Hector Marina

Héctor Marina is a multidisciplinary researcher with a background in veterinary medicine, genomics, bioinformatics, statistics, and quantitative genetics. At SLU, his work combines social network analysis and precision livestock farming technologies to study behaviour, disease transmission, and indirect genetic effects in dairy cattle. He collaborates broadly with research groups to advance sustainable livestock production and animal welfare.

Héctor Marina has expertise in integrating multi-omics technologies with statistical, genomic, and quantitative genetic approaches, including GWAS, genomic prediction, genetic parameter estimation, machine learning–based imputation, microbiome analysis, and functional studies of genetic variants.

At SLU, he works within the CSI:DT and DigiGuard research programmes, applying social network analysis and precision livestock farming technologies to understand social behaviour, indirect genetic effects, and disease transmission in dairy cattle. His research contributes to improved animal welfare and sustainable production.

His scientific achievements have been recognised with the Extraordinary PhD Award (University of León, 2023), the Cátedra AgroBank Prize Accésit for best PhD thesis in agriculture (2023), and the Coris Gruart Research Prize (2023).

Héctor has taught genetics and quantitative genetics at the Faculty of Veterinary Medicine and the Master of Agricultural Engineering at the University of León. He has also lectured in annual bioinformatics courses for researchers and contributed to teaching innovation through participation in three dedicated congresses as a member of a teaching innovation group.

At SLU, he teaches at bachelor’s and master’s levels in courses such as Animal Breeding and Genetics and Animal Genetics – Health, Behaviour and Welfare, where he will serve as course leader from 2025. He also contributes to doctoral education, including courses within the GS-VMAX programme (e.g., Animal movements – from free ranging to restricted indoor environments and Simulation for Animal Breeding), and supervises MSc and PhD students in quantitative genetics and animal behaviour.

Gussmann, M., Marina, H., Ren, K., Rönnegård, L. & Nielsen, P.P. (2025). Variations in cow behaviour after regrouping in a conventional Swedish dairy herd. Applied Animal Behaviour Science, 292, 106790. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.applanim.2025.106790

Hansson, I., Marina, H., Fikse, F., Nielsen, P.P. & Rönnegård, L. (2025). The effect of neighbouring cows within the milking parlour on a cow’s daily milk yield. Livestock Science, 105785. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.livsci.2025.105785

Marina, H., Fikse, W.F. & Rönnegård, L. (2024). Social network analysis to predict social behaviour in dairy cattle. JDS Communications, 5(6), 507. https://doi.org/10.3168/jdsc.2023-0507

Marina, H., Nielsen, P.P., Fikse, F. & Rönnegård, L. (2024). Multiple factors shape social contacts in dairy cows. Applied Animal Behaviour Science, 106366. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.applanim.2024.106366

Marina, H., Ren, K., Hansson, I., Fikse, F., Nielsen, P.P. & Rönnegård, L. (2024). New insight into social relationships in dairy cows and how time of birth, parity, and relatedness affect spatial interactions later in life. Journal of Dairy Science, 107, 23483. https://doi.org/10.3168/jds.2023-23483

Pelayo, R., Gutiérrez-Gil, B., Marina, H., Fonseca, P.A.S., Alonso-García, M., Arranz, J.J. & Suárez-Vega, A. (2024). Unraveling dynamic transcriptomic changes in sheep’s lactating mammary gland following Escherichia coli lipopolysaccharide exposure. Journal of Dairy Science, 108, 25009. https://doi.org/10.3168/jds.2024-25009

Alonso-García, M., Gutiérrez-Gil, B., Pelayo, R., Fonseca, P.A.S., Marina, H., Arranz, J.J. & Suárez-Vega, A. (2024). A meta-analysis approach for annotation and identification of lncRNAs controlling perirenal fat deposition in suckling lambs. Animal Biotechnology, 35(6), 2374328. https://doi.org/10.1080/10495398.2024.2374328

Marina, H., Arranz, J.J., Suárez-Vega, A., Pelayo, R., Gutiérrez-Gil, B., Toral, P.G., Hervás, G., Frutos, P. & Fonseca, P.A.S. (2024). Assessment of milk metabolites as biomarkers for predicting feed efficiency in dairy sheep. Journal of Dairy Science, 107, 23984. https://doi.org/10.3168/jds.2023-23984

Pelayo, R., Marina, H., Suárez-Vega, A., Hervás, G., Esteban-Blanco, C., Gausseres, B., Foucras, G., Arranz, J.J. & Gutiérrez-Gil, B. (2023). Influence of a temporary restriction of dietary protein in prepubertal ewe lambs on first lactation milk traits and response to a mammary gland inflammatory challenge. Research in Veterinary Science, 153, 40–47. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.rvsc.2023.04.006

Machová, K., Marina, H., Arranz, J.J., Pelayo, R., Rychtářová, J., Milerski, M. & Vostrý, L. (2023). Genetic diversity of two native sheep breeds by genome-wide analysis of SNPs. animal, 17(1), 100690. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.animal.2022.100690

Fonseca, P.A.S., Alonso-García, M., Pelayo, R., Marina, H., Esteban-Blanco, C., Mateo, J., Gutiérrez-Gil, B., Arranz, J.J. & Suárez-Vega, A. (2022). Integrated analyses of the methylome and transcriptome to unravel sex differences in perirenal fat from suckling lambs. Frontiers in Genetics, 13, 1035063. https://doi.org/10.3389/fgene.2022.1035063

Marina, H., Pelayo, R., Gutiérrez-Gil, B., Suárez-Vega, A., Esteban-Blanco, C., Reverter, A. & Arranz, J.J. (2022). Low-density SNP panel for efficient imputation and genomic selection of milk production and technological traits in dairy sheep. Journal of Dairy Science, 105(10), 21601. https://doi.org/10.3168/jds.2021-21601

Marina, H., Chitneedi, P.K., Pelayo, R., Suárez-Vega, A., Esteban-Blanco, C., Gutiérrez-Gil, B. & Arranz, J.J. (2021). Study on the concordance between different SNP-genotyping platforms in sheep. Animal Genetics, 52(6), 730–742. https://doi.org/10.1111/age.13139

Marina, H., Pelayo, R., Suárez-Vega, A., Gutiérrez-Gil, B., Esteban-Blanco, C. & Arranz, J.J. (2021). Genome-wide association studies (GWAS) and post-GWAS analyses for technological traits in Assaf and Churra dairy breeds. Journal of Dairy Science, 104(11), 20510. https://doi.org/10.3168/jds.2021-20510

Pelayo, R., Gutiérrez-Gil, B., Garzón, A., Esteban-Blanco, C., Marina, H. & Arranz, J.J. (2021). Estimation of genetic parameters for cheese-making traits in Spanish Churra sheep. Journal of Dairy Science, 104(3), 19387. https://doi.org/10.3168/jds.2020-19387

Marina, H., Suárez-Vega, A., Pelayo, R., Gutiérrez-Gil, B., Reverter, A., Esteban-Blanco, C. & Arranz, J.J. (2021). Accuracy of imputation of microsatellite markers from a 50K SNP chip in Spanish Assaf sheep. Animals, 11(1), 86. https://doi.org/10.3390/ani11010086

Marina, H., Reverter, A., Gutiérrez-Gil, B., Almeida Alexandre, P., Pelayo, R., Suárez-Vega, A., Esteban-Blanco, C. & Arranz, J.J. (2020). A multiple-phenotype imputation procedure as a method for prediction of cheese-making efficiency in Spanish Assaf sheep. Journal of Animal Science, 98(12), skaa370. https://doi.org/10.1093/jas/skaa370

Marina, H., Gutiérrez-Gil, B., Esteban-Blanco, C., Suárez-Vega, A., Pelayo, R. & Arranz, J.J. (2020). Analysis of whole genome resequencing datasets from a worldwide sample of sheep breeds to identify potential causal mutations influencing milk composition traits. Animals, 10(9), 1542. https://doi.org/10.3390/ani10091542

Esteban-Blanco, C., Gutiérrez-Gil, B., Marina, H., Pelayo, R., Suárez-Vega, A., Acedo, A. & Arranz, J.J. (2020). The milk microbiota of the Spanish Churra sheep breed: New insights into the complexity of the milk microbiome of dairy species. Animals, 10(9), 1463. https://doi.org/10.3390/ani10091463

Marina, H., Reverter, A., Gutiérrez-Gil, B., Almeida Alexandre, P., Porto-Neto, L.R., Suárez-Vega, A., Li, Y., Esteban-Blanco, C. & Arranz, J.J. (2020). Gene networks driving genetic variation in milk and cheese-making traits of Spanish Assaf sheep. Genes, 11(7), 715. https://doi.org/10.3390/genes11070715

Esteban-Blanco, C., Gutiérrez-Gil, B., Puente-Sánchez, F., Marina, H., Tamames, J., Acedo, A. & Arranz, J.J. (2020). Microbiota characterization of sheep milk and its association with somatic cell count using 16S rRNA gene sequencing. Journal of Animal Breeding and Genetics, 137(1), 46–57. https://doi.org/10.1111/jbg.12446

Marina, H., Hansson, I., Ren, K., Fikse, F., Gussmann, M.K., Nielsen, P.P., Skarin, A., Woudstra, S. & Rönnegård, L. (2025). How and why to monitor social networks in dairy cows. Frontiers in Animal Science, 7 April 2025. https://doi.org/10.3389/fanim.2025.1556812

Woudstra, S., Gussmann, M.K., Marina, H., Hansson, I., Kirkeby, C.T., Krömker, V., Nielsen, P.P., Ren, K. & Rönnegård, L. (2025). Lessons learnt from strain types, milking order, and mastitis pathogen transmission. Frontiers in Animal Science, 24 February 2025. https://doi.org/10.3389/fanim.2025.1556831