I hold a degree in Biology with a major in Biochemistry, and I earned my Ph.D. in Biology from the University of Valencia (UV), Spain, in 1991. My doctoral research was carried out jointly at the Department of Genetics at UV and the Biology Division of Oak Ridge National Laboratory in Tennessee, USA, and focused on the biochemical genetics of pteridines. After completing my postdoctoral training (1992–1993) at Sandoz in Basel, Switzerland, where I worked on DNA adducts, I returned to Spain with a competitive reintegration contract from the Ministry of Education and Science (1993–1996) to begin working on Bacillus thuringiensis (Bt).
I then spent six years in the private sector, focusing on microbiology related to water and food. In 2003, I rejoined the University of Valencia, where I currently work as an Associate Researcher. I’ve authored around 60 scientific publications, including book chapters, and my current h-index is 24. My research interests include the characterization of novel Bt strains with insecticidal and nematicidal activity, the mode of action of Bt toxins, and the biochemical and genetic basis of resistance in insects and nematodes. I’m an active member of the Society for Invertebrate Pathology, the Spanish Society of Applied Entomology, and the Spanish Society of Genetics.
