NOELIA FERNANDEZ CASTILLO

Noelia Fernández Castillo is a Lecturer at the University of Barcelona's Faculty of Biology, affiliated with the Department of Genetics, Microbiology, and Statistics. She leads the Human Molecular Genetics research group and holds roles in academia spanning education and research.

Education:

• Bachelor's/Master's in Genetics (University of Barcelona, 2004)
• Experimental Biology Master's (2006)
• Teaching Certification (2005)
• PhD in Biology (2011)

Research focuses on genetic mechanisms underlying psychiatric disorders, addiction, and neurodevelopmental conditions. Key areas include epigenetic influences on ADHD, genetic contributions to aggression, and molecular pathways in substance use disorders. Uses animal models (zebrafish, mice) and human genomic data to explore these topics.

Notable projects include studying nutrition's impact on impulsive behaviors (Eat2beNICE project, 2017-2022) and investigating shared genetic susceptibility between addictions and aggression. Current work emphasizes genetic pleiotropy in ADHD and psychiatric comorbidity.

Has led/co-led grants from the European Union, Spanish Ministry of Health, and Ministry of Science. Active in collaborative research with institutions across Europe and North America.