Our Team – González Lab BCN

PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATOR

Josefa González

CSIC Research Scientist

I did a PhD in Biology in Prof. Alfredo Ruiz lab at the Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona (UAB). After a first postdoctoral stay at UAB, I moved to Stanford University to work with Prof. Dmitri Petrov. While at Stanford, I was a Fulbright Postdoctoral fellow (2006-2008), and a Research Associate (2008-2011) at the Department of Biology. In 2011, I joined the Institute of Evolutionary Biology (IBE) in Barcelona as a Ramon y Cajal fellow. In March 2017, I got a permanent position at CSIC as a Tenured Scientist, and in May 2023 I was promoted to Research Scientist.

Research in my lab focuses on understanding how organisms adapt to natural and urban environments. We combine multiomics approaches with molecular and phenotypic analyses to identify and characterize adaptive mutations, in particular those induced by transposable element insertions. Research in my lab has been funded by a MSCA Career Integration Grant, an ERC Consolidator Grant, and several grants from the Spanish Government.

I am the co-founder and coordinator of the European Drosophila Population Genomics Consortium, which brings together over 70 labs from 28 countries, a co-PI in AdaptNET, and a member of TE Hub. I am the current ESEB Vice President and ESEB DEI officer, and an SMBE council member and SMBE IDEA task force member.
I am co-leading a citizen science project, Melanogaster: Catch The Fly!, that involves high-school students and teachers in monitoring the impact of climate change in natural populations of Drosophila.

POST DOCTORAL RESEARCHER

Simón Orozco

June 2022-present

Systems and Computer Engineer and Bioinformatician. I obtained my B.Sc. degree in Computer Science at the University of Caldas, Colombia. I worked as a researcher at the Bioinformatics Center of Colombia, improving automatic workflows using supercomputing and data mining. Then I did a PhD in Engineering – Bioinformatics studying machine learning models (especially neural networks) for large scale analysis of transposable elements in plants. At Gonzalez Lab, I am participating in the understanding of the relationship between transposable elements and the adaptation processes of drosophila species to different environments.

POST DOCTORAL RESEARCHER

Ewan Harney

September 2021- present

After obtaining my Undergraduate and Master’s in Biology from the University of Sheffield in 2007, I carried out my PhD at the University of Liverpool, studying gene-by-environment interactions and development in the waterflea, Daphnia. I then carried out a postdoc and a junior fellowship at the University of Western Brittany/Ifremer in France, investigating…

POST DOCTORAL RESEARCHER

Marta Coronado-Zamora

September 2020 – present

Geneticists and bioinformatician. In 2013, I obtained a BSc in Genetics (extraordinary award) and in 2014 a MSc in Bioinformatics from the UAB. I continued my research training carrying out a Ph.D. in Genetics in the Bioinformatics for Genetics Diversity group under the supervision of Dr. Antonio Barbadilla and Dr. Isaac Salazar-Ciudad. My research…

VISITING RESEARCHER

Nicole Valenzuela

January 2023-July 2023

Visiting Professor from Iowa State University. My broad interest is studying how ecology affects the structure, function, and evolution of the genome and its role in the development and evolution of complex phenotypes. I am currently…

FORMER MEMBERS

María Bogaerts

February 2017- January 2022

I studied Biotechnology at the University of Oviedo. After that, I had the opportunity of taking a double master’s degree program at the University of Oviedo and Cranfield University, where I could discover and learn bioinformatics (2014-2016). At present, I have the opportunity of doing my PhD in population genetics, by using Bioinformatics, here in the González lab. Here I will study the Transposable Elements (TEs) role in environmental adaptation, by studying their abundance in different Drosophila melanogaster European populations.

FORMER MEMBERS

Miriam Merenciano

March 2020- December 2021

(Undergraduate July 2012; B.S. honors degree July 2014; Master degree July 2015; PhD March 2020). I studied Human Biology at Pompeu Fabra University, Barcelona. My research tries to find the role of Transposable Elements (TEs) in the adaptation …

FORMER MEMBERS

Irene González

July 2021-December 2021
(March 2020-June 2020 Undergraduate honors student, July 2021-December 2021 lab technician)
I studied Biotechnology at IQS School of Engineering (Ramón Llull University; Barcelona) and I have recently finished the MSc in Pharmaceutical and Biotechnological Industry from the Pompeu Fabra University. At present…

FORMER MEMBERS

Carlos Vargas-Chávez

November 2018-March 2021
I studied Genomic Sciences at the National Autonomous University of Mexico (UNAM) and then joined the group of Amparo Latorre at the University of Valencia. My research…

FORMER MEMBERS

Sara Guirao-Rico

November 2017– December 2020

I obtained my PhD in Genetics under the supervision of Prof. Montserrat Aguadé at the Universitat de Barcelona. I worked as a postdoctoral researcher at Institute of Evolutionary Biology (University of Edinburgh) …

FORMER MEMBERS

Carla García

Carla García
March 2021-September 2021
I am a masters student currently coursing the 2020/21 program of Advanced Genetics in the UAB. My Biological Sciences undergraduate studies were carried out in Cardiff University, with a sandwich year of labwork in Córdoba working on…

FORMER MEMBERS

Hannah Lindstadt

March 2021- September 2021

I am a master’s student in the UAB’s 2020-2021 Bioinformatics program (Spain). I completed my undergraduate degree at Colorado State University (USA) in Liberal Arts with dual concentrations in Conservation Biology and …

FORMER MEMBERS

Jesus Ortega

January 2021- August 2022

I obtained a BSc in Biology and a MSc in Evolutionary Biology at the Complutense University of Madrid (UCM). I did my PhD at the National Museum of Natural sciences (MNCN, CSIC) on the determinants of phenotypic variation in the Iberian wall lizard species complex under the supervision of Dr. Jose Martín and Dr. Pilar López. I have also worked …

FORMER MEMBERS

Vivien Horváth

March 2015- September 2020
I studied Biotechnology at Szent Istvan University in Hungary and I came to Gonzalez Lab as an Erasmus student two years ago. The main focus of my …

FORMER MEMBERS

Judit Salces

April 2018 – September 2020
My research interests are essentially focused on the study of environmental stress and adaptation, how organisms can cope with stress events and the effects on the stability of their genomes. I did my PhD at INIA under the supervision of …

FORMER MEMBERS

Javier Gutierrez

February 2020-September 2020

I studied Biology at Universidad Autónoma de Madrid (2015-2019). After that, I moved to Barcelona to study the Advanced Genetics master of the Universitat Autónoma de Barcelona…

FORMER MEMBERS

Gabriel Rech

September 2016-August 2020

I am a biologist graduated from the University of Salta (Argentina). I
obtained my PhD at the University of Salamanca (Spain) in which I focused
my research in applying comparative genomics and molecular evolution
approaches to identify…

FORMER MEMBERS

Maria Pia

March 2020-March 2021

I am master student of Functional Genomics at the University of Trieste (Italy) where I’ve also obtained my bachelor’s degree in Biological Sciences and Technologies with a thesis in Population Genetics…

FORMER MEMBERS

Laura Aguilera

March 2017- February 2020
I studied Biology at Pompeu Fabra University and afterwards I did my PhD at University of Barcelona (2010), where I studied the crosstalk between commensal and probiotic strains of Escherichia coli and the human gut …

FORMER MEMBERS

Marcela Celis

June 2018 – November 2018
B.Sc. Honours, Univ. Javeriana Cali, Colombia. I am currently finishing my undergraduate studies and I am fascinated by TEs. I am open to learning and working in different approaches to biology, but I hope my time in the lab allows me to gain

FORMER MEMBERS

Marta Ruszkiewicz

I obtained my Bachelor’s degree at IFB UG&MUG in Poland where I will continue to pursue Master’s in Biotechnology. I also underwent training at IBB of the Polish Academy of Sciences in Warsaw

FORMER MEMBERS

Lain Guio

June 2016- May 2018
Post doctoral Researcher (April 2012- March 2016 PhD student). BSc. in Biology (2001) at Universidad de Buenos Aires (Argentina). MSc. in Environmental engineering (2011) at Universitat Politécnica de Catalunya (Barcelona, Spain). Research Project: The …

FORMER MEMBERS

Maite G. Barrón

October 2013 – December 2017
Post Doctoral Researcher. I’m interested in the old but not solved debate in determining the relative importance of genetic drift versus natural selection at molecular level. During my PhD at Universidad Autónoma de Barcelona under the supervision …

FORMER MEMBERS

José Luis Villanueva-Cañas

March 2016 – December 2017
Postdoctoral researcher. I am a computational biologist by training: equally fascinated by the potential of computers to solve problems and by the diversity and complexity of the life on our planet. I obtained my PhD in …

FORMER MEMBERS

Anna Ullastres

September 2012- December 2017
PhD student. I finished my degree in Biology at Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona in 2011 where I specialized in Genetics and Cell Biology. Recently, I’ve started my PhD studying the molecular process and functional …

FORMER MEMBERS

Camillo Lacometti

July 2017- October 2017
Erasmus+ Master Student. I’m a MSc student in Cellular & Molecular Biology from the Universita’ di Torino (Italy) and I joined GonzálezLab with an internship to work at my master thesis project, investigating the presence of new roo transposable …

FORMER MEMBERS

Ingrid Palomino

March 2017-September 2017.
Master student. I am a MSc student in Bioinformatics from Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona and now I will be doing my internship and thesis at GonzálezLab, testing the role in recent evolution of TEs associated with some reported candidate SNPs. Besides Evolutionary Biology, …

FORMER MEMBERS

Nicolás N Moreyra

September 2016- November 2016.
Visiting PhD student. BSc in Bioinformatics at Facultad de Ingeniería in Oro Verde (UNER, Argentina). Currently, I am doing my PhD at IEGEBA (UBA-CONICET, Argentina), working in Comparative Genomics and Transcriptomics in Drosophila species…

FORMER MEMBERS

Lorena Espinar

March 2016-October 2016.
Lab Technician. I carried out my PhD in Dynamics of genetic circuit regulation in bacteria under the supervision of Dr. Jordi G. Ojalvo. During my postdoctoral stay at the Department of Experimental and Health Sciences (UPF) …

FORMER MEMBERS

Quirze Rovira

October 2014-July 2015.
Undergrad Student. I am in my last year of my degree in Biology at Universitat de Girona. My interest in Bioinformatics, Genetics and Evolutionary Biology brings me to the Gonzalez lab in order to do …

FORMER MEMBERS

Jon Frias

November 2014-July 2015
Undergrad Student. I am an undergraduate student currently finishing my degree in Biomedical Sciences at Universitat de Barcelona. I am doing my final project at the Gonzalez Lab. During this experience I hope to learn more about …

FORMER MEMBERS

Jaione Arrizabalaga

March 2015-July 2015
Master student. I finished my degree in Computer Engineering at Universidad de Deusto in 2014. I am currently performing a master’s degree in Bioinformatics at Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona. During my professional practices …

FORMER MEMBERS

Hung Le

April 2013-April 2015
Postdoctoral Fellow. As a conservationist and ornithologist, I have spent more than ten years working for conservation of nature in Vietnam. I have seen many species adapt to weather and other environmental changes and I …

FORMER MEMBERS

Lidia Mateo

September 2013- December 2014
Master student. (B.S. honors degree July 2011- July 2013). Genome sequencing of wild-derived populations of Drosophila melanogaster allows us to identify putatively adaptive TEs that are segregating in …

FORMER MEMBERS

Eduard Falqués

February 2013- September 2013
Master Student. I am currently studying a MSc in Evolutionary Biology at Universitat de Barcelona, and I am doing the Master Thesis At the Institut de Biologia Evolutiva (IBE). I am interested in evolutionary genomics and molecular genetics a …

FORMER MEMBERS

Paula Cortés

July 2013- September 2013
Undergraduate student. JAE Intro fellowship. Paula is an undergraduate student at the University of Barcelona. She worked on several projects in the lab mainly trying to identify new putatively adaptive TE insertions.

FORMER MEMBERS

Oriol Roige

February 2013- September 2013
Undergrad Student. I am currently finishing my studies in Biotechnology at Universitat de Barcelona. I am doing my final project at González Lab, always trying to discover more about the fascinating world of biosciences …

FORMER MEMBERS

Marta Perera

September 2012- April 2013
Undergraduate student. I am currently finishing my degree in Human Biology at Universitat Pompeu Fabra. I am interested in many fields of biology such as molecular biology, bioinformatics, evolutionary genomics …

FORMER MEMBERS

Karine Ribeiro

June 2012- March 2013
Undergraduate visiting student. Science without borders fellowship. I am an undergraduate student in Biology at the University in Southern Santa Catarina, Brazil. Currently, I have a scholarship sponsored by …

FORMER MEMBERS

Anna Molinet

July 2013- September 2013
UPF Undergraduate student.

FORMER MEMBERS

Ivan Benzulce

July 2013- September 2013
UPF Undergraduate student.

FORMER MEMBERS

Javier Sebastian

July 2013- September 2013
UPF Undergraduate student.

FORMER MEMBERS

Georgina Camats

July 2012- September 2012
Undergrad Student. B.S. honors degree. UVic Undergraduate student.

FORMER MEMBERS

Marta González

March 2016- June 2016
High School Student. IES La Guineueta

FORMER MEMBERS

Elena Escalada

July 2015 and July 2016
High School Student. Programa Joves i Ciència. Fundació Catalunya-La Pedrera.

FORMER MEMBERS

Marta García

July 2016
High School Student. Programa Joves i Ciència. Fundació Catalunya-La Pedrera.

FORMER MEMBERS

Yaiza Galán

July 2015
High School Student. IES La Guineueta.

FORMER MEMBERS

Henry Estrella

July 2014
High School. IES La Guineueta.

FORMER MEMBERS

Pau Cano

July 2014
High School Student. Programa Joves i Ciència. Fundació Catalunya-La Pedrera.

FORMER MEMBERS

Mar Gutiérrez

July 2014
High School Student. Programa Joves i Ciència. Fundació Catalunya-La Pedrera.

FORMER MEMBERS

Marcel Graell

July 2013
High School Student. Programa Joves i Ciència. Fundació Catalunya-La Pedrera.

FORMER MEMBERS

Andrea Carreño

July 2013-September 2013
High School Student . IES La Guineueta.

FORMER MEMBERS

Llewellyn Green

June 2018 – October 2021
After previously majoring in Biochemistry & Genetics, I obtained my PhD in Genetics under the supervision of Dr Charles Robin, at the University of Melbourne. My research involved examining the biology of …

FORMER MEMBERS

Santiago Radío

October 2019- December 2022
I did my undergraduate studies in biochemistry at the University of the Republic in Uruguay. After that I obtained my master degree in bioinformatics under the supervision of Dr Pablo Smircich at the same university. Here, at Gonzalez Lab, I will investigate the role of transposable elements in environmental adaptation in Anopheles mosquitoes and humans.