About the PI

My research aims to predict how soil microbial diversity influences soil processes, with a particular emphasis on identifying underlying mechanisms through functional traits. I focus on understanding which traits—spanning genomic, physiological, and morphological dimensions—mediate the effects of microbial diversity on ecosystem functioning.

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My scientific background is rooted in functional and community ecology theory. During my postdoctoral training, I expanded this foundation to include network theory and complexity science, motivated by the recognition that soils represent some of the most complex biological systems on Earth.

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I am originally from El Salvador, where I developed a deep interest in biology and obtained my undergraduate degree at the Universidad de El Salvador. A life‑changing internship at the Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute (STRI, Panama) motivated me to pursue an academic career.

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I completed my PhD under the supervision of Prof. Matthias Rillig at Freie Universität Berlin, followed by multiple short‑ and long‑term postdoctoral positions with collaborators worldwide, including stays at the University of Oxford (UK), the University of New South Wales, and Western Sydney University (Australia). These international experiences were supported by a Feodor Lynen Research Fellowship from the Alexander von Humboldt Foundation. During this period, I expanded my methodological toolkit to include state‑of‑the‑art multivariate analyses, machine learning, metabarcoding, bioinformatics, and microscopy.

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I am currently a research group leader at the University of Jyväskylä (Finland), where my research is supported by a Research Council of Finland starting grant, where I maintain my focus on microbial traits, now with an emphasis on their role in soil carbon processes, particularly in boreal forest ecosystems.