier and their influence on the onset of liver disease. These components encompass the intestinal immune system, the microbiota, and the intestinal epithelium. Her research is translational, aiming to discover cures for liver diseases such as alcohol-associated liver disease (ALD), metabolic dysfunction-associated steatotic liver disease (MASLD), metabolic dysfunction-associated steatohepatitis (MASH), and MASLD with alcohol use disorder (MetALD). 

Dr. Llorente's contributions to the field have yielded numerous publications in prestigious journals such as Nature, Nature Communications, Cellular and Molecular Gastroenterology and Hepatology, Journal of Hepatology, Cell Host and Microbe, Hepatology, and Journal of Clinical Investigation, among others.

Ongoing Research:

• ALCOHOL-ASSOCIATED LIVER DISEASE 
  • Focus:  Investigating the interactions among the intestinal mucosal barrier components (immune system, microbiota, epithelium) and their influence on the onset of liver disease. 
  • Objectives: Characterize the role of goblet cells in ethanol-induced liver disease using advanced microbiomics and cutting-edge technology. Explore the roles of the immune system, microbiota, and epithelium in the gut-liver axis in ALD. 
  • Goal:  Discover cures for alcohol-associated liver disease (ALD). 

• THE ROLE OF INTESTINAL gp130 IN ALCOHOL-ASSOCIATED LIVER DISEASE
  • Focus:  Understanding the mechanisms involved in alcohol-associated liver disease (ALD). 
  • Objective:  Investigate the role of intestinal gp130 in the development and progression of ALD. 
  • Goal:  Discover cures for alcohol-associated liver disease (ALD). 

• METABOLIC DYSFUNCTION-ASSOCIATED STEATOTIC LIVER DISEASE (MASLD) AND METABOLIC DYSFUNCTION-ASSOCIATED STEATOHEPATITIS (MASH)
  • Focus: Exploring the interactions among the intestinal mucosal barrier components (immune system, microbiota, epithelium) and their impact on liver disease onset. 
  • Objectives: Characterize the role of goblet cells in MASLD and MASH using advanced microbiomics and technology. Investigate the roles of the immune system, microbiota, and epithelium in the gut-liver axis in MASLD and MASH. 
  • Goal: Discover cures for metabolic dysfunction-associated liver diseases, including MASLD and MASH. 

Awards & Honors