University of Valencia

Genetics Department

I2SysBio

Virus Evolution Unit

In our lab at the Science Park of the University of Valencia (find us), we study virus evolution from an experimental approach. Our main research topics include viral transmission, virus-virus interactions, emergent zoonotic viruses, and virus discovery.

Publications (Google Scholar)

José M. Cuevas (Associate Professor)

Virus molecular evolution and viromics. He has focused on different systems including vesicular stomatitis virus, hepatitis C virus, plant viruses, and anelloviruses.

Jérémy Dufloo (Postdoc)

PhD at the Institut Pasteur de Paris working on HIV-1 and SARS-CoV-2 cellular biology and immunology. EMBO and Marie Skłodowska-Curie postdoc at the Universitat de Valencia to investigate whether and how human cells are targeted by wildlife mammalian enveloped RNA viruses. Recently obtained a Ramón y Cajal contract to initiate a new research line.

Madoka Sakai (Postsdoc)
Senior postdoc at the University of of Kyoto. Obtained a grant from the Daiichi Sankyo Foundation of Life Science to carry out a 2-year postdoc stay at the Universitat de Valencia. 

Nora Herzog (Postsdoc)
PhD at the New York University School of Medicine. Now working on how host temperature can influence viral cross-species transmissibility. 

Marc Carrascosa (PhD Student)
Experimental evolution of viral entry and early infection stages in SARS-CoV-2 and other human infectious or potentially zoonotic viruses. Funded by an FPI fellowship.

Rodrigo Arce-Rama (PhD Student)
Degree and master at the University of Montevideo. Moved to the Universitat de Valencia to work on antiviral discovery, focused on entry inhibitors.

Jorge Moreno (PhD Student)
Developing tools to implement experimental evolution of viral envelope - receptor binding using different approaches such as simulations and lentiviral pseudotypes.

Catalina Porras-Syleski (PhD Student)
Microbiologist from the Universidad de Costa Rica. Master in Virology at the Universitat de Valencia. FPU PhD fellowship to work on viral receptors. 

Lorena Lozano Montalbá (PhD Student)
Biology Degree from the Universitat de Valencia. FPI PhD fellowship to work on paramyxovirus entry factors.

Lucas Mora Quilis (PhD Student)
Obtained a FPU fellowship to carry out a PhD on phage-phage interactions and their applicability in the field of phage therapy. Co-supervised by Dr. Pilar Domingo-Calap.

Iván Andreu-Moreno (Research Assistant)
Former PhD Student in our lab. Now research assistant who helps with the implementation of our research projects.

Raquel Martínez-Recio (Research Assistant)
Working on different aspects of viral molecular genetics.

Ana Avilés (Research Assistant)
Working on different aspects of viral molecular genetics.

FORMER VISITORS AND MEMBERS

• Robby Concha-Eloko (PhD student), 2022-2026.
• Jaim Builgues (Research Assistant), 2022-2026.
• Gabriel Dupré (postdoc), 2023-2025.
  
• Ana Valero Rello (Postdoc), 2022-2023.
• Rodrigo Arce Rama (visitor student), 2022.
• María Cebriá (Master and PhD Student), 2016-2022.
• Juan Vicente Bou (PhD Student and Research Assistant), 2016-2021.
• Pilar Domingo-Calap (PhD Student and postdoc), 2008-2012, 2016-2020.
  
• Ahmed Al Zaher (Postdoc), 2018-2020.
• María Durán-Moreno (Research Assistant), 2016-2019.
  
• Valesca Anschau (Postdoc), 2018-2019.
• Jennifer Risso-Ballester (PhD Student), 2015-2019.
• Justine Vienne (Bachelor from Howest University), 2019.
• Inés Roche (Research Assistant), 2019.
  
• Giacomo Butta (Visitor Student), 2016-2017. 
• Silvia Torres (Researh Assistant), 2013-2017.
• Julia Hillung (Postdoc), 2016.
• Marianoel Pereira-Gómez (PhD Student), 2012-2016.
• Raquel Garijo (PhD Student and Research Assistant), 2012-2016.
• Cristina Ballesteros (Postdoc), 2015.
• Ron Geller (Postdoc), 2013-2015.
  
• Marine Combe (PhD Student), 2012-2015.
  
• Joan B. Peris (PhD Student), 2012-2013.
  
• Pablo Hernández-Alonso (Master Student and Research Assistant), 2011-2013.