Seeks the development of foods that prevent and combat obesity and other comorbidities associated with metabolic syndrome.

What does this unit do?

It selects the varieties of plant, animal, and single-celled species relevant to a diverse, healthy, and sustainable diet. Additionally, the interactions among nutrients and other chemical compounds during food processing, storage, and digestion are validated to design better foods for different populations.

Healthy Food

In Mexico, healthy food production is very variable due to the wide range of climatic conditions and migratory movements that have occurred and continue to occur in the national territory. On the one hand, traditional production systems focus on the diversity of vegetable crops and collecting local fruits and seeds that encourage a diverse diet. On the other hand, in some regions of the country, there is a greater degree of technology to increase the yield and quality of food, advancing the fulfillment of Sustainable Development Goal #2 (SDG 2): zero hunger. Finding a balance in these approaches would move us toward fulfilling SDG 12: Responsible production and consumption.

Your food is your medicine

For centuries, it has been recognized that the consumption of healthy foods has a close relationship with good health in the present and future. Today there is a wealth of scientific evidence supporting the prevention of non-communicable diseases.

Hippocrates' phrase "Let your food be your medicine and your medicine your food" leads to three grand challenges:

1. How to design food for population groups already suffering from certain chronic-degenerative diseases?
2. How to design foods that help prevent these diseases?
3. Understanding the reactions between a food's components and an individual's state of health

Currently, there are advances in understanding nutritional needs and the relevance of consuming antioxidant compounds, immunostimulants, and other beneficial health effects, but further research is required to support each individual to make the best choice based on their habits, customs, traditions, and specific needs. That is one of the challenges of this unit.

Diego Armando Luna Vital
Assistant Research Professor

Study of proteins, bioactive peptides and natural pigments. Development of functional products. Nutrigenomics of foods endemic to Latin America.
Get to know his work

Marilena Antunes Ricardo
Assistant Research Professor

Characterization of phytochemicals in plant matrices for the development of health foods with immunoeoeutical and/or cosmetic potential.
Get to know her work

Anayansi Escalante Aburto
Profesor investigador instructor

Caracterización de alimentos nutracéuticos de origen vegetal. Nutrición, hábitos alimentarios y salud.
Conoce su trabajo aquí

Iván Andrés Luzardo Ocampo
Profesor investigador instructor

Alimentos funcionales basados en cereales y leguminosas. Aproximaciones in vitro, ex vivo, in vivo e in silico para estudiar el efecto de matrices alimenticias y metabolitos en modelos de inflamación y obesidad.

Develops and optimizes bioengineering platforms to produce new commercial products focused on the early detection and prevention of metabolic disorders associated with obesity.

What does this unit do?

1. Bioengineering of processes to identify and produce bioactives.
2. Development of medical devices for early detection and monitoring.
3. Engineering of delivery systems and detection of molecules.
4. Generation of clinical interventions that positively impact society.

Products and services developed by the unit

• Selection of novel biomolecules associated with metabolic diseases.
• Medical devices (based on new technologies, user-friendly and accessible) for the early detection and monitoring of metabolic diseases.
• Real-time detection sensors of biomarkers associated with metabolic diseases.
• Improvement of the performance of existing platforms for the early detection and monitoring of metabolic diseases.
• Prevention and treatment strategies for metabolic diseases and their complications.
• Strategies for the prediction and monitoring of risk of metabolic diseases.

Marco Antonio Rito Palomares
Unit leader. Full Research Professor

Development of early detection technologies, drug delivery systems and strategies based on aqueous two-phase systems.
Get to know his work

Jorge Alejandro Benavides Lozano
Associate Research Professor

Bioengineering, Bioprocesses, Bioproduct formulation, Bioactive discovery and characterization, Synthetic biology.
Get to know his work

Karla Patricia Mayolo Deloisa
Research Professor

Specialist in nanoparticle formulation, protein modification and bioprocesses.
Get to know her work

Omar Lozano García
Assistant Research Professor

Design of advanced materials for drug delivery systems and probes, preclinical studies, nanosafety, nano-bio-interactions.
Get to know his work

Alexandro José Martagón Rosado
Assistant Research Professor

Physician-researcher with translational focus in the study of metabolic diseases, such as obesity, type 2 diabetes and dyslipidemias.
Get to know his work

Mirna Alejandra González González
Assistant Research Professor

Development of flexible bioengineering platforms for biomedical applications.
Get to know her work

Develops and optimizes bioengineering platforms to produce new commercial products focused on the early detection and prevention of metabolic disorders associated with obesity.

What does this unit do?

1. Bioengineering of processes to identify and produce bioactives.
2. Development of medical devices for early detection and monitoring.
3. Engineering of delivery systems and detection of molecules.
4. Generation of clinical interventions that positively impact society.

Products and services developed by the unit

• Selection of novel biomolecules associated with metabolic diseases.
• Medical devices (based on new technologies, user-friendly and accessible) for the early detection and monitoring of metabolic diseases.
• Real-time detection sensors of biomarkers associated with metabolic diseases.
• Improvement of the performance of existing platforms for the early detection and monitoring of metabolic diseases.
• Prevention and treatment strategies for metabolic diseases and their complications.
• Strategies for the prediction and monitoring of risk of metabolic diseases.

Marco Antonio Rito Palomares
Unit leader. Full Research Professor

Development of early detection technologies, drug delivery systems and strategies based on aqueous two-phase systems.
Get to know his work

Jorge Alejandro Benavides Lozano
Associate Research Professor

Bioengineering, Bioprocesses, Bioproduct formulation, Bioactive discovery and characterization, Synthetic biology.
Get to know his work

Karla Patricia Mayolo Deloisa
Research Professor

Specialist in nanoparticle formulation, protein modification and bioprocesses.
Get to know her work

Omar Lozano García
Assistant Research Professor

Design of advanced materials for drug delivery systems and probes, preclinical studies, nanosafety, nano-bio-interactions.
Get to know his work

Alexandro José Martagón Rosado
Assistant Research Professor

Physician-researcher with translational focus in the study of metabolic diseases, such as obesity, type 2 diabetes and dyslipidemias.
Get to know his work

Mirna Alejandra González González
Assistant Research Professor

Development of flexible bioengineering platforms for biomedical applications.
Get to know her work

Diagnosing, preventing, and treating metabolic diseases and obesity by integrating a large, diverse amount of experimental data on individuals, populations, and their environments.

What does this unit do?

The great challenge of this unit is to understand the factors and integrate them for a global and deep comprehension of diseases. Managing massive data and translating it into scientific knowledge is the challenge undertaken in this unit, with the vision of translating it into new diagnoses, therapies, and preventive elements that reduce the rates of obesity and other metabolic diseases in the Mexican and Latin American populations.

Obesity: a multifactorial problem

Mexicans have aggravated obesity and metabolic disorders leading to much lower life expectancies than those in developed countries. The characteristics of these disorders remain not fully understood in our population. Genetic, epigenetic, dietary, environmental, and lifestyle factors affect the development of metabolic diseases and their prognoses.

Integrative biology

Types of research

• Genomic and metabolomic characteristics of Mexicans (population and families) with metabolic disorders contrasted with those in the same environment remaining healthy.
• Multiomic effects of the usual diet, sensory preferences, and new foods of the Mexican and Latin American populations with approaches to pregnancy and early childhood.
• Generation of data science and artificial intelligence (AI) elements to support and justify the design of new diagnoses, therapies, and public policies to combat metabolic diseases.
• Vitamin dietary interventions and functional fats from childhood and their effects on improving comorbidities related to obesity and metabolic diseases in adults.

Dr. Rocío Isabel Díaz de la Garza
Leader of the Integrative Biology Unit

Interkingdom Vitamin Functional Genomics.

More about her work

Dr. José Manuel Villalobos Escobedo
Researcher

Functional Genomics for Bioprospecting.

Dr. Carmen Hernández Brenes
Researcher

Applied Metabolomics for Better Food and Health.

More about her work

Dr. Carlos Rodríguez López
Researcher

Dietary chemical diversity and metabolomics.

Dr. Cuauhtémoc Licona Cassani
Researcher

Microbial Genomics and Synthetic Biology.
More about his work

Dr. Juan Emmanuel Martínez Ledesma
Researcher

Genomics Data Analysis and Machine Learning for Medicine.

More about his work

Diagnosing, preventing, and treating metabolic diseases and obesity by integrating a large, diverse amount of experimental data on individuals, populations, and their environments.

What does this unit do?

The great challenge of this unit is to understand the factors and integrate them for a global and deep comprehension of diseases. Managing massive data and translating it into scientific knowledge is the challenge undertaken in this unit, with the vision of translating it into new diagnoses, therapies, and preventive elements that reduce the rates of obesity and other metabolic diseases in the Mexican and Latin American populations.

Obesity: a multifactorial problem

Mexicans have aggravated obesity and metabolic disorders leading to much lower life expectancies than those in developed countries. The characteristics of these disorders remain not fully understood in our population. Genetic, epigenetic, dietary, environmental, and lifestyle factors affect the development of metabolic diseases and their prognoses.

Integrative biology

Types of research

• Genomic and metabolomic characteristics of Mexicans (population and families) with metabolic disorders contrasted with those in the same environment remaining healthy.
• Multiomic effects of the usual diet, sensory preferences, and new foods of the Mexican and Latin American populations with approaches to pregnancy and early childhood.
• Generation of data science and artificial intelligence (AI) elements to support and justify the design of new diagnoses, therapies, and public policies to combat metabolic diseases.
• Vitamin dietary interventions and functional fats from childhood and their effects on improving comorbidities related to obesity and metabolic diseases in adults.

Dr. Rocío Isabel Díaz de la Garza
Leader of the Integrative Biology Unit

Interkingdom Vitamin Functional Genomics.

More about her work

Dr. José Manuel Villalobos Escobedo
Researcher

Functional Genomics for Bioprospecting.

Dr. Carmen Hernández Brenes
Researcher

Applied Metabolomics for Better Food and Health.

More about her work

Dr. Carlos Rodríguez López
Researcher

Dietary chemical diversity and metabolomics.

Dr. Cuauhtémoc Licona Cassani
Researcher

Microbial Genomics and Synthetic Biology.
More about his work

Dr. Juan Emmanuel Martínez Ledesma
Researcher

Genomics Data Analysis and Machine Learning for Medicine.

More about his work

Experimental prevention and treatment therapies in preclinical models, which lay the foundations for clinical studies of patients with metabolic disease and obesity.

What does this unit do?

In this unit, we develop novel therapies of synthetic molecules, natural products, immunomodulatory strategies, cellular and molecular therapy, and controlled release systems, which can generate proofs-of-concept and personalized treatments (drugs) for metabolic diseases.

Experimental medicine

Experimental medicine refers to deciphering the pathophysiological mechanisms of various diseases, identifying new therapeutic targets, and contributing to developing new drugs.

Although experimental medicine is widely developed with different approaches in Mexico, as in many countries worldwide, translating its major advances into cutting-edge and direct clinical applications is a constant challenge. Few groups in our country have achieved such transfer. Tecnologico de Monterrey has some successful examples in the transfer of experimental medicine, which has allowed the institution to lay the foundation to improve the coordination of efforts and transfer results from the laboratory to clinical practice.

Design of new drugs

In the context of obesity, some comorbidities such as hypertension, diabetes, and fatty liver require developing new drugs that reduce morbidity and mortality.

There is currently no ideal treatment for obesity and its comorbidities; for this reason, our health system seeks a new route for prevention and treatment with new drugs and innovative therapies that are more effective, specific, and with less risk of side effects.

Dr. Gerardo de Jesús García Rivas
Leader of the Experimental Medicine and Advanced Therapies Unit

Biochemistry, Biology, Biological Sciences.
More about his work

Dr. Noemí García Ramírez
Researcher

Biology, Biological Sciences
More about her work

Dr. Marion Emilie Genevieve Brunck
Researcher

Microbiology
More about her work

Dr. Augusto Rojas Martínez
Researcher

Biomedical Sciences, Genetic Medicine and Molecular Biology
More about his work

Dr. Flavio Fernando Contreras Torres
Researcher

Physics and Chemistry
More about his work

Dr. Guillermo Torre Amione
Researcher

Biomedical sciences, cardiology and immunological medicinea
More about his work

Experimental prevention and treatment therapies in preclinical models, which lay the foundations for clinical studies of patients with metabolic disease and obesity.

What does this unit do?

In this unit, we develop novel therapies of synthetic molecules, natural products, immunomodulatory strategies, cellular and molecular therapy, and controlled release systems, which can generate proofs-of-concept and personalized treatments (drugs) for metabolic diseases.

Experimental medicine

Experimental medicine refers to deciphering the pathophysiological mechanisms of various diseases, identifying new therapeutic targets, and contributing to developing new drugs.

Although experimental medicine is widely developed with different approaches in Mexico, as in many countries worldwide, translating its major advances into cutting-edge and direct clinical applications is a constant challenge. Few groups in our country have achieved such transfer. Tecnologico de Monterrey has some successful examples in the transfer of experimental medicine, which has allowed the institution to lay the foundation to improve the coordination of efforts and transfer results from the laboratory to clinical practice.

Design of new drugs

In the context of obesity, some comorbidities such as hypertension, diabetes, and fatty liver require developing new drugs that reduce morbidity and mortality.

There is currently no ideal treatment for obesity and its comorbidities; for this reason, our health system seeks a new route for prevention and treatment with new drugs and innovative therapies that are more effective, specific, and with less risk of side effects.

Dr. Gerardo de Jesús García Rivas
Leader of the Experimental Medicine and Advanced Therapies Unit

Biochemistry, Biology, Biological Sciences.
More about his work

Dr. Noemí García Ramírez
Researcher

Biology, Biological Sciences
More about her work

Dr. Marion Emilie Genevieve Brunck
Researcher

Microbiology
More about her work

Dr. Augusto Rojas Martínez
Researcher

Biomedical Sciences, Genetic Medicine and Molecular Biology
More about his work

Dr. Flavio Fernando Contreras Torres
Researcher

Physics and Chemistry
More about his work

Dr. Guillermo Torre Amione
Researcher

Biomedical sciences, cardiology and immunological medicinea
More about his work

Researches and analyzes the social, economic, and public policy factors that affect obesity and food, their impact on society and the economy.

What does this unit do?

The Public Policy Unit researches and analyzes the social, economic, legal, and public policy factors that affect obesity and diet. It also studies the impact of this problem on society and the economy and analyzes the actions that, from the fields of public policy, economics, and law, can contribute to reducing obesity and improving nutrition.

Likewise, this unit contributes to the public debate with information, analyses, and proposals aimed at expanding knowledge about the challenge of obesity and its social and economic implications. It formulates better policies and public programs from various areas to face the challenge and analyzes the best international practices in the field to know how they could be adapted to the Mexican context. It also works closely with the other units of the Institute so that the research they carry out also impacts public policies and debate.

The importance of Public Policies

Obesity has significant social and economic determinants beyond genetic or medical factors. People's food choices and lifestyles, including physical activity, depend on many factors, such as the environment in which they live, the infrastructure and spaces available for active living, access to and prices of healthy food, the information they have about the factors that contribute to a healthy lifestyle and diet, including what they learn in school and advertising to which they are subject, among others.

Public policies and legislation, beyond what is related to the health sector, have great relevance to the prevalence of obesity. For example, educational policy affects the training of people related to lifestyles and healthy eating, allowing for better decisions. Economic and trade policy and agricultural policy affect the availability of food and its cost. Fiscal policy contributes to final food prices and people's decisions about food consumption. Labor policy impacts the working environment; urban planning affects public spaces, infrastructure, and mobility, which affect people's physical activities.

The prevalence of obesity has a lot to do with public policies in multiple sectors besides health; thus, actions to reduce the prevalence of overweight and obesity correspond to many areas of public policy, not just the health sector.

Obesity and its context

Héctor Arreola Ornelas
Research Professor, Public Policy Unit, School of Government and Public Transformation

Specialist in health systems, health economics and public policy.
Get to know his work
Google Scholar
ORCID

Paola Abril Campos Rivera
Research Professor

PhD in Public Health. Specialist in design and implementation of public policies for health.
Get to know her work

David Contreras Loya
Research Professor

PhD in Health Policy. Specializes in health economics, management and organizations, and quantitative methods for causal inference.
Get to know her work

• The feminization of medicine in Latin America: ‘More-the-merrier’ will not beget gender equity or strengthen health systems. The Lancet Regional Health – Americas. 2022
• Closing the global pain divide: balancing access and excess. The Lancet Public Health. 2022

Researches and analyzes the social, economic, and public policy factors that affect obesity and food, their impact on society and the economy.

What does this unit do?

The Public Policy Unit researches and analyzes the social, economic, legal, and public policy factors that affect obesity and diet. It also studies the impact of this problem on society and the economy and analyzes the actions that, from the fields of public policy, economics, and law, can contribute to reducing obesity and improving nutrition.

Likewise, this unit contributes to the public debate with information, analyses, and proposals aimed at expanding knowledge about the challenge of obesity and its social and economic implications. It formulates better policies and public programs from various areas to face the challenge and analyzes the best international practices in the field to know how they could be adapted to the Mexican context. It also works closely with the other units of the Institute so that the research they carry out also impacts public policies and debate.

The importance of Public Policies

Obesity has significant social and economic determinants beyond genetic or medical factors. People's food choices and lifestyles, including physical activity, depend on many factors, such as the environment in which they live, the infrastructure and spaces available for active living, access to and prices of healthy food, the information they have about the factors that contribute to a healthy lifestyle and diet, including what they learn in school and advertising to which they are subject, among others.

Public policies and legislation, beyond what is related to the health sector, have great relevance to the prevalence of obesity. For example, educational policy affects the training of people related to lifestyles and healthy eating, allowing for better decisions. Economic and trade policy and agricultural policy affect the availability of food and its cost. Fiscal policy contributes to final food prices and people's decisions about food consumption. Labor policy impacts the working environment; urban planning affects public spaces, infrastructure, and mobility, which affect people's physical activities.

The prevalence of obesity has a lot to do with public policies in multiple sectors besides health; thus, actions to reduce the prevalence of overweight and obesity correspond to many areas of public policy, not just the health sector.

Obesity and its context

Héctor Arreola Ornelas
Research Professor, Public Policy Unit, School of Government and Public Transformation

Specialist in health systems, health economics and public policy.
Get to know his work
Google Scholar
ORCID

Paola Abril Campos Rivera
Research Professor

PhD in Public Health. Specialist in design and implementation of public policies for health.
Get to know her work

David Contreras Loya
Research Professor

PhD in Health Policy. Specializes in health economics, management and organizations, and quantitative methods for causal inference.
Get to know her work

• The feminization of medicine in Latin America: ‘More-the-merrier’ will not beget gender equity or strengthen health systems. The Lancet Regional Health – Americas. 2022
• Closing the global pain divide: balancing access and excess. The Lancet Public Health. 2022