Cristina Marcos Arias is a biochemist and medical mycology researcher at the University of the Basque Country / Euskal Herriko Unibertsitatea (UPV/EHU), where she holds the position of Assistant Professor in the Department of Immunology, Microbiology, and Parasitology at the Faculty of Medicine and Nursing.
Academic and Professional Background
Marcos Arias earned her Degree in Biochemistry from UPV/EHU in 2005 and received her PhD in 2011, with a doctoral thesis titled “Biopelículas de Candida, producción de enzimas hidrolíticas, resistencia a los antifúngicos y asociación con Staphylococcus,” granted by the same university. Since January 2019, she has served as full-time Assistant Professor at UPV/EHU, after previously holding roles as a contracted researcher and interim professor entering academia in 2013 and 2018 [2].
Research Focus and Contributions
Her research focuses on medical mycology, particularly the study of Candida species, microbial biofilm formation, enzymatic mechanisms of virulence, and antifungal resistance. She is a member of the CanBIO research group “Candidiasis and other human biofilm-associated fungal infections,” recognized as a consolidated research group (GIC 15/78 IT‑990‑16) within the Basque University System [2].
Marcos Arias has authored or co-authored at least 20 peer-reviewed scientific articles and several book chapters in the fields of medical microbiology and infectious diseases. Notable publications include studies on antifungal activity of novel compounds and global epidemiological shifts in Candida species, such as work on Candida auris[2][3].
Teaching, Service, and Recognition
At UPV/EHU, she teaches courses in medical microbiology and biomedical research methods for medicine and dentistry students, including “Introduction to Biomedical Research” and “Medical Microbiology & Immunology” [2]. She has supervised multiple MSc and final degree projects in Candida auris pathogenesis and molecular identification—reflecting her role in mentoring the next generation of biomedical researchers[2].
Her career includes postdoctoral funding from Fundación ONCE (2015–2016) and earlier pre‑doctoral grants from UPV/EHU and the Basque Government beginning in 2007[2].
Impact and Influence
Marcos Arias’s work advances antifungal research and contributes to understanding biofilm-associated infections—a growing concern due to antifungal resistance. Her role as a Deaf academic brings intersectional visibility to disability and biomedicine in Spain, adding diversity to a field often underrepresented by researchers with disabilities.
Her voice has featured in scholarship and public commentary on disability inclusion and feminism in science[4], highlighting the need for accessibility and representation within academic and healthcare contexts.
- University of the Basque Country (UPV/EHU) academic research portal: Cristina Marcos Arias.
- UPV/EHU CVN Curriculum vitae (2021). Cristina Marcos Arias
- Google Scholar profile: Cristina Marcos Arias
- Ferreiro, E. (2016, November, 30). Cristina Marcos: ¿pero qué se habían pensado? In: Excepcionales.
