Dr Paz Otero

Biography

  Dr. Paz Otero received her PhD. in Food Science and Technology, at the University of Santiago de Compostela (USC), at the Pharmacology Department of the Veterinary School, Spain (2013). She has extensive research experience in the field of phycotoxin biology supported by more than 20 peer reviewed publications in high impact factor scientific journals, 6 international conference contributions and participation in international projects in the field of phycotoxin research. She has worked in the development of new methods to monitor the presence of toxins, having developed liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS) methods for yessotoxin, pectenotoxin, ciguatoxins, domoic acid, gambierol, okadaic acid and cyanotoxins. She has researched and analysed profiles of phycotoxins in shellfish samples from different countries worldwide, including the published work “first toxin profile of ciguateric fish in Madeira Arquipelago (Europe)”. She has also worked in the purification of phycotoxins, specially, in lipophilic compounds like azaspiracids and spirolides. In the pharmacokinetic field, she carried out bioassays and has developed methods to detect phycotoxins in biological samples. She has also experience in MS identification of new toxin analogs, functional assays development and method validations. Dr. Paz Otero was recently working in a research project for the Company Reagecon Ltd Shannon Ireland which services Irish and global industry through the provision of standards for analytical testing (Enterprise Ireland Innovation Partnership 20130439). She has developed Gas Chromatography methods for the detection of chemical contaminants (phthalates and azodyes) in food matrix from food contact materials. Currently, she was awarded by the Government of Ireland Postdoctoral Fellowship 2015 to carry out the project title: Production, extraction and detection systems for new marine phycotoxins in Europe (DETTOX) GOIPD/2015/681.

Research Interest

  marine phycotoxins