Curriculum vitae

CV Summary

    My main research line involves the biosphere-atmosphere interactions, particularly through the biogenic emissions of Volatile Organic Compounds (VOCs). I am an interdisciplinary researcher that combines plant ecophysiology with atmospheric chemistry to study the impacts of climate on vegetation physiology, and the vegetation impacts on air quality and climate. Thus, biogenic VOCs (BVOCs) emitted by vegetation have been my focus, but I also studied the VOCs emitted by human activities. Once released to the atmosphere, VOCs take part in chemical reactions, becoming precursors of pollutants such as ozone and particulate matter that can affect the physiology of living organisms, the air quality and human health, as well as the planet energy balance. It is imperative to understand the processes controlling BVOC emission from terrestrial ecosystems and accurately represent these processes in Earth System models to predict the consequences of climate change.
    I am a Tenured Scientist at IDAEA-CSIC (Barcelona), where I started with a Severo Ochoa Talent Attraction position and later as a Ramón y Cajal researcher. Along the years, I built a solid international network of collaborators (335 co-authors, most based outside Spain), having developed my career in Spain (6 years including PhD), USA (7 years at the National Center for Atmospheric Research and the University of California Irvine, UCI, as postdoc, Lab Manager, and Project Scientist) and Denmark (3 years at the University of Copenhagen, UCPH, as an Assistant Professor). I gained extensive experience in international field campaigns as well as in laboratory experiments, and in the use of biogenic emission models to help interpret my measurements of biosphere-atmosphere interactions. I have taught courses on BVOCs and air pollution at UCI and UCPH, and mentored 7 PhD students. I am accredited as "Profesor Ayudante Doctor" by ANECA and as "Professor Lector" and “Professor Agregat” by AQU Catalunya.
    The main tools used in my research are online mass spectrometers (e.g. PTR-MS). In the laboratory, my experiments showed leaf-level BVOC fluxes from plants and how those VOC fluxes vary with drought and mechanical wounding, and showed the effects of some of these VOCs on the olfactory attractiveness towards parasitoid bees and pollinators.
    I have participated in 13+ collaborative field campaigns, leading the deployment of online mass spectrometers in urban and natural environments in Spain, USA, Brazil, Israel, South Korea, Antarctica, Sweden and Norway; measuring from ground, towers, ships and airplanes. I am an expert in Eddy Covariance, a technique that enabled me to measure ecosystem-scale BVOC fluxes from temperate, tropical, Mediterranean and Arctic ecosystems, and shed light on the responses of BVOC emissions to drought and temperature. In addition, results of these field campaigns advanced the knowledge of the atmospheric oxidation of VOCs, the subsequent formation of secondary aerosols, and the influence of human-induced pollution on those processes. During my career I have been part of 16+ research projects funded by Spanish and international agencies (e.g. EU ERC Consolidator; NSF, DOE, EPA and NASA from the USA; DFF from Denmark).
    Scroll down to find out more about my education, professional and teaching experiences, grants and fellowships, recognitions, field campaigns, and service activity. And all of my publications, on another dedicated page.

Education

  • UAB
    Ph.D. in Ecology (2010), Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona (UAB)
    Thesis: Emission of Volatile Organic Compounds by Mediterranean vegetation: short-chain oxygenated VOCs, interaction between organisms and atmospheric impact. Available online at Tesis Doctorals en Xarxa (TDX) 8 MB
    Advisors: Prof. Josep Peñuelas and Dr. Iolanda Filella
      Extraordinary doctorate award of the Department of Animal and Plant Biology and Ecology (UAB, academic year 2010-11)
  • M.Sc. in Ecology (2007), UAB
  • B.Sc. in Biology, specialized in Plant Biology and Ecology (2004), UAB

Professional experience

  • IDAEA
    Since 2024: Tenured Scientist (Científico Titular) at the Institute of Environmental Assessment and Water Research (IDAEA-CSIC), Barcelona, Catalonia.
  • 2021-2023: Severo Ochoa and Ramón y Cajal researcher at IDAEA-CSIC, Barcelona, Catalonia.
    Environmental Geochemistry and Atmospheric Research (EGAR) group led by Drs. Xavier Querol and Andrés Alastuey.
  • KU
    2018-2021: Assistant Professor at the University of Copenhagen (KU), Copenhagen, Denmark.
    Ecosystem-Atmosphere Interactions lab led by Prof. Riikka Rinnan, at the Terrestrial Ecology Section of the Department of Biology (BIO).
  • UCI
    2015-2018: Laboratory Manager and Assistant Project Scientist at the University of California Irvine (UCI), Irvine, California, USA.
    Biosphere-Atmosphere Interactions and Biosphere-Atmosphere-Human Interactions groups led by Profs. Alex Guenther and Saewung Kim, at the Department of Earth System Science (ESS).
  • 2013-2015: Postdoctoral researcher at the University of California Irvine (UCI), Irvine, California, USA.
    Biosphere-Atmosphere-Human Interactions group led by Prof. Saewung Kim, at the Department of Earth System Science (ESS).

    • NCAR
    2013-2015: Visitor at the National Center for Atmospheric Research (NCAR), Boulder, Colorado, USA. Ultrafine Aerosol (UA) group led by Dr. Jim Smith, at the Atmospheric Chemistry Division.

  • 2011-2013: Postdoctoral researcher at the National Center for Atmospheric Research (NCAR), Boulder, Colorado, USA.
    Biosphere-Atmosphere Interactions (BAI) group led by Dr. Alex Guenther, at the Atmospheric Chemistry Division.
  • CREAF
    2011: Postdoctoral researcher at Centre de Recerca Ecològica i Aplicacions Forestals (CREAF), Barcelona, Catalonia.
    Global Ecology Group led by Prof. Josep Peñuelas.
  • 2005-2010: PhD student at CREAF. Global Ecology Group, led by Prof. Josep Peñuelas.

Teaching

  • KU
    November 2021: International PhD Course (4 ECTS credits), entitled "Biogenic Volatiles - Exchange at Different Scales and Interactions with Ecosystem Processes" at the University of Copenhagen (KU), Denmark. Instructor of the ecosystem-scale measurement lecture.
  • November 2019: International PhD Course (4 ECTS credits), entitled "Biogenic Volatiles - Exchange at Different Scales and Interactions with Ecosystem Processes" at the University of Copenhagen (KU), Denmark. Coordinator of the course and instructor of the ecosystem-scale measurement lecture.
  • UCI
    Summer 2016: Air Pollution (EARTHSS 23; 4 units, ~30 hours in-class instruction) at the University of California Irvine (UCI), Irvine, California, USA. Instructor of record (responsible for course content and evaluation).

Grants and Fellowships

  • Proyectos de Generación de Conocimiento
    2022-2025: Research grant "Birch forest volatile emissions - measuring and modelling the impact of herbivory stress" (PID2021-122892NA-I00) funded by MCIN/AEI/10.13039/501100011033 and by "ERDF A way of making Europe”.
    Ayudas para contratos predoctorales

      Also obtained a 4-yr contract for a predoctoral researcher under my supervision. Grant PRE2022-103659 funded by MCIN/AEI/10.13039/501100011033 and by ESF+”.
  • Ramón y Cajal
    2022-2027: Ramón y Cajal contract; grant RYC2020-029216-I funded by MCIN/AEI/10.13039/501100011033 and by "ESF Investing in your future".
      Obtained one contract of only 26 (area of Environmental Science and Technology) for the whole Spain in the 2020 call.
  • Severo Ochoa
    2021-2023: Severo Ochoa Talent Attraction postdoctoral position at IDAEA-CSIC, part of grant CEX2018-000794-S funded by MCIN/AEI/10.13039/501100011033.
  • AGAUR
    2014-2016 (declined): Beatriu de Pinós postdoctoral fellowship granted by Agència de Gestió d'Ajuts Universitaris i de Recerca (AGAUR) of the Government of Catalonia.
      Obtained one fellowship of only 25, competing among 499 applicants (5% success rate).
  • Fundación Ramón Areces
    2011-2013: Postdoctoral fellowship granted by Fundación Ramón Areces (Madrid, Spain).
  • 2005-2009: PhD fellowship (FPI) granted by the Ministry of Education and Science of the Spanish Government.

Honors

  • Extraordinary doctorate award of the Department of Animal and Plant Biology and Ecology (UAB, academic year 2010-11) that recognizes the best PhD theses of the year
  • Named Top-50 Highly Cited Author 2007-2010 by the journal Atmospheric Environment for the 2007 article Short-chain oxygenated VOCs: Emission and uptake by plants and atmospheric sources, sinks, and concentrations
  • NASA Honor Award for Group Achievement for the KORUS-AQ campaign (2017).
  • Seal of Excellence by the European Commission for a research proposal submitted to the Horizon 2020 Marie Sklodovska Curie actions (2019).

Field campaigns

  • Birch forest EC (2021-2023): Measurements of a mountain birch forest ecosystem-scale biogenic VOC and CO2/H2O fluxes with Eddy Covariance. Involved the deployment of a PTR-TOF-MS, IRGA, sonic anemometer and other ancillary instruments near Abisko (Sweden). We expected a herbivore moth outbreak during those years that would reveal the changes in VOC emissions of the forest, and indeed in 2023 we had an outbreak!
  • Siberia - LENA 2020 (5-9/2020): Cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Everything was prepared, all instruments shipped to Russia, when the pandemic happened. The idea was measuring ecosystem-scale VOC fluxes from polygonal tundra in the Lena Delta, in collaboration with Russian scientists and the colleagues from the Alfred Wegener Institute (AWI) in Germany.
  • Finse EC (5-9/2019): Measurements of mountain tundra ecosystem-scale biogenic VOC fluxes with Eddy Covariance. Involved the deployment of a PTR-TOF-MS to the oroarctic tundra of Finse (Norway), situated at 1222 m above sea level. This was part of the ERC-Consolidator project TUVOLU.
  • Stordalen EC (5-10/2018): Measurements of tundra ecosystem-scale biogenic VOC fluxes with Eddy Covariance. Involved the deployment of two PTR-TOF-MS instruments to peatland ecosystems near Abisko (Sweden). This was part of the ERC-Consolidator project TUVOLU.
  • Araon Antarctic Cruise (3-5/2018): Measurements of gas-phase compounds in the Southern Ocean near the Antarctic Peninsula, during a 6-week campaign onboard the R/V Araon icebreaker funded by the Korean Polar Research Institute (KOPRI, Korea). I participated in the operation of two mass spectrometers onboard of the icebreaker, and in the GC-TOF-MS analysis of sampling cartridges collected on the ship and on the ice.
  • KORUS-AQ (spring 2016): An international collaborative field campaign with measurements in South Korea on board the NASA DC-8 aircraft, and field sites in Seoul (urban) and Taehwa forest (suburban). I was in charge of the acquisition of airborne data with an I- Chemical Ionisation Mass Spectrometer, and aiding with measurements at the field sites. The campaign was funded and coordinated by NASA (USA) and NIER (National Institute of Environmental Research, South Korea).
  • GoAmazon 2014/5 (1-10/2014): A four months (two months during the wet season and two during the dry season) international collaborative field campaign with observations at the T3 site in Manacapuru (Amazonas, Brazil) that for me consisted of measurements of VOCs and OH radical in air of the Amazon basin ranging from pristine to polluted, depending upon the influences of the pollution plumes from the city of Manaus (~2 million inhabitants). The campaign was coordinated by Prof. Scot Martin (Harvard University, USA) and Dr. Antonio Manzi (Instituto Nacional de Pesquisas da Amazônia, Brazil) and funded by several Brazilian and US institutions.
  • TUFFS (5-8/2014): Measurements of canopy-level eddy covariance fluxes of VOCs from the Amazonian rain forest near the city of Santarém (Pará, Brazil) in collaboration with the group of Prof. Julio Tota of the University of Western Pará (UFOPA) and the group of Jim Smith (NCAR). I participated in the operation and maintenance of the PTR-TOF-MS instrument.
  • SOAS (6-7/2013): A six-week field collaborative campaign taking place near Brent, Alabama (USA) during the summer of 2013 that focused on the study of biosphere-atmosphere interactions. I was mainly involved in the obtention and analysis of VOC, OH, and NO2 data. The campaign was coordinated by Ann Marie Carlton (Rutgers University), José Luis Jiménez (University of Colorado, Boulder), Allen Goldstein (University of California, Berkeley) and Alex Guenther (NCAR).
  • BRITE (4/2013): An international collaborative campaign held in Israel to investigate the CO2, H2O, energy, COS, VOC, and aerosol fluxes from pine forests along a precipitation gradient (280 to 800 mm) in the semi-arid region using a mobile flux measurement platform. I led the acquisition and analysis of ecosystem-level VOC fluxes obtained by Eddy Covariance. In collaboration with several groups: Prof. Dan Yakir (Weizmann Institute of Science, Israel), Prof. Josep Peñuelas (CREAF, Barcelona), and Prof. Thomas Karl (Univ. of Innsbruck, Austria).
  • DISCOVER-AQ (1-2/2013): Measurements of VOCs at the urban location of Fresno in support of the California 2013 deployment of the DISCOVER-AQ five-year mission led by NASA's Langley Research Center. I led the acquisition of VOC data with PTR-TOF-MS. In collaboration with Prof. Saewung Kim (University of California, Irvine).
  • PINOT-NOIR (5-10/2012): Biogenic VOC emission fluxes measured at an oak-dominated forest in the Ozarks region, Missouri (USA). I led the acquisition and analysis of ecosystem-level VOC fluxes obtained by Eddy Covariance. This campaign was part of the BEACHON project coordinated by NCAR. In collaboration with the Forestry Department of the University of Missouri and Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL, Oak Ridge TN, USA).
  • MONTES (spring and summer 2010): Atmospheric (using tethered ballon and PTR-MS) and leaf-level biogenic VOC measurements in different ecosystems of the Iberian peninsula, within the Consolider MONTES project coordinated by CREAF. With collaboration of Dr. Alex Guenther's group (NCAR, Boulder, USA) and Dra. Rita Baraldi's group (IBIMET, Bologna, Italy).
  • DAURE (winter and summer 2009): Atmospheric VOC measurements in Barcelona (urban ambient) and Montseny (rural ambient), within the aerosol study in the Western Mediterranean Basin coordinated by Dr. Xavier Querol's group (IDAEA-CSIC, Barcelona) and Dr. José Luis Jiménez (University of Colorado, Boulder, USA).

Professional service

Publications

See my publications page