Research Lines
My main research line focuses on understanding the biology of natural plant populations. The reason is that I believe that processes occurring at the population level determine the viability of populations as well as the evolution of organisms. I am interested in the study of factors that govern spatiotemporal variability of plant populations at both demographic and genetic levels. To this end, I integrate knowledge from field studies (demographic surveys), greenhouse experiments (inbreeding depression experiments), molecular biology (genetic analyses using molecular markers), and modeling (matrix population models). I have worked with a diverse array of plant species (mostly herbs) including Lobularia maritima (Brassicaceae), Hypericum cumulicola (Hypericaceae), Ramonda myconi (Gesneriaceae), Scabiosa columbaria (Dipsacaceae), Tragopogon pratensis (Compositae), Hypochaeris radicata (Compositae), Succisa pratensis (Dipsacaceae), and Arabidopsis thaliana (Brassicaceae). In the last few years, my research on population biology of plants also includes an ecological and evolutionary functional genomics approach. I am very interested in understanding the genetic basis of differentiation and adaptation of plant populations. To this end, I adopted Arabidopsis thaliana as a study system because of the genomic/genetic tools available and because the wide range of anthropic and wild habitats where the species occurs. Overall, I am convinced that A. thaliana is an excellent biological system to understand the functional significance of gene variation in natural environments and its evolutionary implications.
Training and professional experience
Bachelor Degree in Sciences (Biology).
Autonomous University of Barcelona, Barcelona.1998.

PhD in Biology.
Autonomous University of Barcelona, Barcelona.2000.

Postdoc.
Department of Ecology, University of Nijmegen, Nijmegen (The Netherlands).2000-2003.

Postdoc.
Department of Plant Molecular Genetics, Centro Nacional de Biotecnologia (CNB-CSIC), Madrid.2003-2004.

Researcher.
Center of Ecological Research and Forestry Applications (CREAF), Barcelona.2004-2006.

Associate Professor of Research.
Department of Integrative Ecology, Estacion Biologica de Donana (EBD-CSIC), Sevilla.2006-current.