Soraya Pelaz

Department

Job Title

Vicedirector

INSTRUCTION LANGUAGES

English, Spanish

PERSONAL BIO

Born in Bilbao, Soraya Pelaz obtained the BSc in Sciences at Autonomous University of Madrid (UAM) in 1989. She got her PhD in 1993 at UAM on Developmental Genetics. She then moved for her postdoctoral research to Dr. Yanofsky's laboratory at the University of California at San Diego (UCSD), where she focussed on Arabidopsis flower development. In 2003 she was hired as ICREA Research Professor at CRAG in Barcelona, Spain. In addition, she has done research stays at the Max Planck Institute of Cologne (Germany), the Wageningen Plant Research (Netherlands), and for a sabbatical year at New York University and New York Botanical Garden (USA).

She has published the scientific results in high impact factor journals, e.g. Nature, Science, Nature Comms, Current Biol, EMBO J, Plant Phys or Plant J. Several articles made the journals cover, had highlight commentaries and got worldwide media attention. She supervises Doctoral and Master thesis and she has been member of the international monitoring committee of a doctoral thesis at University of Antioquia, Colombia. In addition, she co-organized international Workshops, acted as coordinator of ICREA Acadèmia life & medical sciences panel, as scientific reviewer in Spanish Science Ministry panels, for international journal articles and projects, she has been keynote speaker at international meetings and I am current editor of Physiologia Plantarum and Peer J.

WORK EXPERIENCE AND AWARDS

CRAG Deputy Director, CRAG (CSIC-IRTA-UAB-UB), Spain (2022-present)
Molecular Genetics Dept. Director, CRAG (CSIC-IRTA-UAB-UB), Spain (2020-present)
ICREA Research Professor, CRAG (CSIC-IRTA-UAB-UB), Spain (2003-present)
OECD Research Fellow, New York University, USA (2016)
MECD Research Fellow, New York Botanical Garden, USA (2015)
Scientific Program Coordinator, CRAG (CSIC-IRTA-UAB-UB), Spain (2013-2014)
MECD Research Fellow, New York Botanical Garden, USA (2013)
HFSPO Postdoctoral Fellow, University of California, San Diego, USA (1997-1999)

EDUCATIONAL BACKGROUND

PhD in Biology, Autonomous University of Madrid, Spain
Bachelor in Biology, Autonomous University of Madrid, Spain

VacancIES

Brief Introduction of the Department

Plants are highly influenced by the surrounding environmental changes, which shape growth and development over the entire plant life cycle. Elucidating how internal and external cues are coordinated to spatially and temporally regulate plant development is essential for understanding plant optimum fitness and reproductive success.

Research in our Program aims to gain in-depth fundamental knowledge on the molecular and cellular determinants governing plant signaling and development. We use multifaceted and integrative approaches, from cells, tissues and organs all the way to the whole plant. Our research focuses on environmental cues, mainly light and temperature, and endogenous pathways such as hormone and circadian signalling, to examine their effect on multiple developmental processes, from seed germination or root development to floral induction. Molecular mechanisms involving non-coding RNA molecules and post-translational regulation of protein function are also topics covered in our Program. We employ a combination of molecular, genetic, biochemical, and computational approaches using Arabidopsis thaliana as well as a variety of other species such as Chlamydomonas reinhardtii and Sorghum bicolor.

Ultimately, our Program aims to obtain a comprehensive understanding of how plants grow, develop and evolve in coordination with the surrounding environment. The drastic environmental changes imposed by climate alteration negatively impact the productivity of agronomically important crops. A detailed and predictive understanding of plant growth and development will be essential to tackle these negative effects.