NATALIA FRAIJA FERNANDEZ
PI-Invest Cont Ramon y Cajal
963543685
Subjects taught and teaching methods
Academic training
Activity interests
My research focuses on understanding the ecological and evolutionary processes shaping cetacean populations through the study of host-parasite interactions. Combining expertise in marine biology, marine parasitology, evolutionary biology, molecular biology, and systematics, I investigate how parasites can provide valuable insights into the biology, health, evolution, and ecology of marine mammals. My current research integrates cutting-edge genomic approaches, including high-throughput sequencing and environmental DNA (eDNA), to unravel the complex relationships among parasites, their hosts, and the marine environment. By applying these innovative molecular tools, I aim to improve our understanding of parasite biodiversity, transmission dynamics, and the influence of environmental change on host-parasite systems. This interdisciplinary approach contributes to both fundamental knowledge of marine ecosystem functioning and the development of molecular resources for biodiversity monitoring and conservation. My research is supported by extensive experience in phylogenetics, genomics, cetacean pathology, and next-generation sequencing data analysis, as well as by collaborations with leading international research groups. Overall, my work seeks to advance marine conservation by using parasites as biological indicators of ecosystem health and by developing genomic methodologies that enhance our capacity to monitor and protect marine biodiversity in a rapidly changing ocean. . .
