Hola! My name is María Fernández and I come from Vigo, a city located in the north of Spain and famous for its fishing industry. I just started as a postdoctoral researcher in the Environmental Toxicology group (University of Bergen), as a part of the ToxiGen project.

I always knew I wanted to do research and know more about the behaviour of living animals. My research career began as a collaborating student during my BSc in Biology at the University of Santiago de Compostela (Spain). I had the opportunity to work on the taxonomy of snails and slugs involving animal sampling and photography in natural parks.

My MSc in Aquaculture gave me the opportunity to collaborate with the University of Vigo (Spain) in the study of different species of hake for commercial traceability and stock exploitation. This work formed the beginning of my doctoral thesis at the University of Vigo and in collaboration with the Spanish Institute of Oceanography (IEO-CSIC) on the application of molecular tools to improve the management of European hake populations and the cultivation of Atlantic cod. During my PhD, I conducted a training stay of three months at Nofima (Tromsø), which gave the resources to analyse the genetic factors that influence cod egg quality. I complemented my scientific career with university teaching and scientific dissemination, since for me it is essential to work with students and transmit my passion.

Moving to Bergen has been a wonderful adventure. The city is full of art and nature, one of the things I like the most. During my first month, I had the opportunity to go to the top of Ulriken mountain by foot (and lot of snow!) and walk many stairs up to the Stoltzekleiven.

Nature is not the only thing you can enjoy in Bergen. Scandinavian architecture is all over the city, moving from old traditional wood houses to new eco-efficient houses with non-traditional shapes and materials. The city has its unique charming of giving you the opportunity to move from a warm and cozy coffee shop to a Viking church. Trandition and modern life coexist in an harmonious way.

Regarding the ToxiGen project, my work will be mainly focused on analysing potential endocrine disruption in maturing fish adults caused by contaminants exposure, using existing samples of polar cod (Boreogadus saida). We will also include ex vivo and in vitro experiments in combination with cutting-edge omics-based techniques.