Melchor Fernandez

Melchor Fernandez is a Professor at the University of Santiago de Compostela (USC), holding a position in the Department of Economic Analysis. He serves as coordinator of the Economic Analysis and Modeling Group (GAME), recognized by the Galician University System as a Competitive Reference Group. From 2005 to 2014, he was Director of the Institute of Studies and Development of Galicia (IDEGA). Since 2010, he has coordinated the doctoral program in Regional Development and Economic Integration at USC, while also leading the Department of Economic Analysis since 2018.

• Education:
• Doctor in Economics from the Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona
• Degree in Economics from the University of Santiago de Compostela

His research focuses on socioeconomic policy evaluation using general equilibrium models, socio-health services planning, tourism economics, and labor economics. His recent work addresses pandemic impacts on tourism resilience, competitiveness indices, and regional development strategies.

Key projects include PAINLESS (neuromodulation in palliative care), NUTRIAGE-I (healthy aging through nutrition), and CARE-U (chronic disease self-management platforms). These projects emphasize interdisciplinary approaches to health, sustainability, and economic integration.

He advises doctoral students in regional development and oversees grants such as the EU-funded HORIZON-HLTH-2021-DISEASE-04. His contributions span academic leadership, policy analysis, and collaborative research initiatives in Galicia and beyond.