I am a lecturer in Microbiology at the University of Hertfordshire (UK). I completed my degrees at the University of Valencia, where I did my PhD under the supervision of Prof. Andrés Moya and Dr. Carlos Peña, using theoretical biology to understand how microbial dynamics are linked to host health. After my PhD, I came to the UK in 2018 to work as a postdoc in Prof. Filipe Cabreiro's lab where I used C. elegans as a model to understand host-microbe interactions.

Microbial interactions with hosts is a two-way avenue, a complex dynamic system where the two parts are intertwined in an endless dance where the two parts affect the progress and outcome of the other in a fluid motion that needs to be understood. To study these natural phenomena, I have expertise in computational biology, bioinformatics, microbiology, ecology and evolution. My research experience is focused on understanding how microbes interact with hosts in different contexts. 

I am particularly interested in understanding how microbial population genetics and community dynamics influence microbial communities and what is their impact on host health and disease. Any given pair of E. coli strains can differ in up to 40-50% of their genome content. Most of the gene functions encoded in this differential part of the genome are obscure and poorly defined. My research combines experimental and computational approaches to investigate the complex interactions between microbes and their hosts, trying to shed light in what these unknown gene functions are.