Our team – OMICS

Group Members

University Professors

Beatriz Cancho Grande

Holds a degree in Chemistry by the University of Barcelona since 1995. During her pre-doctoral stage she was hired by the Bosch i Gimpera Foundation (4 years) to carry out her Doctoral Thesis at the Drinking Water Treatment Plant of the company Aguas de Barcelona, focused on the identification of products derivative from disinfection and generated in the process of purifying water from the Llobregat River. She defended her Doctoral Thesis in the year 2000 at the same university. That year, she also joined the area of Nutrition and Bromatology at the University of Vigo as a postdoctoral researcher, first as a researcher at the COREN Chair, then as a Visiting Researcher and finally as a Parga Pondal Researcher at the Xunta de Galicia. In 2007 she established herself at this university as a PhD Contracted Professor and, since 2009, as the Professor in charge. She is currently accredited as a University Professor.

Her research activity was initially focused on evaluating how the application in the vineyard of phytosanitary products formulated with new generation fungicides could modify the color (polyphenols) and aroma of the final wines, as well as determining the percentage of dissipation of the residual levels of fungicides in grapes throughout the winemaking process. During this period, she worked closely with the Regulatory Council of the D.O. Valdeorras. She also worked for the Vine Working Group.

Currently, she co-directs a line of research focused on the study of Galician oils made with native varieties, both in their characterization and in the evaluation of their healthy properties associated with their high content of phenolic compounds with the researcher Carmen González Barreiro. In recent years, within the framework of the OILDIABET research project funded by the Ministry of Science, Innovation and Universities, she has coordinated a clinical trial with physicians from the Endocrinology Service of the University Hospital Complex of Ourense to evaluate the antidiabetic potential of these oils in patients diagnosed with type 2 diabetes mellitus.

Throughout her research activity, she has led two national projects and one regional project. She has also participated in three international projects, four national projects, seven regional projects and ten contracts with companies. She has published more than one hundred international articles in high-impact scientific journals.

Elena Martínez Carballo

Graduated with a degree and a PhD in Chemistry from the University of Santiago de Compostela in 2002. At that University, she began her research activity in the field of environmental and food screening, which she delved into during her postdoctoral stays at «The Institute for Water Quality and Resource Management” at the Technical University of Vienna (2002-2004) and at the Austrian Federal Environmental Agency (Umweltbundesamt Wien) (2004-2005). In December 2005 she joined as a postdoctoral researcher in the area of Nutrition and Bromatology at the University of Vigo, where she obtained her position as a Professor in 2010. She is currently accredited as a University Professor.

Her lines of research have focused on aspects related to food safety and environmental health: the study of the distribution of organic chemical pollutants (persistent and pseudopersistent) and their metabolites, pre- and postnatal exposure to said organic pollutants, their potential effects on health, as well as the study of the possible repercussions of early exposure to these contaminants on the health of the newborn. In recent years, her work has focused on the application of directed and undirected metabolomics in different fields related to health, such as the study of the effects of bioactive compounds on the immune system.

Throughout her research activity, she has led a national project and two regional projects and has also participated in six international projects, six national projects, two regional projects and five contracts with companies. She has published more than 80 international articles in high-impact scientific journals.

Raquel Rial Otero

Holds a degree in Food Science and Technology from the University of Vigo (2001) and a PhD from the same University (2004). After completing her Doctoral Thesis, she enjoyed a one-year contract at the Support Center for Scientific and Technological Research (CACTI) of the University of Vigo in charge of the temporary incorporation of technologists from the Xunta de Galicia. Between 2005 and 2007 she carried out different postdoctoral research stays at the University of Santiago de Compostela (5 months) and at the Universidade Nova de Lisboa (22 months). In 2008 she re-joined the Nutrition and Bromatology Area of the University of Vigo first as a Parga Pondal researcher for the Xunta de Galicia and later as a Ramón y Cajal researcher. In 2013 she was consolidated at the University of Vigo as a PhD Contracted Professor and since 2020 she is a Professor at the same University.

Her lines of research have been closely linked to the study of the agricultural and food implications of the use of phytosanitary products in the vineyard. Her research is currently focused on the study of the molecular mechanisms that modulate the response of the fermentative microbiota to the presence of phytosanitary residues in the grape juices and its impact on the quality (aroma and color) of the wines obtained.

Throughout her research activity, she has led three national projects and one at a regional level. She has also participated in four international projects, one national project, two regional projects and nine contracts with companies. She has published more than 80 international articles in high-impact scientific journals.

Associate professors

Carmen González Barreiro

Holds a degree in Chemistry from the University of Santiago de Compostela and a PhD from the same university since 2003. Throughout her pre- and post-doctoral career she has received several public grants to develop and expand her teaching and research training. She was a pre-doctoral fellow of the Fundación Benéfico-Docente Segundo Gil Dávila (1999-2000) and of the Xunta de Galicia (2000-2003) in the Department of Analytical Chemistry, Nutrition and Bromatology of the University of Santiago de Compostela, where she developed new strategies for carrying out photodegradation tests (photo-SPME) of various persistent organic pollutants (POPs). In addition, she enjoyed postdoctoral fellowships from the Xunta de Galicia (2004) and the Ministry of Education and Science (2004-2006) at the Austrian Environmental Agency (Umweltbundesamt), where she studied the presence and distribution of emerging organic pollutants using techniques advanced chromatography. techniques in different environmental compartments. At the beginning of 2008, she was able to access a contract as a technologist for the Isabel Barreto Program of the Xunta de Galicia and a year later a five-year contract as a researcher for the Isidro Parga Pondal Program of the Xunta de Galicia, both in the Area of Nutrition and Bromatology of the University of Vigo. From 2013 to 2018 she was an interim teacher in the same area, later consolidating as a Professor in 2019.

At the University of Vigo, her research work has focused mainly on evaluating the influence of phytosanitary product residues on the aromatic composition of wine. In addition, since 2010 she leads, together with Professor Beatriz Cancho, the line of research related to the study of olive oils made with native Galician varieties, both in the characterization of the aromatic and phenolic fraction and in the evaluation of its healthy properties.

Throughout her research career, she has participated in more than 25 national, regional and provincial I+D projects, being the main researcher in three of them. In addition, she has collaborated on six international projects. It is worth mentioning her participation in five research contracts with companies, of which she has been the main investigator in one of them. She is the co-author of more than 70 articles in high-impact international journals.

Post-Doctoral Researchers

María Figueiredo González

Holds a degree in Chemistry from the University of Santiago de Compostela since 2006. In 2013 she defended her International Doctoral Thesis from the University of Vigo (Extraordinary Doctorate Award) focused on the effect of raisining and aging on the phenolic composition of grapes and wines. During her pre-doctoral stage, she did a stay at the University of Porto (4 months). After completing her Doctoral Thesis, she joined the Meat Technology Center (CETECA, 6 months) until at the end of 2014 she joined as a postdoctoral researcher at the University of Porto, first as a REQUIMTE researcher (6 months) and later with a contract postdoctoral fellowship of the Xunta de Galicia-modality A (29 months). Her activity at this university focused on the determination of neuroprotective and antidiabetic activities in food matrices rich in phenolic compounds. In 2017, she rejoined the Nutrition and Bromatology Area of the University of Vigo, first as a postdoctoral researcher at the Xunta de Galicia-modality B and since 2022 as a researcher within the Talent Retention program of said university.

Her current line of research focuses on evaluating the phenolic composition of foods and its beneficial effects on health through bioactivity assays and nutritional interventions.

Throughout her research activity, she has participated in 3 international projects, 19 national projects and 1 contract with a company. She has published more than 35 international articles in high-impact scientific journals.

Patricia Reboredo Rodríguez

Holds a degree in Food Science and Technology since 2011. In 2015 she defended her International Doctoral Thesis from the University of Vigo (Extraordinary Doctorate Award) focused on the aromatic and phenolic characterization of olives and olive oils produced in Galicia. Throughout the pre-doctoral stage, he carried out four research stays in national and international groups of recognized prestige at the University of Castilla-La Mancha (5 months), the University of Santiago de Compostela (2 months), the Università di Bologna (Italy , 3 months) and at the University of Córdoba (one month). In 2016 she began her postdoctoral stage at the Università Politecnica delle Marche (Italy) with a postdoctoral contract from the Xunta de Galicia-modality A (34 months). Her activity at this university focused on the in vitro evaluation of the effect of phenolic compounds from different food matrices (mainly virgin olive oil, strawberry and honey) on different types of cancer using cell lines. In 2019 she re-joined the Nutrition and Bromatology Area of the University of Vigo, first as a postdoctoral researcher at the Xunta de Galicia-modality B and since 2021 as a Juan de la Cierva-Incorporation researcher.

Her current line of research focuses on the study of phenolic compounds from food matrices on different aspects of biology, taking into account their bioavailability and metabolism once ingested, using different models.

Throughout her research activity, she has led a regional project and has also participated in 4 nternational projects, 1 national project, 1 regional project, in the COST Action MitoEAGLE CA15203 and in a contract with a company. She has published more than 60 international articles in high-impact scientific journals.

Mª Rosa Pérez Gregorio

Rosa Mª Pérez-Gregorio

Holds a degree in Food Science and Technology from the University of Vigo since 2007. In 2010 she defended her Doctoral Thesis at the University of Vigo. Her research experience adds up to more than 12 years of postdoctoral experience in different stages that include stays in national and international institutions, including 3 years at CSIC (Spain), 2 years at CIQUP (Portugal) and 7 years at LAQV-REQUIMTE (Portugal). ). In 2022 she joined the University of Vigo again as a María Zambrano researcher. She currently enjoys working at a Ramón y Cajal contract.

Her research focuses on the recovery and characterization of bioactive compounds from food and agri-food by-products, the analysis of the nutritional composition of food and its functionality. Her specific goals are focused on integrating and developing lines of research to use polyphenols (PP) as modulators of immune reactions to food. In addition, she has been involved in additional research to understand the impact of molecular interactions between PPs and other food components (polysaccharides and proteins) on the organoleptic properties of food (texture (emulsion properties)-flavor (bitterness and astringency) in order to design healthy and tasty plant-based foods.

Throughout her research activity she has participated in 18 research projects, 4 of them in collaboration with the industry (Bioclarvino, IDFoods, cLabel+, VIAFOOD), a COST action (Sourdomincs) and an Interreg program (Iberphenol), assuming a fundamental role as a Project/Task Manager or PI in the 5 most recent projects, with great international projection. Currently, she is the coordinator of the European project WHEATBIOME.

She has published more than 50 scientific articles. She has collaborated in the development of 2 patents and she has been awarded by the prestigious EITFood within the framework of the Digieduhack event, Lisboa-Hack the Food System, the Scientific Committee of the International Conference on Polyphenols and Health and by the Portuguese Society of Chemistry.

Jorge Antonio Custodio Mendoza

He has held a degree in Chemical Engineering from the Technological Institute of Villahermosa (Mexico) since 2014, as well as a Master’s degree in Chemical Research and Industry from the University of Santiago de Compostela (2016), specialising in Advanced Analytical Techniques. In 2022, he successfully defended his Doctoral Thesis in Chemical Science and Technology at the same institution. His research career includes predoctoral stays at the University of Porto (Portugal, 2018) and postdoctoral stays at the Warsaw University of Life Sciences (Poland, 2023–2025), where he worked as an Assistant Research Professor.

He joined the Food and Health Omics group at the University of Vigo in 2025 through a Juan de la Cierva Incorporación contract (JDC2023-052954-I) from the Spanish Ministry of Science, Innovation and Universities. His research focuses on developing omics strategies and analytical solutions to ensure the safety and quality of infant formula and evaluate its impact on child health.

Throughout his career, he has participated in several national and international research projects, leading two of them: Analyticalstrategiesforassessing oxidative state and stabilityofplant-basedfoodproducts(NCN, Miniatura 7, 2023–2024) andBEVEGAL-Desenvolvemento de bebidas vexetais con orixe galega a partir de castaña e faba de Lourenzá, con enriquecemento bioactivo e enfoque circular (INOU+ POSDOU Campus Auga, 2025).He has received the XI Julián Francisco Suárez Freire Award for Young Researchers from the Royal Academy of Pharmacy of Galicia (2024) and the Rector’s Award for Excellence in Research from SGGW (2025), as well as winning five ‘IACOBUS Papers’ awards for his scientific publications.

Noelia Briz Cid

Is an Agricultural Technical Engineer from the University of Vigo since 2012. In 2014 she began her PhD studies in the Area of Nutrition and Bromatology at the University of Vigo financed with a grant for the training of university teachers (FPU) In 2019, he defended his International Doctoral Thesis (Extraordinary Doctorate Award) from this same university focused on evaluating the effect of the application of fungicides commonly used in vine cultivation on the polyphenolic content and color of wines, as well as their Influence on the protein profile of the yeasts in charge of fermentation. During her pre-doctoral stage, she spent 3 months at the Milan Polytechnic (Italy). In June 2021 she joined the Meat Technological Center (CETECA, 7 months) until in April 2022 she re-joined the Nutrition and Bromatology Area of the University of Vigo.

Currently, she has an ongoing research contract in the Food and Health Omics research group where she carries out tasks of commissioning and control of alcoholic and malolactic fermentation experiments in the absence and presence of fungicides; analysis of volatile compounds in oenological samples and analysis of the proteome of the fermentative microbiota (yeasts and lactic acid bacteria).

Throughout her research activity, she has participated in 2 national projects. She has published more than 10 international articles in high-impact scientific journals.

Lía Vanessa Guardiola Ponce

Lía Vanesa Guardiola Ponce

She earned her Bachelor’s degree in Food Science and Technology in 2007 from Zamorano University (Honduras). In 2009, she began her graduate studies in the Department of Food Science and Human Nutrition at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign (UIUC, USA), where she obtained her Master’s degree in 2011. Her research work contributed to U.S. Patent No. 9,504,274 (2016).

After graduating, she worked at the PepsiCo Research and Development Center in Barrington (Illinois). She later returned to UIUC, where she earned her PhD in Food Science and Human Nutrition in 2019. Her doctoral research focused on the characterization of zein extracted from distillers solubles, a coproduct of the dry-grind ethanol production process.

In 2019, she joined the Monogastric Nutrition Laboratory of Dr. Hans H. Stein as a postdoctoral research associate, where she participated in studies evaluating proteins in foods intended for human consumption using pigs as an animal model. In addition, she contributed to the establishment of a database of soluble dietary fiber (SDF), insoluble dietary fiber (IDF), and total dietary fiber (TDF) in ingredients used for animal nutrition.

She is currently a member of the Food and Health Omics research group, where she collaborates on the study of bioactive compounds from food matrices (primarily virgin olive oil, raspberry, almond, and orange) and their impact on various biological processes, with a focus on their bioavailability and metabolism after ingestion, using different experimental models.

Throughout her career, she has participated in multiple research initiatives and collaborative projects with industry. She is the co-author of one book and three scientific articles published in high-impact international journals.

Paula Abal Camaño

She earned her Bachelor degree in Biology from the University of Vigo in 2011. In 2014, after completing her Master’s degree in Advanced Biotechnology (specializing in Food and Agricultural Technology), she began her PhD studies in the Department of Pharmacology at the Faculty of Veterinary Medicine in Lugo. In 2019, she defended her doctoral thesis, which focused on evaluating the toxicity of marine biotoxins using in vitro and in vivo models. Her results have been used as the basis for an EFSA report on the public health risks associated with the presence of tetrodotoxin.

Currently, she is a member of the Food and Health Omics group, collaborating on a research project focused on assessing the bioavailability of bioactive compounds in olive oil and estimating their anti-inflammatory potential using cell lines, as well as the antidiabetic potential of olive oil in obese patients diagnosed with type 2 diabetes mellitus.

Throughout her research career, she has participated in six national and international projects and has published more than ten articles in high-impact international scientific journals.

Pre-doctoral students (PhD Students)

Icía Gómez Pérez

She graduated in Food Science and Technology from the University of Vigo in 2023. In 2024, after completing her Master’s degree in Agri-Food and Environmental Science and Technology at the University of Vigo, she began her PhD studies in the Area of Nutrition and Bromatology at the same university, under the supervision of Professor Raquel Rial. Her research focuses on studying the adaptative mechanisms of wine yeasts (Saccharomyces and non-Saccharomyces) in response to the presence of fungicides in grape must, employing a multi-omics approach.

She has contributed to the national project “Effect of fungicides on wine microbiota and white grape wine composition”, which focused on the impact of fungicides on fermentative microbiota and wine quality. Moreover, she contributed to the international project “Expertise and Technology for São Tomé and Príncipe: Bioresources for Food (TecBioFood)”, which focused on transferring knowledge and skills to the University of São Tomé and Príncipe (USTP) for the implementation of a Food Technology Laboratory at the USTP. The aim of this laboratory is to transform and add value to indigenous fruits and vegetables. She is a co-author of an article published in a high-impact international scientific journal, and she is currently a beneficiary of a pre-doctoral contract from the Regional Government of Galicia.

Laura Gallego García

She graduated in Food Science and Technology from the University of Vigo in 2021. In 2023, after completing her Master’s degree in Advanced Biotechnology specialising in Food and Agricultural Biotechnology, she began her PhD studies in Agri-Food Science and Technology in the Nutrition and Bromatology Area of the University of Vigo under the supervision of Professor Elena Martínez. Her research focuses on studying postnatal exposure to organic pollutants in breast milk exosomes.

She has collaborated with the Health Research Institute of Santiago de Compostela (IDIS) in the framework of a research contract under the “Research network on primary care interventions to prevent maternal and child chronic diseases of perinatal and developmental origin” (RICORS-SAMID) of the Carlos III Health Institute (ISCIII). She has held a predoctoral fellowship from Campus Auga at the University of Vigo and currently holds an FPU fellowship (University Teacher Training) from the Spanish Ministry of Universities.

Jorge Pardellas Soto

He graduated in Biology from the University of Vigo in 2022. In 2023, after completing his Master’s degree in Agri-Food and Environmental Science and Technology at the University of Vigo, he began his PhD studies in the Area of Nutrition and Bromatology at the same university, under the supervision of Professor Mª Rosa Pérez and Elena Martínez. His research focuses on the investigation of innovative strategies aimed at reducing the immunogenicity of gluten in traditional Galician wheat varieties. Specifically, he studies the functional role of the wheat-associated microbiome and its capacity to modulate the activity of immunogenic gluten proteins, combining technological and food processing studies with mechanistic research

He has been actively involved in competitive research projects at both European and regional levels (WHEATBIOME – Unravelling the potential of the wheat microbiome for the development of healthier, more sustainable and resilient wheat-derived food & feed products e TRANSFORM – Traditional Galician Wheat and its Microbiome: Revolutionizing food systems for Optimal Nutrition and Sustainable Transformation) focused on traditional Galician wheat and its microbiome, with the aim of developing healthier, more sustainable and resilient food systems. Within these projects, he contributes to the generation and dissemination of scientific knowledge. He is also involved in knowledge and technology transfer activities related to the valorisation of traditional agri-food resources. He is currently carrying out his research under a predoctoral contract funded by Campus Auga.

Rodolfo Dinis Pinto Simões

He graduated in Biochemistry from the University of Coimbra in 2020, and has a Master’s degree in Biochemistry from the University of Porto. During his Master’s degree, he was awarded an EIT Food RIS Fellowship to work at IMDEA Food Institute (Madrid). He is currently completing his PhD studies in the Area of Nutrition and Bromatology at the University of Vigo under the supervision of the Associate Professor María Rosa Pérez Gregorio. His research focuses on studying the effects of polyphenols on the digestion and allergenicity of milk proteins, their capacity to modulate different cells of the immune system, and their impact on the composition of bacterial populations throughout the gastrointestinal tract.

He collaborated on the cLabel+ (Innovative natural, nutritious, and consumer-oriented «clean label» foods, POCI-01-0247-FEDER-046080) and VIIAFOOD (Mobilizing Agenda for the Agri-Food Sector, C644929456-00000040) projects. These projects aim to develop products containing natural ingredients and limited additives that meet consumer expectations regarding safety, quality, and nutritional value. He has experience in several techniques related to the fields of biochemistry and molecular biology, including cell culture and treatment, cell viability assays (MTT and neutral red assays), bacterial culture and treatment, protein extraction and quantification, quantification of extracellular metabolites by mass spectrometry, SDS-PAGE, fluorescence-activated cell sorting (FACS), and RT-qPCR.

Support technicians

Sonia Veiga Sanz

Sonia Veiga Sans

She has worked as a Clinical Diagnostic Laboratory Technician since 2004 and has extensive experience in biomedical research. Throughout her career, she has worked at various research centres, including the ICCC (Institut Català de les Ciències Cardiovasculars), as well as the BioFarma and PrionLab groups at CIMUS from the University of Santiago de Compostela. She is currently working on the WHEATBIOME project (Unravelling the potential of the wheat microbiome for the development of healthier, more sustainable and resilient wheat-derived food & feed products), developing molecular and cellular biology techniques. She is the co-author of 7 articles published in high-impact international scientific journals.

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