Cristina Esteban Blanco, PhD

I’m from León, which is a small city of northwest Spain, but I feel half Leonese and half Galician. My interest in research led me to study Biochemistry at the University of Oviedo. After this, I had the opportunity to start my bioinformatic research career during my time at the Supercomputing Center of Castilla y León (SCAYLE). I earned my M.Sc. and Ph.D. in Genetics at the University of León in the Department of Animal Production (MEGA).

I joined the MDAlab in 2021, I was considering going abroad for a postdoc when, without thinking about it, I discovered a group with a lot of international potential in Bilbao in a modern research center focused on life sciences, CIC bioGUNE, and I didn't hesitate. I’m focusing on the identification of hypomorphic (dysfunctional) carbohydrate digestion variants exploiting big data from large-scale, population-based cohorts and biobanks, showing they affect the risk of IBS via an accumulation of undigested saccharides in the large intestine. 

I am a sociable and active person, I prefer to spend my free time with my family and friends. Crossfit and basketball have become essential activities in my life because they combine two of my passions, friends and sports.