Pedro Beltran-Alvarez

Dr Pedro Beltran-Alvarez is a Senior Lecturer in Health and Climate Change at Hull York Medical School (HYMS), University of Hull, where he serves as co-Director of the MSc Health and Climate Change program. His work explores the critical links between human health and climate change, identified by the WHO as the biggest health threat facing humanity.

Dr Beltran-Alvarez completed his PhD at the University of Bristol (2004-2007) with funding from a Marie Curie grant, followed by postdoctoral research at the European Molecular Biology Laboratory (EMBL, Heidelberg, 2007-2009). He then worked at the Cardiovascular Research Centre at the University of Girona (2009-2014), where he held a Sara Borrell Postdoctoral Fellowship. He joined the University of Hull in 2015 as a Lecturer and was promoted to Senior Lecturer in 2022.

His research focuses on protein post-translational modifications, particularly arginine methylation, and their role in biological responses to environmental changes with implications for human health. His work spans cardiovascular disease, brain tumors (particularly glioblastoma), and climate change impacts on biological systems, employing innovative approaches including tissue-on-chip technology. Analysis of his recent publications reveals a consistent focus on environmental factors and human health across diverse model systems from zebrafish and lizards to human clinical samples.

Dr Beltran-Alvarez actively supervises PhD students working on cardiovascular disease, stress signaling in fish, and brain tumor research. His research has been supported by grants totaling over £147,000 from The Hull and East Riding Cardiac Trust and Yorkshire Brain Tumour Charity, in addition to internal university funding for his 'Happy Chemical Cluster' project.

He contributes to the academic community as Editor of Amino Acids (Springer) in the Environmental Science section, serves on the Yorkshire and Humber Climate Commission, and acts as an external PhD thesis examiner, demonstrating his commitment to translating research into policy and practice.