Our professionals
Dr. José María Mora
Nephrology Specialist.
Primary focus on hypertension and kidney disease in the context of “glomerulonephritis,” vasculitis, and lupus.
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5
Professional career
MD from the University of Medical Sciences of Costa Rica (2010).
Board-certified specialist in Nephrology at Clínica Universidad de Navarra (2011–2015).
Extraordinary Award in the International Doctoral Program, School of Medicine, University of Navarra (2017), for translational research on the identification of early diagnostic molecular and imaging biomarkers, using functional MRI, in patients with diabetic kidney disease.
Training fellowship at the Glomerular Center, Columbia University Medical Center (New York, USA).
Master’s Degree in Renal Pathology, Rey Juan Carlos University (Madrid, Spain).
Certificate from Harvard Medical School in the advanced Intensive Review of Nephrology program (The Comprehensive Clinical Update and Board Review) at Brigham and Women’s Hospital.
RESEARCH AREAS
- Advanced Cellular Therapies in Nephrology: use of CAR-T cells for autoimmune diseases refractory to other treatments; gene therapy in glomerular diseases.
- Study of biomolecular and imaging biomarkers using functional MRI in patients with diabetic kidney disease.
- Clinical and basic biomolecular studies (transcriptomics and proteomics) in diabetic kidney disease.
- Collaborator on basic research projects in regenerative and cellular nephrology.
- Ethical aspects related to end of life and palliative care in patients with chronic kidney disease, and in advanced nephrology therapies.
- Clinical researcher responsible for the Nephrology Clinical Trials Unit: ongoing trials in IgA nephropathy, ANCA-associated vasculitis, systemic lupus and lupus nephritis, difficult-to-control hypertension, and membranous nephropathy.
- Collaborating researcher with the Cardiovascular and Renal Diseases Group at the Navarra Institute for Health Research (IdiSNA): MINERVA project.
AREAS OF INTEREST
- Hypertension.
- Glomerular diseases (glomerulonephritis), vasculitis, and lupus.
- Application of multiparametric MRI in nephrology.
- Application of Advanced Cellular Therapies in Nephrology.
- Bioethical issues related to advanced therapies and nephrology (xenotransplantation, appropriateness of treatment intensity, renal gene therapies).
- Appropriateness of treatment intensity in nephrology and renal supportive and palliative care.
Activity
In teaching
- Collaborating Professor, Department of Nephrology, School of Medicine, University of Navarra.
- Lead for the Renal Physiology section in the International Program in Medicine (Systems and Organs Integrated – Renal Physiology).
- Coordinator of the course Clinical Practicum I and faculty member of the Simulated Hospital Area.
- Instructor for Medical-Surgical Medicine I (Nephrology and Cardiovascular section).
- Instructor for seminars in Glomerulonephritis.
- Member of the Steering Committee of the ARRIETA Group for the development of appropriate medical ethics in medical student training.
- Academic advising for university students in Medicine, Pharmacy and Nutrition, Business Administration, and Governance. He served as a clinical supervisor of residents during his residency.
- He currently participates in the clinical training of residents and medical students at the University of Navarra. He has taught courses on Electrolyte Emergencies at the International Emergency Training Center (Costa Rica).
- He has provided training in the development of new bioimaging techniques for assessing renal function.
- Co-founder (2017) and co-organizer of the Pamplona Nephrology Update International Symposium (https://pamplonanephrology.com/) held biennially.
- Organizer and Coordinator of the International Congress in Latin America: Costa Rica Clinical Pearls In. (First edition in 2024).
In research
- He has contributed to the development of new functional MRI techniques to study the renal microvasculature in clinical research, and is an international pioneer in developing an ASL (arterial spin labeling) sequence to quantify renal microperfusion using non-invasive bioimaging techniques (PMID: 28383796).
- He is Principal Investigator of the CART-NEL Project on advanced cellular therapies in refractory lupus nephritis, involving 3 independent RICORS (Cooperative Research Networks Oriented to Health Outcomes) and up to 4 interdisciplinary medical specialties (Nephrology, Rheumatology, Internal Medicine, Hematology/Advanced Therapies), as well as basic researchers. The consortium currently includes more than 40 national healthcare/research institutions, with plans to expand to countries outside Europe. He is the European coordinator of an industry-sponsored clinical trial on CAR-T cell therapy for systemic lupus erythematosus.
- Principal Investigator and Sub-investigator in multiple ongoing industry-sponsored clinical trials.
- Co-investigator in a clinical trial related to antiviral therapies in kidney transplantation.
- Co-investigator in the Emerging Cardiovascular Risk Factors Research Group at the Navarra Institute for Health Research (IdiSNA).
- He has presented and contributed to more than 40 research works at national and international conferences since 2011. Author of several indexed publications. He has delivered numerous national and international lectures and presentations on various topics (diabetic kidney disease, chronic kidney disease, advanced therapies in autoimmune diseases, renal palliative care, and appropriateness of treatment intensity, among others).
- Co-author of the chapter “Appropriateness of treatment intensity in advanced chronic kidney disease” in the Spanish Society of Nephrology book: Nefrología al día (https://www.nefrologiaaldia.org/es-articulo-adecuacion-del-esfuerzo-terapeutico-enfermedad-618).
- He is currently pursuing a second doctoral dissertation at the University of Navarra on bioethical aspects in patients with chronic kidney disease.