I began my journey with the Global Sustainable Development Department in May 2017. Before this, I worked in the School of Languages and Social Sciences at Aston University, in the Modern Languages Department at Wingate University and in the Department of Spanish and Portuguese at Princeton University. From 2019 to 2024, I served as the Head of the School for Cross-Faculty Studies. During this tenure, I led on the expansion of the undegraduate and postgraduate programmes within the Schools' various divisions. Additionally, I established a new division in Design Studies and provided crucial support for the growth of the School鈥檚 research Institute, the IGSD.
For the past two decades, my research focus has been on Cuba, delving into its culture, social justice issues and more recently, its global health initiatives. Concurrently, I've actively contributed to embedding Education for Sustainable Development (ESD) within our University's educational approach. In 2023, I co-led the Institutional Teaching & Learning Review's common theme on ESD and helped launch the ESD at Warwick Network, which I co-direct.
In my current role as Academic Director for Sustainability, I oversee the implementation of the University's "The Way to Sustainable" Strategy. This involves coordinating and integrating activities across four key areas: Sustainable Campus, Education for Sustainable Development, Research and Engagement.
Teaching and supervision
My teaching experience lies in Latin American and Caribbean studies and Human Rights within the region. I have a keen interest in integrating the social pillar of global sustainable development within my modules. I am a Senior Fellow of the Higher Education Academy/Advance HE, and I have extensive experience in supervising undergraduate and postgraduate dissertations.
I am available for postgraduate research supervision in various areas including Human Rights and Social Justice in Latin America, Cuban history and culture, South-South Cooperation/South-North Cooperation, Medical Diplomacy, Oral History and its intersection social justice, Culture and GSD and Education for Sustainable Development.
Research
I graduated with a PhD in Hispanic Philology from the University of Granada in 2006. In 2004 I co-authored a book titled Gabo y Fidel. El paisaje de una amistad (Espasa Calpe) / Fidel and Gabo.The Portrait of a friendship (Pegasus 2010), exploring the relationship between Fidel Castro and Colombian Novel Prize winner, Gabriel Garcia Marquez. This work was translated into six languages. My second monograph delves into the testimony of a persecuted homosexual Cuban writer in Reinaldo Arenas鈥 Pentagony (Tamesis Books, 2016).
My current research delves into the personal narratives of Cuban internationalist healthcare professionals, examining how their experiences on medical missions have influenced their identities and life trajectories. In 2014, I was awarded the British Council Researcher Links grant and served as a visiting research fellow at the Cuban Heritage Collection (University of Miami). During this time, I initiated the project entitled Life Stories of Cuban Internationalist Healthcare Professionals", conducting interviews across the United States, Cuba, and Tanzania. This work aims to understand the impact of Cuba's international medical solidarity programs on the individuals involved.
It sheds light on the complexities of their experiences and the nuanced realities of Cuba's medical internationalism. This research aims to provide a comprehensive understanding of the personal and socio-political dimensions of Cuba's medical diplomacy through the voices of the Cuban healthcare professionals. Findings have been presented at national and international conferences and published in academic and wider audience articles.
, Tamesis Books, 2016
With A. Esteban,Gabo y Fidel. El paisaje de una amistad, Espasa, 2004 (Translated into English, Polish, Japanese, Portuguese, Korean and Turkish)
with Sandra Montoya, "Del ideal colectivo al pragmatismo individual. Voces de la diplomacia cultural y m茅dica cubana desde un entorno de transformaci贸n" (manuscript under review).
with Lee, Jo & Zhou, Kevin, "Quality Assurance Processes as an opportunity to further embed ESD in Higher Education: Successes and Challenges", International Journal of Sustainability in Higher Education (2026).
with Adrianandrasana, Heri et al., "Links between poverty, climate-induced migration and deforestation in western Madagascar", Environmental Development (2025), 56 (2025). .
with S茅verine Hubscher-Davidson, "Global Sustainable Development and Wellbeing", , Routledge (2025).
with Paula Michaels, "An unbreakable friendship: Soviet medical internationalism in 1960s Cuba", HistoryAustralia (2024), 1鈥19. .
with Mouzayian Khalil Babatunde, "Challenges of cooperation for development: A case-study analysis of Cuban health solidarity programmes in Nigeria", Journal of International Development,35:7 (2023): 1833-1851.
"Laughter in Oral Histories of Displacement: "One goes on a mission to solve their problems", Oral History Review 47:1 (2020): 73-92.
With Virginie Grzelczyk, "A Future, but at what Cost? Cuba and the Democratic People's Republic of Korea's Quest for Sustainable Development", Third World Quarterly 40: 6 (2019): 1163-83.
With Christophe Panichelli, 鈥淗umorous Sublimation of a Dying Cuban Writer in Reinaldo Arenas鈥 The Color of Summer鈥, 31: 4 (2018): 623-43.
With Olga Saavedra de Oca, 鈥淒ealing with Sensitive Topics in Communist Societies: Oral History Research in and on Cuba鈥, 45: 2 (2017): 31-8.
鈥淐uban Doctors in the Sandinista Nicaragua: Challenging Orthodoxies鈥, 45: 2 (2017): 39-49.
With S茅verine Hubscher-Davidson. 鈥溾. International Journal of Sustainability in Higher Education, 17: 3 (2016): 404-16.
鈥淟a nostalgia y el exilio: comparaci贸n entre 鈥淔inal de un cuento鈥 de Reinaldo Arenas y Paso a nivel de Manuel D铆az Mart铆nez鈥, in Piney, Grace and Pancrazio, James. Cuba: Arte y Literatura en exilio, Legua editorial, 2011, 45-54.
鈥淯na novela in茅dita de Reinaldo Arenas鈥. Revista Caribe 11: 2 (Winter 2008-2009): 51-60.
鈥淥tra vez el mar鈥 Los cantos de Reinaldo Arenas鈥. Revista Hispanocubana 30 (Jan.-Apr. 2008): 125-142.
鈥淕arc铆a M谩rquez y Cuba desde la perspectiva de C茅sar Leante鈥. Creaci贸n y Exilio. Memorias del I Encuentro Internacional Con Cuba en la distancia. C谩diz: ed. Hispanocubana, 2003, 182-188.
鈥淥ral History and Cuba.鈥 (ed.),Oral History(2017)
, (The Conversation, 26 March 2020)
(The Conversation, 30 Nov. 2016)
(The Conversation, 12 December 2016)
鈥溾Cuba Counterpoints. Public Scholarship about a Changing Cuba(4 July 2015)
With Cristian Batalla Candas, 鈥溾.Cubaencuentro(6 Sep. 2013)
鈥. El 茅xodo del Mariel, 25 a帽os despu茅s: Un acercamiento a los escritores e intelectuales que abandonaron la Isla para ejercer la creaci贸n art铆stica y la libertad de expresi贸n鈥.Encuentro en la red(22 Apr. 2005)
鈥. El 茅xodo del Mariel, 25 a帽os despu茅s: Un acercamiento a los escritores e intelectuales que abandonaron la Isla para ejercer la creaci贸n art铆stica y la libertad de expresi贸n鈥.Encuentro en la red(11 May 2005)
鈥溾.Encuentro en la red(22 Apr. 2005)
with Amy Bradley, "The Human Cost of Compassionate Leadership", 15th Developing Leadership Capacity Conference, Lancaster University, 8-9 July 2025.
鈥淟aughter in Oral History interviews. The case of Cuban internationalist healthcare professionals鈥, Conference of the Latin American Association of Oral History, Bogota, Colombia, 4-6 April 2019.
鈥淥ral History and Cuba: past, present and future鈥, International workshop 鈥淥ral History in 21stcentury Latin America and the Caribbean鈥, 23 February 2018.
With Virginie Grzelczyk, 鈥淥pening the Door to Change: Developing a sustainable future for Cuba and the Democratic People鈥檚 Republic of Korea鈥, International Studies Association, Global South Caucus Conference, Havana 8 July 2017.
鈥淭he Role of Humour in Oral History Interviews. A case study of two Cuban Internationalist Healthcare Professionals鈥, Cuba Research Forum Annual Conference, University of Nottingham, 6 September 2016.
鈥淐uban Doctors in the Sandinista Nicaragua. Sharing Memories鈥, 鈥淥ral History and Cuba: A Changing Society?鈥, One-day workshop with invited speakers, Aston University, Birmingham, 23 April 2015.
鈥淩oundtable on Archival Research鈥, Languages and Social Sciences Research Seminars Series, Aston University, Birmingham, 22 April 2015.
鈥淔rom pride to humiliation: an Oral History project in Hialeah鈥, Hispanic Seminars Series, University of Birmingham, 11 February 2015.
鈥淟ife stories of Cuban health workers in international solidarity missions鈥, Poder y Democracia: Las multiples voces de la Historia Oral, XVIII Congreso de la IOHA (International Oral History Association), 10 July 2014.
鈥淟ife stories of Cuban internationalist health professionals鈥, Cuban Heritage Collection, University of Miami, 17 June 2014.
鈥淏logging: a new way of life writing in Cuba: the case of Dr. Eloy A. Gonz谩lez鈥, AHGBI Conference, Oxford University, Oxford, United Kingdom, 25 March 2013.
鈥淎utofiction as a literary revenge: Reinaldo Arenas鈥 The Color of Summer鈥, AHGBI Conference, Stirling University, Stirling, United Kingdom, 2 April 2012.
鈥淓l color del verano de Reinaldo Arenas: 驴ficci贸n o testimonio?鈥, 61st Annual Kentucky Foreign Language Conference, Lexington, Kentucky, 18 April 2008.
鈥淥tra vez el mar... Los cantos de Reinaldo Arenas鈥. 2007 SECOLAS (Southeastern Council of Latin American Studies) Annual Meeting: 鈥淐ontesting Images of Latin America鈥, San Jos茅, Costa Rica, 20 April 2007.
鈥淨u茅 dura fue la vida de Reinaldo Arenas鈥, Race, Revolution and Representation: New Perspectives on Latin America, UNC Charlotte, Charlotte, USA, 24 February 2007.
"Hidden Stories of 21st Century Latin America and the Caribbean", International workshop with invited speakers, 神马福利影片, Coventry, 21 February 2018.
鈥淥ral History and Cuba: A Changing Society?鈥, One-day international workshop with invited speakers, Aston University, Birmingham, 23 April 2015.
Feb. 2026: Interviewed by Sarah Shamin forAl Jazeerafor the articleWhy is the US targeting Cuba鈥檚 global medical missions?Available at:
Mar. 2025: Interviewed byDe Standaard(Belgium) for the articleCubaanse dokters dragen de zorg op de Cara茂ben. De VS willen hun inzet nu kortwieken.Available at:
April 2021: Interviewed byDe Standaard(Belgium) for the articleCuba stapt in crisismodus het post-Castro tijdperk in. Available at:
Nov. 2020: Interviewed byDer Standard(Austria) for the articleUS鈥慠epublikaner wollen L盲nder, die kubanische 脛rzte besch盲ftigen, bestrafen. Available at:
Sept. 2020: Interviewed by Claire Meynial forLe Point(France) for the articleCoronavirus: Cuba, la victoire en soignant. Available at:
May 2020: Interviewed by Spanish National Radio (Radio Nacional de Espa帽a), programmeFive Continents. Podcast available at:
Mar. 2020: Interviewed byDe Standaard(Belgium) for the articleCubaanse solidariteit is niet helemaal gratis. Available at:
April 2020: Interviewed byThe Guardian(UK) for the article鈥楧octor Diplomacy鈥: Cuba seeks to make its mark in Europe amid Covid鈥19 crisis. Available at: https://www.theguardian.com/world/2020/may/06/doctor-diplomacy-cuba-seeks-to-make-its-mark-in-europe-amid-covid-19-crisis
Feb. 2020: Contacted by Radio 2GB (Australia) for an interview with Michael McLaren on the anniversary of Fidel Castro becoming Cuba鈥檚 Prime Minister.
Sept. 2019: Interviewed byThe Guardian(UK) on Cuban international solidarity programmes.
April 2018: Radio interview withSputnik News(Russia), which informed the articleExpert Explains How Much of an Impact New Cuban President Can Make.
Dec. 2016: Interviewed byThe Guardian(UK) for the article Fidel Castro worked on Gabriel Garc铆a M谩rquez鈥檚 manuscripts.Available at:.