Nationally awarded the IV Banco Sabadell Foundation Award for Marine Sustainability (2025). I specialize in basic research on tolerance thresholds, biological response mechanisms, and defense strategies, primarily using coastal macrophytes (e.g., macroalgae, marine angiosperms). Similarly, I apply these responses as environmental biotechnology tools (e.g., bioindicators, biomarkers) for the detection and monitoring of environmental pressures under real field conditions. This research aims to understand the tolerance mechanisms to pressures associated with metal pollution, desalination brines, and climate change-related stressors, among others.

I have been the recipient, mainly as Principal Investigator (PI), of a series of projects. These include funding from the National Agency for Research and Development of Chile - ANID (over €3 million), the Chilean Antarctic Institute (over €190,000), the Government of the Valparaíso Region in Chile (€1 million), and the European Commission through the Marie Sklodowska-Curie Actions (MSCA; €172,932). These projects have enabled me to develop research and establish ongoing networks with countries such as Chile, Spain, the United Kingdom, France, and Italy, as well as lead two expeditions to the Antarctic Peninsula. In this context, I continue to participate in projects totaling over €2.5 million.

In terms of management, in 2016 I established my first research group, the Laboratory of Aquatic Environmental Research (LACER; https://www.lacrupla.com/) at the University of Playa Ancha (UPLA), Chile. During my time leading LACER, I proposed the creation of an environmental sciences research center to the UPLA Rector's office, to be housed in a 1,000 m² university building. Consequently, the HUB AMBIENTAL UPLA center (https://hubambientalupla.cl/) was established in December 2019, of which I was the founder and first General Director. The center has since become a national and international benchmark, and I remain affiliated with it as a Visiting Professor. During my tenure as General Director, we repurposed our molecular biology laboratories and staff at the HUB AMBIENTAL UPLA, adapting them into a qPCR facility for SARS-CoV-2 detection. Likewise, alongside high-level basic and applied research, I spearheaded the creation of analytical service and environmental consulting units.

In September 2021, I joined the University of Alicante as the PI of a MSCA (European Commission). Finally, in December 2022, I was awarded the I3 Certificate of Research Excelence by the Spanish Ministry of Universities, achieving a score of 9.5 out of 10. This achievement enabled me to secure an academic position at the UA, where I currently work.

In regard to mentorship and training, I have supervised 5 postdoctoral researchers, 5 PhD graduates, and 7 Bachelor's theses (TFGs). I am currently supervising 2 postdoctoral researchers and 6 PhD candidates. Additionally, I have served as a reviewer for multiple JCR-indexed journals and as a panel member for evaluating relevant research projects. Furthermore, I am currently an Editorial Board member for the JCR Q1 journal BMC Plant Biology (Springer).