Fitxa persona

My main scientific research is devoted to stellar structure and evolution, and the characterisation of exoplanetary systems. I lead two research lines: 1. Stellar characterisation using ML/AI, and 2. non-linear asteroseismology in classic AF pulsating stars. Since my PhD in 2003, I have published almost 104 papers and book chapters, around 67 of them in first-quartile international journals (more than 4000 cites, H=34, source ADS). I am the first author of 16 of them, 11 in first quartile international journals (378 cites, H1=12). All these works cover from exoplanets characterisation and habitability to stellar characterisation using ML/AI, and theoretical and observational asteroseismology. I am the developer of one of the most updated pulsational codes (GraCo). I collaborate with two ongoing international projects searching for exoplanets orbiting K stars. All these works have been presented at more than 60 international meetings, six of them as an invited speaker. I have given 18 seminars at different international centres, presenting these results and developments.

Since September 2025, I am a Senior Lecturer at the University of Valencia. Between 2021 and 2025, I have had a contract for excellence researchers at the University of Valencia. This contract is funded by the Generalitat Valenciana under the program GenT with a budget of 380.000€. This project allowed the development of a new research group at the Department, led by me, devoted to asteroseismology and stellar characterisation. Before that, I had an Ayudante doctor at the Polytechnic University of Madrid (2019 - 2021), and a Marie Skłodowska-Curie IF at the University of Birmingham (2017 - 2019), with a budget of 195.454,80€. Previously, I had different postdoctoral contracts at the Instituto de Astrofísica de Andalucía - CSIC (2000 - 2004, 2006 - 2009), Centro de Astrobiología - INTA/CSIC (2009 - 2013), and Observatoire de Paris - Meudon (2004 - 2006). During these periods, I obtained different postdoctoral contracts and a Juan de la Cierva fellowship.

I am (and have been) part of almost all the space projects where asteroseismology or exoplanetary sciences are present, such as CoRoT (France, ESA), Kepler and TESS (NASA), Cheops, Ariel, Plato, and HAYDN (ESA). I lead different working packages in CoRoT and Plato. In particular, in Plato, I am responsible for the MSAP1 module (one of five) of its stellar pipeline. Currently, I am the Spanish IP of the ESA mission proposal HAYDN. This mission answered firstly the ESA M7 call and reached (with other 4 missions) the phase 0/CDF. It was not selected for phase A studies, but the Consortium has presented HAYDN to the current ESA M8 call. HAYDN is a project aiming to do asteroseismology in open and globular clusters. Spain is the third contributor to HAYDN, and I am part of its core team. I am also the IP of the Plan Nacional project "IP y coordinador en España de la propuesta de misión espacial M de la ESA, HAYDN". Between 2010 and 2012, I was the IP of the ESA S mission proposal PlanetVision. It was a project for exoplanetary systems characterisation answering the first ESA S mission call. It was an international consortium including 6 countries, 25 institutions and more than 125 researchers. Spain was its scientific leader (led by me) and industrial prime. PlanetVision reached the final round, but the selected one was Cheops.

I have taught at the Polytechnic University of Madrid, University of Valencia, University of Birmingham, and VIU, of which I was the head of its Master's in Astronomy and Astrophysics. I have co-supervised two PhD, and currently, I am co-supervising and mentoring another two. In addition, I have supervised 10 TFM. I have participated in 8 PhD juries and tens of TFM and TFG juries. In terms of outreach, I have written several articles in outreach journals and blogs, one of which was the cover of the journal AstronomiA Magazine (December 2017). Finally, I have given different outreach seminars (Pint of Science, Pub La Goma, etc.) and talks at different schools. I have also participated in outreach activities such as Caos y Ciencia, Expociencia, UoB open day, etc.

I have reviewed papers for different journals (MNRAS, A&A, ApJ, ApJ Letters, New Astronomy, Physics and Astronomy Reports), and participated as part of the TAC of different facilities such as the Hubble Space Telescope (Cycle 27), Liverpool Telescope, and James Webb Space Telescope (Cycles 2 and 3). I am also a reviewer of the European Commission and the AEI (Juan de la Cierva and Plan Nacional del Espacio). I have organised more than 10 international meetings as part of the SOC and LOC (Iberian Meeting in Asteroseismology 1-10, Special Sessions at different EAS meetings), three of which I was the chair (two Iberian meetings and the Special Session 21 at the EAS meeting 2022).

Finally, I am a member of EAS, SEA, IAU, and RSEF, and between 2013 and 2015, I worked in the I+D department of the private company SapTools, working on Big Data analysis.