Dr. Jesús Rodríguez-Díaz is an Associate Professor (Profesor Titular) at the Department of Microbiology and Ecology, University of Valencia, Spain. He is an internationally recognized expert in enteric virology, intestinal microbiota, and host-glycan interactions, with over 100 peer-reviewed publications (h-index: 30) and seven book chapters. His research has significantly advanced the understanding of rotavirus and norovirus pathogenesis, including the discovery of novel glycan-based receptors and mechanisms of immune escape in enteric viruses. 

He has been Principal Investigator (PI) or Co-PI in more than 15 competitive research projects, including grants from the Spanish Ministry of Science and Innovation (MCIN/AEI), the Generalitat Valenciana, and international collaborations supported by the Center for Produce Safety (CPS, California, USA), where he served as Co-Principal Investigator in a project focused on the molecular epidemiology of human noroviruses and foodborne transmission routes. This collaboration highlights his leadership in translational research at the interface of public health, food safety, and virology, and strengthens scientific exchange between Europe and the United States. 

Dr. Rodríguez-Díaz maintains long-term research partnerships with groups in Sweden, Belgium, Brazil, and the United States, and has participated in multiple EU-funded consortia focused on viral pathogenesis and glyco-epidemiology. He has been an invited speaker at international congresses, including the European Rotavirus Biology Meeting (ERBM) and the Annual Conference of the Spanish Society for Virology.
He regularly serves as a reviewer for high-impact journals (PLOS Pathogens, Journal of Virology, Gut Microbes, Viruses, Frontiers in Microbiology) and participates in scientific advisory panels in virology and molecular microbiology. 

He has supervised seven PhD theses (all cum laude) and more than 30 MSc and BSc dissertations, mentoring early-career scientists who have continued their careers in academia and industry worldwide. His management experience includes nine research contracts with biotechnology companies and the founding of the spin-off Alba Biosciences S.L.U. 

He is also the inventor of three national patents and has successfully translated fundamental discoveries into applied biotechnology. His career combines basic and translational science, international leadership, and knowledge transfer, with measurable impact on human health, food safety, diagnostic innovation, and the competitiveness of the Valencian biotechnology sector.

Pascual López-López is Associate Professor of Ecology at the Department of Microbiology and Ecology of the University of Valencia and researcher at the Cavanilles Institute of Biodiversity and Evolutionary Biology (ICBiBE), where he leads the Movement Ecology Lab.

His research focuses on movement ecology, spatial ecology and conservation biology, with a particular interest in the study of threatened raptors. Throughout his career, he has conducted research aimed at understanding how environmental conditions, landscape structure and human activities influence movement patterns, space use, habitat selection and population dynamics of wildlife. His work integrates high-resolution telemetry and bio-logging technologies, remote sensing, geographic information systems, spatial modelling and advanced demographic analyses.

Since 2006, he has participated in numerous research projects related to movement ecology and vertebrate conservation, conducting studies in several European and Latin American countries. His main research interests include the spatial ecology of large raptors, dispersal and migration processes, ecological connectivity, the dynamics of threatened populations and the assessment of impacts associated with human infrastructures, particularly in the context of the energy transition and the expansion of renewable energy.

His research combines both fundamental and applied approaches with the aim of generating scientific knowledge that supports biodiversity conservation and evidence-based decision-making. In this context, he has led and participated in numerous competitive research projects and knowledge-transfer contracts with public administrations, conservation organisations and energy-sector companies, contributing to the development of measures aimed at reducing impacts on wildlife and improving the management of threatened species.

He is the author of more than one hundred scientific publications in international peer-reviewed journals, has presented his work at more than one hundred national and international conferences, and regularly collaborates with research groups from different countries. He also maintains an active editorial role as Associate Editor and scientific reviewer for several international journals specialising in ecology, zoology and conservation.

In the field of teaching, he lectures in undergraduate and postgraduate courses related to ecology, biodiversity conservation, endangered species management and movement ecology. He has supervised five PhD dissertations, as well as numerous master's and bachelor's theses, contributing to the training of new generations of researchers and professionals in environmental and biological sciences.

His research pursues a common goal: understanding how organisms respond to a constantly changing environment and applying this knowledge to the development of effective strategies for biodiversity conservation.