ANTONIO SALAS ELLACURIAGA

Professor Antonio Salas Ellacuriaga is a Full Professor at the Universidad de Santiago de Compostela (USC), affiliated with the Facultade de Medicina e Odontoloxía and the Departamento de Ciencias Forenses. He leads the GenPoB research group (Genética de Poboacións en Biomedicina) and previously contributed to the GMX - USC Medicina Xenómica group. His research focuses on forensic genetics, molecular epidemiology, and the application of transcriptomics/epigenetics to infectious diseases and neurological disorders. He obtained his PhD in 1999 with a thesis on mitochondrial DNA variability under supervision of Dr. Ángel Carracedo Álvarez.

Key areas of investigation include: 1) Host response mechanisms to viral/bacterial infections (e.g., RSV, Mycoplasma pneumoniae), 2) Development of molecular diagnostics using transcriptomic signatures, 3) Genetic ancestry studies in Galician populations, and 4) Exploring music's biological effects through transcriptomic/epigenomic analysis in conditions like Alzheimer's and autism spectrum disorder. He leads major projects like the NIRSE-GAL study evaluating RSV prophylaxis efficacy in infants.

His work integrates bioinformatics tools like GUANIN (NanoString normalization software) and involves collaborations across Europe through initiatives like EUCLIDS and PERFORM consortia. Research outputs include over 500 publications, with recent emphasis on SARS-CoV-2 pathogenesis and long-COVID immunology. He maintains an active lab at the Instituto de Ciencias Forenses "Luis Concheiro" (INCIFOR) and advises multiple international studies on pediatric infectious diseases and precision medicine.