A decade ago, Elvis Carnero was living a life most people would envy. He was a tenured research scientist residing in Malaga, Spain, a city that Nobel Prize winners had dubbed "heaven on earth" and "paradise found." Yet, despite the allure of Malaga's stunning beaches, European lifestyle, and delectable cuisine, Carnero left everything behind when he received a call from the Translational Research Institute (TRI). "Instead of taking a sabbatical, I came to TRI and never left."
Professionally, Carneros move to the US was a significant opportunity for him. As someone who was passionate about energy expenditure and exercise, diabetes, and body weight regulation, he felt that TRI was the perfect place for him to pursue his research. “I wanted to be where the best scientists were. And in my opinion, some of the best scientists were undoubtedly at AdventHealth's Translational Research Institute. It’s a one-of-a-kind research institution.”
Carneros research journey to the sunshine state began at the University of A Coruna (Spain) and University of Lisbon (Portugal), where he studied his PhD on exercise physiology, body composition, and metabolism. He also spent time at the University of Pittsburgh, where he worked under the guidance of Bret Goodpaster, PhD, who is now the Scientific Director at TRI. It was Goodpaster who suggested to Carnero that TRI was the place for him after a visit at Carneros lab in Malaga.
At TRI, Carnero supports his colleagues in their energy expenditure and physical activity assessment research and is currently involved in the ACME study. He describes himself as an exercise physiologist, and his passion for exercise and sports is evident. He likens his experience at TRI to being invited to play for an NBA team. "Even if I only play ten minutes per game, I believe that just being part of the team is a fantastic experience because every day is a new challenge," says Carnero. "The facility is the gold standard for this kind of research, and the scientists working here have a long path of research in their respective fields. They are all well known throughout the world."
Although he left behind Malaga's beautiful beaches, culture, and cuisine, Carnero has found a new home in Orlando, where he is making a significant impact in the world of research.
