/ the team / postdocs
Postdoctoral fellows:
Ivan graduated at the University of Girona in 2020, focusing on inference of family relationships in population genetics databases, genome-wide association studies, and the statistical analysis of compositional data. He joined the GenomeDataLab in November 2020 and his current research interests are to develop statistical methods to model local mutation rates in cancer genomes. In his free time, he enjoys road cycling with friends, swimming and running.
Miguel obtained his PhD in Population Genetics at the University of Barcelona. Currently, he studies mutational patterns that result from DNA repair deficiencies in cancer cells, to elucidate mechanisms of genomic instability. Also, he performs the computational analysis of CRISPR genetic screens carried out at GenomeDataLab, and is interested in developing methods to quantify changes of gene essentiality in time and across genetic backgrounds.
“If we knew what it was we were doing, it would not be called research, would it?” ― Albert Einstein
Marcos obtained his PhD in Biomedicine at the University of Barcelona, where he studied the regulation of alternative splicing throughout neurodevelopment. His interests have brought him to our lab to investigate how cancer driver genes can shape the transcriptome of tumor cells. Passionate about both climbing and cooking, if he's not in the lab, you can likely find him in the kitchen.
Adrijan obtained his PhD in Biochemistry and Molecular Biology at the University of Ljubljana. At the Jožef Stefan Institute, he investigated the interaction between secreted phospholipases A2 and neuronal mitochondria. In April 2024, he joined GenomeDataLab to explore how deficiencies in DNA damage response cause mutations, focusing on structural variants and indels. He’s also venturing into epigenomics. In his free time, his Croatian heritage gives him a love for football, the sun, the sea, and other life pleasures, while his Slovenian side enjoys road cycling.
“We are stuck with technology when what we really want is just stuff that works.” ― Douglas Adams
Sanket received his PhD from ACTREC, Tata Memorial Centre, India, specializing in cancer genomics. His research centered on pathogen-tumor relationships, developing computational methods for studying cancer-associated pathogens. Presently at GenomeDataLab, he investigates links between germline and somatic mutations, utilizing genomic markers for cancer risk prediction. Sanket strives to advance personalized medicine, focusing on cancer risk assessment and prediction using state-of-the-art genomic technologies and computational approaches.
Aleix performed his PhD at the Institute of Molecular Biology of Barcelona (IBMB) investigating chromatin structure and function, and graduated in 2016. Next, he joined the Aguilera lab at CABIMER in Sevilla as a postdoc to study on the mechanisms used by cells to prevent genome instability, a hallmark of cancer. He joined the GenomeDataLab in 2021 and his research interest is understanding the contribution of chromatin factors to the maintenance of genome integrity. Outside of science, he likes to spend time with his family, sports and cooking.
“Science can never solve one problem without raising ten more problems.” ― George Bernard Shaw
Lab managers:
Alejandro studied Mechanical Engineering in Zaragoza. After a year working in a company he started a MSc in Biomedical Engineering focusing on performing an algorithm which replicates cancer cells migration through the tissue. In the lab, Alejandro manages the IT resources and automates the processing of WGS cancer datasets. In his free time he likes to practice combat sports, hang out with friends or travel.
Roman studied Bioscience at the University of Münster (Germany). During his master, he focused on epigenetic single-cell sequencing approaches and their establishment. In March 2024, Roman joined the GenomeDataLab as an IT lab manager. He manages the lab IT infrastructure and performs and automates the Oxford Nanopore Technology-based sequencing analysis. In his free time, he likes to play board games, go trekking and fly drones.
Sergio graduated in Biology at Universitat Autónoma de Barcelona and studied a Masters in Biomedicine at Universidad de Barcelona. After a few years in Australia, where he conducted a PhD in Molecular Genetics and Exercise. Currently, he is aiming to find out vulnerabilities that could affect the fitness of hypermutated cancer cells. Additionally, he acts as a lab manager of the wet-lab arm of the group. Sergio is a very active and outgoing person, who loves climbing, hanging out with friends, and playing guitar.