Dra. Maria Urquizu Padilla

I completed my training as Graduate in Medicine at the Autònoma University of Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain; I received the "Premio extraordinario de Licenciatura” which awards the best grades' student during his university career.
Afterwards, I completed my specialized training on Internal Medicine at Vall d'Hebron University Hospital, through opposition MIR. During this period, I wrote a revision article about lupus and accelerated atherosclerosis, and attended congresses and meetings.
I received a grant to conduct a doctoral thesis over three years, and stayed at the prestigious investigational Louise Coote Lupus Unit at Guy’s and Saint Thomas Hospital. During this period I published two papers in international Journal Rheumatology as first author, and another one in BMC Rheumatology.
I received my doctorate with “cum laude” honors for PhD thesis titled “Systemic lupus erythematosus activity and blood markers associated with atherosclerosis” at the Autonòma University of Barcelona.
For 15 years I worked as an emergency doctor in Vall d'Hebron University Hospital, I gave several courses and collaborated in research projects.
Since June 2019 have been working as hospitalist in Traumatology building of Vall d'Hebron Hospital, and attending patients in an outpatient clinic for lipids and vascular risk in the same hospital. Since April 2021, I'm member of the board of directors of XULA (Lipids and Atherosclerosis Units Network of Catalonia).
During COVID pandemic I collaborated with STACOV-XULA research group in a big database, publishing three journal articles.
In 2022 published as co-author a guideline about dislipidemia management for cardiovascular prevention (XULA-guideline).

I'm currently involved in several clinical trial as a principal investigator to test new treatments for lipids disorders.