I graduated in 2012 from the University of Navarra, Spain, in Environmental Biology, including an ERASMUS programme at the Arctic University of Norway where I later completed a Master’s degree in Animal Physiology in 2014. During my research project I investigated in vivo the peculiarities of the water balance of Hooded seals (Cystophora cristata) using the tritiated water method in order to elucidate whether or not these animals drink seawater to maintain water homeostasis (publication available). I am mostly interested ever since I completed my Master’s degree in the study of physiological adaptations that allow mammals to thrive under very challenging environmental conditions.

 

After a break from science I moved to London and had the opportunity to work at Rothamsted Research as Research Assistant, a position that I gladly accepted to improve my skills in molecular biology. During those 6 months we produced enough data to write a paper about the population dynamics of cereal aphids in England and to sequence the mitochondrial genomes of 17 species of interest in the UK using MinION (publications will come soon) among other side projects.

 

I am more than happy for having the opportunity of joining Murphy’s lab. I can now combine the study of how an animal such as the Arabian camel copes with no drinking water by investigating the transcriptomics and proteomics in the brain and the kidneys under severe dehydration.