SONIA
ORTEGA GOMEZ

International PhD (Cum Laude) in Physical Activity and Health, awarded in 2023. Since June 2023, she has been working as a Research Assistant in European projects focused on promoting healthy lifestyles at the University of Cádiz. She holds a Bachelor's Degree in Physical Activity and Sport Sciences (2013-2017), a Master's Degree in Physical Activity and Health (2017-2018), and a Master's Degree in Secondary Education in Physical Education (2018-2019), all completed at the University of Cádiz. Her research career began in 2015 as an undergraduate research collaborator, participating in funded research projects. In 2018, she officially joined the research group MOVE-IT CTS 1038 ("eMpOwering health by physical actiVity, Exercise, and nutriTion"), of which she is still a member. In 2019, she began her PhD studies through an FPI predoctoral contract linked to the ITI Project INTERMAE: "Influence of a physical exercise intervention on aging-related markers, proteomic profile, and frailty in older adults with mild cognitive impairment" (PIs: David Jiménez Pavón and Ana Carbonell Baeza, Ref. 0002-17/1). Her active involvement extended to other significant projects, such as: EFICCOM Project: "The effect of supervised physical exercise on brain, cognitive, and metabolomic outcomes in older adults with mild cognitive impairment" (DEP2016-76123-R), SONRIE Study: "Physical activities in natural environments for people with depression" (Ministry of Health 2018, Junta de Andalucía, PI: Vanesa España Romero, Ref. PI: 0068 2018). These projects formed the foundation of her dissertation: "Fitness, body composition, and depressive symptoms in healthy and depressed adults and older adults". Additionally, she contributed to several regional and international research projects and taught courses on Exercise Physiology and Physical Activity for Older Adults in the Bachelor’s Degree in Physical Activity and Sport Sciences and Physiotherapy.