I completed my Bachelor’s degree in Biology at the University of Valencia in 2020. During my studies, I did my research traineeship at the Centre for Research on Desertification (CIDE-CSIC) where I learned about fire ecology and its relevance to biodiversity conservation. My BSc thesis was focused on the sexual behaviour of the common wall lizard Podarcis muralis at the Cavanilles Institute of Biodiversity and Evolutionary Biology (ICBIBE). In 2021 I earned my Master’s in Endangered Species Recovery and Conservation at Nottingham Trent University. As a MSc thesis I developed a monitoring plan for Willington Wetlands Nature Reserve (Derbyshire, UK). Currently, I am a PhD candidate working in the Biotechnological Pest Control (CBP) group at the University of Valencia. My research focuses on the interactions between the lepidopteran pest Spodoptera exigua and the species-specific infecting baculovirus SeMNPV.
Specifically, I investigate to understand how viral infection alters the olfactory-driven behaviour of S. exigua larvae. This research is part of the Human Frontier Science Program (HFSP) project: “Cellular and molecular basis of behavioural manipulation by viral infection.” supervised by Cristina Crava. In 2025, I undertook a research stay in Dr. Vera Ros’ lab at Wageningen University and Research (the Netherlands) generate mutant SeMNPVs with deletions in candidate genes to test their effects on the potential extended phenotype related to olfaction manipulation. Beyond the lab, I am a very active person with interest in nature, literature and music.
