Global health and climate governance
A central impact pathway is the continued scientific contribution to the Lancet Countdown on Health and Climate Change annually since 2018. By assessing climate suitability for Vibrio transmission, the group provides genomic and epidemiological evidence incorporated into a major global health policy report.
Jaime Martínez-Urtaza
ORCID: 0000-0001-6219-0418 | EGRETA: link
Biodiversity conservation and marine ecosystem resilience
Research on temperature-dependent sex determination (TSD) in the loggerhead turtle will generate a genomic baseline and minimally invasive epigenetic biomarkers for sex and age determination, supporting conservation programs, nesting beach monitoring and wildlife recovery centers. Collaboration with Fundació Oceanogràfic de València and Fundació Centre de Recuperació d’Animals Marins (CRAM) will facilitate sampling and knowledge transfer. In parallel, research on non-model keystone organisms with reference genomes will advance understanding on population genomics, genome architecture and adaptation.
Cinta Pegueroles
ORCID: 0000-0003-0701-9866 | EGRETA: link
Precision medicine and rare disease diagnosis
The implementation of long-read–based structural variant analysis will increase diagnostic yield in patients with neuromuscular disorders lacking molecular diagnosis, in collaboration with the Hospital Sant Pau Research Institute. By improving detection of complex structural variants, underdiagnosed in standard clinical workflows, this strategy enhances diagnostic resolution, prognosis, eligibility for targeted therapies and genetic counselling. In the long term, the approach is transferable to other genetic diseases.
Marta Puig
ORCID: 0000-0002-4439-6372 | EGRETA: link
Open digital genomic infrastructure
The development and long-term deployment of the PopLife population genomics browser constitutes a structural impact for the scientific community. In strategic collaboration with the Port d’Informació Científica (PIC, RES node), and supported by a competitive five-year data allocation, PopLife is hosted within national high-performance computing facilities, ensuring scalability, interoperability and long-term preservation. By integrating multiple genomic resources into a unified FAIR-compliant platform, PopLife strengthens open science practices and provides sustainable bioinformatic infrastructure beyond individual projects.
Sònia Casillas
ORCID: 0000-0001-8191-0062 | EGRETA: link
Antonio Barbadilla
ORCID: 0000-0002-0374-1475 | EGRETA: link
Citizen science and co-production of research
Through FECYT-funded citizen science projects (2019–2026), particularly “Melanogaster: Catch the Fly”, secondary school students contribute directly to international population genomics research (DrosEU), from field sampling to genomic annotation and AI-based tools. This model moves beyond outreach toward genuine co-production of scientific knowledge, fostering scientific literacy early engagement in research.
Sònia Casillas
ORCID: 0000-0001-8191-0062 | EGRETA: link
Educational innovation and global engagement
Through PhyloGenomeCOIL and COIL@UAB (UAB-funded, 2025–2028), biodiversity conservation and evolutionary genomics are integrated into Collaborative Online International Learning with universities in the Global South. Based on the co-creation model of PhyloGenome (UAB-funded 2024-2025), these initiatives aim to consolidate a sustainable, research-based international educational network over the next decade.
Sònia Casillas
ORCID: 0000-0001-8191-0062 | EGRETA: link