I am a Ramón y Cajal Research Fellow, funded by the Spanish Research State Agency.
I work at the Department of Genetics, University of Córdoba (Spain), studying the molecular basis of agronomic traits — flowering time in chickpea, yield in asparagus, and drought tolerance in European chestnut.
Working at the intersection of Genetics and Data
My research focuses on unravelling the molecular basis controlling flowering time in chickpea — the major domestication trait that defines the crop's adaptation to different agro-climatic conditions, and therefore a major determinant of its productivity.
Previously, I worked with Dr Juan Gil at the University of Córdoba as a Marie Skłodowska-Curie Fellow under the Horizon 2020 programme, and with Dr Lisa J. Rowland at the USDA-ARS Genetic Improvement of Fruits and Vegetables Laboratory in Beltsville, MD (2012–2017). Between 2010 and 2012, I held a postdoctoral position funded through Spain's "Juan de la Cierva" programme.
"I look for ways to integrate bioinformatics with experimentation. I like data, and I like to extract biological value out of it."
I'm currently part of the Mejora Genética Vegetal research team, working on the identification and analysis of differentially expressed genes during plant development and biotic/abiotic stress. I'm an advocate of gene expression studies that comply with MIQE guidelines.
If you're interested in working together, feel free to reach out — I'm always glad to work with motivated, curious people.
Three threads, one question
How does a plant know when to flower — and how can we use that knowledge to breed better crops, faster?
Flowering time in chickpea
Mapping how genetic variants combine to control adaptation, accelerating the introgression of new traits into breeding backgrounds.
Bioinformatics across species
Identifying differentially expressed genes during plant development and stress response by combining large datasets with hands-on experimentation.
Gene expression
Designing and running gene expression experiments that meet MIQE guidelines, so results stay reproducible and comparable across labs.
A track record, read left to right
Like a gene map, each fellowship marks a locus along the way — read here in chronological order.
Juan de la Cierva Fellow
Postdoctoral position funded by the Spanish Ministry of Science and Innovation.
USDA-ARS, Beltsville MD
Genetic Improvement of Fruits and Vegetables Lab, with Dr Lisa J. Rowland.
Marie Skłodowska-Curie Fellow
University of Córdoba, working with Dr Juan Gil.
Ramón y Cajal Fellow
Dept. Genetics, University of Córdoba — independent position.
Publications, talks & tools
Bringing R to the lab bench
Introductory Course for Data Analysis
At the University of Córdoba, I teach an introductory data analysis course using the R programming language, aimed at researchers who want to turn their own datasets into biological insight.
The course has now run six editions, with consistently positive feedback from students.
Supported by
