Hector Marina

Hector is a multidisciplinary person with a strong background in statistics,
bioinformatics, genomics, quantitative genetics, and veterinary medicine. He enjoys working with different research groups and pursuing objectives together.

Hector has participated as a teacher in two subjects at the Faculty of Veterinary Medicine and one in the Master of Agricultural Engineering at the University of Leon, all focused on the field of genetics and quantitative genetics. He has also lectured in annual courses of specialization in bioinformatics for researchers. Finally, he has participated in three congresses related to teaching innovation, being a member of a teaching innovation group at the University of Leon.

Hector has successfully built upon his expertise in the integration of multi-omics technologies through different statistical, genomic, and quantitative genetic approaches, focusing on analysis pedigree analysis, phenotypic and genomic data analysis (GWAS analyses, Genetic parameter estimation, Genomic prediction), linkage disequilibrium analysis, phenotype imputation (using regression and Machine learning algorithms), microbiome analysis, pleiotropic analyses, and functional association of the genetic mutations with specific phenotypes.

Currently, Héctor is part of the CSI:DT research programme, where he focuses on conducting social network analysis using precision farming technologies with the aim of understanding the processes underlying disease transmission on farms. The results obtained could have a substantial impact on improving animal welfare and production in dairy cattle.

Hector's scientific accomplishments were recognised in 2023 with the Extraordinary PhD Award from the University of Leon (Health sciences), the Accesit from Catedra Agrobank prize for the best PhD thesis in agriculture in 2023, and the Coris Gruart prize for researchers in 2023.

H. Marina; K. Ren; I. Hansson; F. Fikse; P.P. Nielsen; L. Rönnegård (2023). New insight into social relationships in dairy cows, and how time of birth, parity and relatedness affect spatial interactions later in life. Journal of Dairy Science. https://doi.org/10.3168/JDS.2023-23483

H. Marina; J.J. Arranz; A. Suárez-Vega; R. Pelayo; B. Gutiérrez-Gil; P.G. Toral; G. Hervás; P. Frutos; P.A.S. Fonseca (2023). Assessment of milk metabolites as biomarkers for predicting feed efficiency in dairy sheep. Journal of Dairy Science. http://dx.doi.org/10.3168/jds.2023-23984

H. Marina; P. Chitneedi; R. Pelayo; A. Suárez-Vega; C. Esteban-Blanco; B. Gutiérrez-Gil; J.J. Arranz (2021). Study on the concordance between different SNP-genotyping platforms in sheep. Animal Genetics. http://dx.doi.org/10.1111/age.13139 

H. Marina; R. Pelayo; A. Suárez-Vega; B. Gutiérrez-Gil; C. Esteban-Blanco; J.J. Arranz. (2021). Genome-wide association studies (GWAS) and post-GWAS analyses for technological traits in Assaf and Churra dairy breeds. Journal of Dairy Science. http://dx.doi.org/10.3168/jds.2021-20510

H. Marina; A. Suarez-Vega; R. Pelayo; B. Gutiérrez-Gil; A. Reverter; C. Esteban-Blanco; J.J. Arranz. (2021). Accuracy of imputation of microsatellite markers from a 50k snp chip in spanish assaf sheep. Animals. http://dx.doi.org/10.3390/ani11010086 

H. Marina; B. Gutiérrez-Gil; C. Esteban-Blanco; A. Suárez-Vega; R. Pelayo; J.J. Arranz. (2020). Analysis of whole genome resequencing datasets from a worldwide sample of sheep breeds to identify potential causal mutations influencing milk composition traits. Revista: Animals. http://dx.doi.org/10.3390/ani10091542 

C. Esteban-Blanco; B. Gutiérrez-Gil; H. Marina; R. Pelayo; A. Suárez-Vega; A. Acedo; J.-J. Arranz. (2020). The milk microbiota of the Spanish churra sheep breed: New insights into the complexity of the milk microbiome of dairy species. Animals. http://dx.doi.org/10.3390/ani10091463 

H. Marina; A. Reverter; B. Gutiérrez-Gil; P.A. Alexandre; L.R. Porto-Neto; A. Suárez-Vega; Y. Li; C. Esteban-Blanco; J.-J. Arranz. (2020). Gene networks driving genetic variation in milk and cheese-making traits of Spanish assaf sheep. Genes. http://dx.doi.org/10.3390/genes11070715 

H. Marina; A. Reverter; B. Gutierrez-Gil; P.A. Alexandre; R. Pelayo; A. Suarez-Vega; C. Esteban-Blanco; J.J. Arranz. (2020). A multiple-phenotype imputation procedure as a method for prediction of cheese-making efficiency in Spanish Assaf sheep. Journal of Animal Science. http://dx.doi.org/10.1093/JAS/SKAA370