I am a Spanish academic with a deep passion for computer engineering, artificial intelligence and machine learning technologies. Since August 2026, I have served as Dean of the College of Computing and Artificial Intelligence at the United Arab Emirates University (UAEU), a new chapter following more than two decades of academic leadership in Spain.

My academic journey began at the Complutense University of Madrid, where I earned my BSc and MSc degrees in Physical Sciences, specializing in Computer Engineering. I completed my doctoral studies in Computer Science and Artificial Intelligence at Carlos III University of Madrid in December 2001, an achievement recognized with the Extraordinary Doctoral Award in 2004.

Prior to joining UAEU, I served as a Full Professor at the Technical University of Madrid (UPM) from October 2020 to August 2026, and previously as Professor at the Autonomous University of Madrid (2005–2020), where I also served as Deputy Director for Academic Affairs (Vice-Dean, 2008–2012). I have also been appointed as Visiting Professor at Lodz University of Technology (Poland, 2023 and 2025), Dalian University of Technology (China, 2025), and the University of Kent (UK, 2013). Over the years, I have taught and mentored students at several prestigious Spanish institutions, including the Autonomous University of Madrid, Carlos III University, and Complutense University, among others, and collaborated internationally as a researcher with institutions such as the University of California San Diego (USA).

My research focuses on both basic and applied areas, including machine learning, social network analysis, and evolutionary computation. On the applied side, I work on pressing challenges such as disinformation, misinformation, radicalisation, IoT security, malware analysis, and aerospace systems, among others. To date, I have published more than 220 peer-reviewed articles in high-impact journals (207 JCR-indexed, 121 in Q1), and contributed to numerous books and academic chapters. I have also led over 50 competitive R&D projects — including Stardust-R, TUAI, IBERIFIER, ScalePAI and RAID — and collaborated with private sector partners, including a major open-innovation project with Airbus Defense & Space, bringing innovative solutions to real-world problems and securing over €35 million in competitive research funding, with more than €5 million allocated directly to my research group.

Prior to my appointment as Dean, I served as Coordinator of UPM's MSc in Machine Learning and Big Data, as well as the PhD program in Computer Science for Smart Cities. Mentorship has been an integral part of my career: I have supervised 17 doctoral theses, with several more currently in progress. I also founded and led research groups such as AIDA (Applied Intelligence & Data Analysis Group), focusing on applied intelligence and data analysis.

My contributions extend beyond academia into editorial and evaluative roles. As Editor-in-Chief of journals like Expert Systems and the International Journal of Interactive Multimedia and Artificial Intelligence (IJIMAI), I have the privilege of shaping discourse in computational intelligence. I am also honored to serve as an evaluator for renowned funding agencies across Europe, Asia, and the Americas.

As Dean of the College of Computing and Artificial Intelligence at UAEU, I am now focused on building on this foundation to advance academic excellence, research impact, and innovation — always seeking new challenges, collaborations, and opportunities to advance Artificial Intelligence and Computing on a global scale