María Ugarte Ruiz
Unit Chief
Foodborne Zoonoses and Antimicrobial Resistance Unit
Qualifications:
PhD in Veterinary Sciences
Máster en Investigación en Ciencias Veterinarias
Degree in Veterinary Medicine (DVM)
Biography
María Ugarte Ruiz holds a Degree in Veterinary Science by Complutense University (2003-2008) and finished her studies at “École Nationale Vétérinaire, Toulouse” (France). She joined VISAVET Health Surveillance Center UCM as a researcher in 2009 and carried out a Master of Veterinary Science by Complutense University. In 2011 was awarded with a predoctoral grant (FPU) from Spanish Ministry due to her academic record. During that period, she realized internships at the London School and Tropical Medicine and in the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Ohio, USA. In July 2015 she defended her doctoral thesis entitled "Detection and characterization of Campylobacter from animals, food and sewage water”, qualified as “Sobresaliente cum laude”.
Currently is the Head of Foodborne Zoonoses and Antimicrobial Resistance Unit at VISAVET Health Surveillance Centre at Complutense University Madrid, Spain. She is in charge of several lines of research on the characterization of important foodborne pathogens for Public Health and the mechanisms involved in the emergence and spread of antimicrobial resistance by using molecular tecniques as well as sequencing.
On the other hand, she has a solid background experience on foodborne zoonoses and antimicrobial resistance in Biosafety level 2 and 3 laboratories. Besides, she has a great experience on classical microbiological techniques for antimicrobial resistance testing and epidemiological studies, as well as molecular characterization. She has participated in more than 30 research projects and in contracts and agreements with companies and Public Administrations, as a predoctoral fellow and, in recent years, as head of ZTA Unit. Her research resulting to date in 33 scientist’s articles, six of them as first author (21 Q1; 11 Q2; 3 Q3), as well as 29 participations in international conferences. She also co-authored the chapter of two books. Her h-index has risen recently to 12, receiving more than 200 citations for published works.
As an official veterinarian, she has expanded her academic training and participated as Assistant teacher (Inmunology and Microbiology) at Veterinary Medicine Degree at Complutense University from 2009. She has also taught at the official University Master`s Degree in Animal Production and Health and in training courses of the Community of Madrid, Veterinary Colleges etc. She participated in supervision of graduate students in their research projects. She has achieved the accreditation of Assistant Professor of University by ANECA in 2016 and Associate Professor in 2019.
Currently is the Head of Foodborne Zoonoses and Antimicrobial Resistance Unit at VISAVET Health Surveillance Centre at Complutense University Madrid, Spain. She is in charge of several lines of research on the characterization of important foodborne pathogens for Public Health and the mechanisms involved in the emergence and spread of antimicrobial resistance by using molecular tecniques as well as sequencing.
On the other hand, she has a solid background experience on foodborne zoonoses and antimicrobial resistance in Biosafety level 2 and 3 laboratories. Besides, she has a great experience on classical microbiological techniques for antimicrobial resistance testing and epidemiological studies, as well as molecular characterization. She has participated in more than 30 research projects and in contracts and agreements with companies and Public Administrations, as a predoctoral fellow and, in recent years, as head of ZTA Unit. Her research resulting to date in 33 scientist’s articles, six of them as first author (21 Q1; 11 Q2; 3 Q3), as well as 29 participations in international conferences. She also co-authored the chapter of two books. Her h-index has risen recently to 12, receiving more than 200 citations for published works.
As an official veterinarian, she has expanded her academic training and participated as Assistant teacher (Inmunology and Microbiology) at Veterinary Medicine Degree at Complutense University from 2009. She has also taught at the official University Master`s Degree in Animal Production and Health and in training courses of the Community of Madrid, Veterinary Colleges etc. She participated in supervision of graduate students in their research projects. She has achieved the accreditation of Assistant Professor of University by ANECA in 2016 and Associate Professor in 2019.
Investigation
Research lines:
- Genetic characterization of antimicrobial resistance (ZTA)
- Genetic characterization of microorganisms populations (ZTA)
- Foodborne zoonoses in animals and animal derived products intended for human consumption (eggs, meat..), as well as water samples, mainly Salmonella spp. Campylobacter spp., Verotoxigenic Escherichia coli and Yersinia enterocolitica (ZTA)
- Antimicrobial resistances in pathogens, food-borne zoonotic agents and indicators (ZTA)
Last scientific publications:
- Rebollada A., Vela AI., Canales R., Romani-Cremaschi U., Ugarte-Ruiz M., Buendia A., Perez-Sancho M., Dominguez L., Fernandez-Garayzabal JF. and Rodriguez-Bertos A.. Reproductive loss attributed to Lactococcus petauri infection in a black-and-white ruffed lemur. Journal of Veterinary Diagnostic Investigation , 37(3):471-474. 2025. (A)
- Samper-Cativiela C., Torre-Fuentes L., Bernabé Diéguez B., Maex M., Ugarte-Ruiz M., Carrizo-Coronado P., Hernandez M., Hofle U., Saez-Llorente JL., De Frutos C., Aguero M., Moreno MA., Dominguez L., Herrera-Leon S. and Alvarez J.. Molecular epidemiology of Salmonella Enteritidis in humans and animals in Spain. Antimicrobial Agents and Chemotherapy, 69(4):e0073824. 2025. (A)
- Hernandez M., Falco-Prieto A., Ugarte-Ruiz M., Miguela-Villoldo P., Ocampo-Sosa A., Abad D., Perez-Sancho M., Alvarez J., Dorighello-Cadamuro R., Alves-Elois M., Fongaro G., Quesada A., Gonzalez-Zorn B., Dominguez L., Eiros JM. and Rodriguez-Lazaro D.. Genome Analysis of 6222 Bacterial Isolates from Livestock and Food Environments in Spain to Decipher the Antibiotic Resistome. Antibiotics, 14:281. 2025. (A)
- Wiederkehr CM., Alvarez J., Torre-Fuentes L., Crespo-Lopez OI., Calfucura P., Ugarte-Ruiz M., Toledo V., Lurz PWW. and Retamal P.. Salmonella in Coastal Birds in Chile: Detection of a Multidrug-Resistant S. Infantis Bearing the blaCTX-M?65 Gene in a pESI-Like Megaplasmid in Humboldt Penguins. Transboundary and Emerging Diseases, 1949535. 2024. (A)
- Herrero-Garcia G., Barroso P., Dashti A., Gonzalez-Barrio D., Naves J., Fernandez-Gil A., Ugarte-Ruiz M., Perez-Sancho M., Royo JL., Carmena D., de Miguel A., Garcia-Rodriguez A., Gortazar C., Dominguez L. and Balseiro A.. Non-invasive surveillance of shared pathogens in the Eurasian brown bear (Ursus arctos) human interface. One Health, 18:100746. 2024. (A)
Last PhD thesis supervised:
- Pedro Miguela Villoldo. Identification and characterization of colistin resistant bacteria from food-producing animals in Spain. Assessment of its persistance and possible dissemination. 2023.(Doctorado Internacional)
Outreach
Last outreach publications:
- Ugarte-Ruiz M., Alvarez J., Escudero JA., Gonzalez-Zorn B., Miguela-Villoldo P., Moreno MA., Rebollada A., Rodriguez-Bertos A. and Dominguez L.. Resistencias antimicrobianas y One Health. REDRISA, Vetdivulga. 2020.
- Juez-García M., Alvarez J., Sotodosos-Carpintero M. and Ugarte-Ruiz M.. Asociación entre resistencia a antibióticos y serotipos en Salmonella de transmisión alimentaria. Revista Madrileña de Salud Pública, 4(5):1-8, Dirección General de Salud Pública de la Consejería de Sanidad de la Comunidad de Madrid. 2020.
- Florez-Cuadrado D., Moreno MA., Ugarte-Ruiz M. and Dominguez L.. Antimicrobial Resistance in the Food Chain in the European Union. 86(5):115-136, Biological Emerging Risks in Foods. Ed. 1. Academic Press. 2018.
- Leekitcharoenphon P., Garcia-Graels C., Botteldoorn N., Dierick K., Kempf I., Olkkola S., Rossi M., Nykasenoja S., Malorny B., Stingl K., Battisti A., Franco A., Mossong J., Veldman K., Mevius D., Wasyl D., Wieczorek K., Osek J., Clemente L., Lacatus A., Nicorescu I., Aguero-Garcia M., de Frutos-Escobar C., Duran-Ferrer M., Ugarte-Ruiz M., Anjum MF., Teale C., Agren J., Hendriksen RS. and Aarestrup FM.. Comparative genomics of quinolone-resistantand susceptibleCampylobacter jejuniof oultry origin from major poultry producing European countries (GENCAMP). EFSA Journal, European Food Safety Authority (EFSA). 2018.
- Moreno MA., Florez-Cuadrado D., Ugarte-Ruiz M. and Dominguez L.. Veterinarios y antibióticos: destinados a entenderse. Profesión Veterinaria, Asís. 2018.
Next communications:
- Fedele G., Torre-Fuentes L., Carrizo-Coronado P., Ugarte-Ruiz M., Aguaron A., Gil-Molino M., Quesada A. and Alvarez J.. Salmonella Choleraesuis in swine and wild boar in Spain: characterization of an emergent serovar. International Symposium Salmonella and Salmonellosis. 2025. (Oral communication)
- Carrizo-Coronado P., Torre-Fuentes L., Ugarte-Ruiz M., Rodriguez-Paredes V., del Pino S., Aguaron A., Saez JL., Lopez-Orozco G., Herrera S. and Alvarez J.. Molecular epidemiology of AMR monophasic Salmonella Typhimurium from multiple sources in Spain. International Symposium Salmonella and Salmonellosis. 2025. (Oral communication)
Last communications:
- Ugarte-Ruiz M.. De la granja al laboratorio: ¿cómo vigilamos la resistencia a antimicrobianos en animales? Bloque 1: Las resistencias desde un enfoque 360. Jornada conjunta PTI - Conexión de resistencias a antimicrobianos. 2025. (Oral communication)
- Perez-Sancho M., Herranz Benito C., Perello-Jiménez A., Garcia-Seco T., Casamayor A., Torre-Fuentes L., Alvarez J., Ugarte-Ruiz M., Ortiz JA., Dominguez L. and Gortazar C.. A multidisciplinary approach to characterize a salmonella enterica serovar enteritidis unusual outbreak in fenced iberian ibex (Capra Pyrenaica). 7th Congress of the European Association of Veterinary Laboratory Diagnosticians. 2024. (Oral communication)
- Ugarte-Ruiz M.. Zoonosis de transmisión alimentaria y resistencias a antimicrobianos. Centro VISAVET-UCM: cómo se trabaja en un laboratorio de alta seguridad biológica. XXIV Semana de la Ciencia Madri+d. 2024. (Oral communication)
- Wiederkehr-Bruno CM., Retamal P., Torre-Fuentes L., Ugarte-Ruiz M., Crespo O., Calfucura P. and Alvarez J.. Detection of multidrug resistant s. infantis clones in humboldt penguins (Spheniscus humboldti) in areas with different anthropogenic influence in central Chile. 17th International Symposium of Veterinary Epidemiology and Economics (ISVEE 17). 2024. (Poster communication)
- Alvarez J., Torre-Fuentes L., del Corral I., Lopez G., Sotodosos M., Perez I., Collado S., Sanchez E., de Frutos C., Rivero E., Maasoumi N., Aguero M., Saez JL. and Ugarte-Ruiz M.. Extended-spectrum beta-lactamase/plasmid-mediated ampc beta-lactamase producing Escherichia coli across livestock and food products in Spain. 17th International Symposium of Veterinary Epidemiology and Economics (ISVEE 17). 2024. (Oral communication)
