After a BSc project on virus-host interactions in hypersaline environments at the University of Alicante, I studied Microbiology and Biochemistry postgraduate courses and then completed two master’s degrees in Secondary Teaching and in Molecular, Cellular, and Genetic Biology. In 2015, I joined the Biotechnological Pest Control (CBP) group at the University of Valencia, collaborating with AFRASA to develop a Bt-based bioinsecticide. I then earned an FPU fellowship and completed a PhD focused on resistance mechanisms to Bt Cry1 and Vip3 proteins in lepidopteran pests, supervised by Juan Ferré and Patricia Hernández Martínez. During this time, I conducted a research stay at USDA-ARS (USA), where I learned genome editing on lepidopterans through CRISPR/Cas9 and built international collaborations.
During this last stage, I have strengthened my international experience and teaching profile. I conducted a José Castillejo-funded research stay at the Francis Crick Institute (UK), where I investigated how baculoviruses infect the nervous system of Spodoptera exigua. I am currently working on a project funded by the Human Frontier Science Program, supervised by Cristina Crava, in collaboration with research teams from Peru, the UK, and Spain, which explores the behavioral manipulation of this viruses. Also, I have been involved in university-level teaching, delivering over 300 hours of practical sessions in subjects such as Genetics, Molecular Methods in Biology, and Criminal Analysis Techniques, across degrees in Biotechnology, Biology, and Criminology. I also supervise students in the lab and enjoy enrolling in several pedagogical training courses, reinforcing my commitment to high-quality, evidence-based teaching in higher education.
