Dr. Cristina Sáez received one of the prizes http://cerca.cat/seccio-ktt/premis-pioner-2016/" Pioner 2016 for her thesis: "Molecular mechanisms that regulate the expression of SHBG: implications in obesity". The investigator performed her doctorate in the group of Diabetes and Metabolism at Vall d'Hebron Institute of Research (VHIR), under the guidance of Drs. Cristina Hernández, David Martínez Selva and Rafael Simó.The PIONER prizes recognize the work of doctorates of CERCA centers, which for the last 12 months had defended their thesis with a clear transference potential. The prize, of 1.000euros, is an initiative of CERCA centers and counts with the collaboration of Biocat, the Catalan Foundation for Research and Innovation, mVenturesBcn and Rousaud Costas Duran.On the occasion of this reward, we talked to Dr. Cristina Sáez so that we can know more about her thesis and her current situation, after ending her professional activity at VHIR in April.What does your thesis consist?For the 5 years that lasted my thesis, I determined the molecular mechanisms by which different factors regulate the hepatic production of the sex hormone-binding globulin (SHBG) in the development of obesity. I could also determine that low levels of SHBG in these kind of metabolic diseases such as obesity play a role in developing them. Using murine models and human cell cultures that express SBHG in huge quantities, we managed to decrease both body weight and fat levels in the liver and in the fatty tissue of obese and diabetic mice. We found that SHBG has a beneficial action through two different mechanisms, on the one hand reduces lipogenesis (fat formation) and on the other, increases lipolysis (fat decomposition)What is the potential of your research for the industrial or commercial sector?The applicability of our results focuses on using SHBG for obesity treatment and the reduction of fat of the liver and fatty tissues. Potentially, if we manage to reduce obesity we will also reduce the development of diseases related to obesity, such as diabetes type 2 and cardiovascular disease. The use of SHBG as a drug to treat these illnesses has been patented. Currently the research focuses on two directions: one is the cosmetic application seizing the capacity of SHBG of fat "burning" and the other is the pharmaceutical application, with the active search of natural or synthetic substances that are able to increase endogenous SHBG levels of these patients suffering metabolic diseases.Now, a few months later, what is the status of the project?Two possible applications of our results are explored: on the one hand, the search of new compounds that increase the production of SHBG and on the other hand, the possibility of produce lotions for the cosmetic applications. Also the study of molecular mechanisms by which SHBG exerts its beneficial actions using murine models and human cell cultures.What does this prize implies for you and what will it allow you to do?I think that the most important objective of these prizes is giving visibility to doctoral thesis with industrial applicability. So, this prize will allow us to make the project known and make easier the search of collaborators to carry it forward.Putting aside this project, what is your current professional situation?This doctoral project was motivating and a reward, I learned so much. I would have liked to continue working in the project, but we all know that the scientific sector is difficult, so I raised other possibilities. My thesis director, David Martínez Selva informs me about the status of the research, so I keep involved in the project and I am happy for it. I am now working in a scientific editorial where I work in science in another point of view. I lead a journal Medical Open Access (Medical Sciences) which is starting and I collaborate in journal about Environmental Research and Public Health (IJERPH). Now the challenges are different and I am enjoying collaborating in making scientific results known.