Doctor in Biology. Professor at the Spanish Research Council (CSIC). He is the author of over 170 scientific papers published in Scientific Citation Index magazines, as well as other articles, books and book chapters.
His postgraduate training was developed in the United States (Rutgers University and Harvard University) and in the United Kingdom (Aberdeen University). He has been researcher responsible for national projects (CICYT, Xunta de Galicia), and European and director of 16 PhD theses.
Antonio Figueras is responsible for the National Reference Laboratory for diseases of bivalve molluscs and has received, among others, the Research Award of the Galician Royal Academy of Sciences-Caixa Galicia Foundation and the Aquaculture Research Award of the Crop Advisory Board Marinos (JACUMAR). He is a private expert of the European Union and Member of the Working Group of the Permanent Veterinary Committee which advises the European Commission on issues of Pathology of Aquaculture Organizations. He was also a member of the Interdisciplinary Scientific Committee on Research on Transmissible Spongiform Encephalopathies (TSEs) of MCyT. Member of the Scientific Advisory Committee for the sinking of the Prestige. Spanish delegate of the European Society of Pathology of Fish and Shellfish. (EAFP).
Coordinates the CSIC's Research Network on Aquaculture (RIAC). He is currently the coordinator of the Aquagenomics Project (Consolider-Ingenio 2010) for the development of biotechnological tools in the improvement of aquaculture production. It maintains the blog Marina Science and other Affairs in the web madrid i + d (http://weblogs.madrimasd.org/ciencia_marina/default.aspx). Usually collaborates with different media (El País, El Mundo, Público, Faro de Vigo)
Current research lines:
1. Study of diseases of bivalve fish and molluscs.
2. Study of the immune response (functional and molecular) of molluscs and fish against pathogens and potentiation of this response.