About Me

I was born in a small village named Malcocinado in south Extremadura (Spain), on 23 December 1972. I have lived in different places of Spain, but I consider my hometown Lucena (Cordoba). Although I studied my PhD at Cantabria University (1996-2001), I got my degree in Physics at the University of Salamanca (1990-1995). I incorporated to ING in May 1999, where I worked until November 2000. On this year I moved to programming carrier, working at Eresmas SA. as system administrator and web programmer (PHP, JAVA, C, Perl) until May 2002. I returned to astronomy on Augost 2002, when I started a PostDoc at the AIP. In October 2004 I moved to the Calar Alto Observatory, where I worked as Support Astronomer, until July 2008, when I become Resident Astronomer. In May 2009 I was appointed as ARAID researcher by the Science Department of the Aragon Regional Government, that I shared at a 20% basis with my position at Calar Alto. In August 2010, after the final approval of the CALIFA survey, I returned to Calar Alto to lead it. In 2012 I got a "Ramon y Cajal" Fellow at the Instituto de Astrofisica de Andalucia (IAA), of the Spanish High Research Council (CSIC), where I was working for 2 years. In November 2013 I moved to the IA-UNAM for a position as Staff Researcher (Investigador Titular). I have recently moved to the site of the IA-UNAM in Ensenada (B.C.), where I am the head of the observational astronomy department at the IA-UNAM.

Curriculum Summary

Education

1996-2001, PhD in Astrophysics,
University of Cantabria (Spain)
PostScript version
1990-1995, Physics Degree,
University of Salamanca (Spain)

Publications

Career

09/2018 "Investigador Titular C",Instituto de Astronomia, UNAM.
12/2013-09/2018 "Investigador Titular B",Instituto de Astronomia, UNAM.
01/2012-11/2013 "Ramon y Cajal" Fellow, Instituto de Astrofisica de Andalucia, IAA (CSIC).
08/2010-12/2011 Resident Astronomer, Centro Astronomico Hispano-Aleman (CAHA).
05/2009-07/2010 Researcher, ARAID Foundation (ceFca). Partial-time Resident Astronomer at the (CAHA).
07/2008-04/2009 Resident Astronomer, (CAHA).
10/2004-06/2008 Support Astronomer, (CAHA).
08/2002-09/2004, Euro3D PostDoc, Astrophysikalisches Institut Potsdam.
2000-2002, Sys.Adm. and Programmer, Eresmas Interactiva SA.
1999-2000, Astro.Adm.Support, Isaac Newton Group

Software

Dara Releasess

Professional Profile

I am focused on understanding the evolution of galaxies through the exploration of their spatially resolved spectroscopic properties, pioneering the implementation of Integral Field Spectroscopy (IFS) techniques in this field. I conceptualized and provided the community with computational methods to reduce, visualize, and analyze the stellar populations and ionized gas of these data. I was the first to propose the existence the local relationships between the surface mass density and the star formation rate, as well as the oxygen abundance. I have been the PI of the first large-scale integral field spectroscopy survey of galaxies in the Local Universe (CALIFA, http://califa.caha.es), which involved more than 80 scientists from over 20 countries, resulting in over a hundred publications in peer-reviewed journals, more than 50 conference presentations, and the mentoring of 24 PhD and MSc students. These results have changed the paradigm of studying galaxy evolution, now focusing on understanding local processes and relationships, which underpin global ones. This has laid the groundwork for new larger IFS surveys such as MaNGA, SAMI, or AMUSING, of which I am a promoter and founding member. The relevance of these research endeavors has been recognized worldwide, leading to regular invitations to participate in evaluation panels (e.g., ERC, ESF, HST TAC, MINECO/EVALUA, CONICYT, CONACYT), scientific organizing committees for conferences, and delivering seminars and invited and reviewing talks (25 oral presentations in total). These achievements led the prestigious Annual Review of Astronomy & Astrophysics (the highest-impact journal in the field) to commission a review article from me (Sánchez 2020). I have contributed to ~600 publications (~350 in peer-reviewed journals, ~41 as 1st author), with ~24,000 citations (~3,000 as 1st author), with an H index of 90.

I have supervised or co-supervised eight PhD theses, four MSc theses, and one MSc thesis, with three more ongoing PhD and MSc supervisions. I have officially mentored another fourteen students as part of their Advisor Committee (Comite Tutor) at the UNAM, and un-officially several more (through topical schools and training processes: IAC Winter School, NEON School, GH schools…). Furthermore, I have directly supervised the research of fourteen postdoctoral researchers. Currently, I have more than 250 teaching credits in postgraduate, undergraduate and diploma courses, being the main lecturer in 15 official courses, being invited to give Master Classes as part of topical lectures in different Universities (e.g., Victoria U., UCM, IPN, INAOE). Member of the evaluation panel of 10 PhD and MSc thesis, worldwide (Achievements similar to those required for the accreditation as full professor in the Spanish academic system).

I participated in over a dozen research projects, both national and international, encompassing basic science (e.g.,PI:CALIFA, co-PI:EDGE, ALMAQUEST, MaNGA/SDSS-IV), instrumental development (e.g., PI:CAFE, LVM/SDSS-IV, TARSIS, MEGARA), data analysis sofware (PI:pyPipe3D, PI:E3D, PI:R3D), and distribution (PI:SDSS17 Pipe3D VAC, PI:eCALIFA). I have been PI of 14 research funded projects, beside personal fellowships, at a national and regional level, with ~1.9 Million Euros granted in total. I was ICTS and characterization responsible of the Calar Alto and Javalambre observatories, and I am currently Head of Obs. Astronomy at the IA-UNAM. Finally, I participated in several public outreach events (e.g. Noche de las Estrellas) and talks (e.g., viernes de ciencias), with TV and radio interviews, 2and I wrote a chapter in a divulgation book (La difícil supervivencia de la especie humana, R. Tamames coord.)