Fernando Gonzalez Candelas

Fernando Gonzalez Candelas is a Professor in the Department of Genetics at the Faculty of Biological Sciences, Universitat de València, Spain. He leads the EVOSALUD research group (Evolution and Health: Experimental evolution and epidemiology), hosted within the Institute for Biological Systems Integration (I2SYSBIO). His work bridges evolutionary biology, genomics, and public health, focusing on microbial pathogens and their transmission dynamics.

His research interests lie at the intersection of evolutionary genetics, genomic epidemiology, and infectious disease dynamics. He investigates the genetic basis of virulence, antimicrobial resistance, and host adaptation in pathogens such as SARS-CoV-2, Treponema pallidum, Klebsiella pneumoniae, and Candida auris. His group applies high-throughput sequencing, phylogenetics, and bioinformatics to understand short- and long-term pathogen evolution.

The recent publications highlight a strong focus on real-time genomic surveillance of emerging pathogens, particularly during the COVID-19 pandemic. His work spans from technical improvements in sequencing and analysis (e.g., deletion repair, genotyping discrepancies) to large-scale epidemiological inference (e.g., transmission patterns, recombination, resistance evolution). A recurring theme is the use of both modern and ancient genomes to reconstruct the evolutionary history of pathogens.

His scientific contributions are recognized through active participation in national and international research consortia such as RELECOV and SeqCOVID-Spain. He has contributed significantly to understanding the first wave of the pandemic in Spain and the evolution of SARS-CoV-2 variants.

He earned his PhD from the Universitat de València in 1988 with a thesis on larval competition in Drosophila, indicating a long-standing interest in evolutionary processes. While no formal awards are listed in the provided text, his leadership in high-impact research and sustained publication record suggest significant recognition in his field.

Fernando Gonzalez Candelas advises students and leads a research team focused on pathogen genomics. His lab, EVOSALUD, is actively involved in projects related to wastewater monitoring, nosocomial outbreaks, and the development of tools like VIPERA for viral intra-patient evolution analysis. The group’s work has direct implications for public health policy and clinical microbiology.