José Luis Gómez-Skarmeta (1966-2020)

José Luis Gómez-Skarmeta was a Spanish¿Chilean scientist who made key contributions to the understanding of how the regulation of embryonic development is encoded in the genome and how variations in this coding underlie the generation of morphological diversity and genetic disease. A bold, ever-balding scientist, he was tremendously hardworking, generous and supportive (especially of younger colleagues), and always transmitted a contagious enthusiasm. He had a major role in the growth of the Centro Andaluz de Biología del Desarrollo (Andalusian Centre for Developmental Biology; CABD), and also an inordinate fondness for heavy metal music (which he would play in his office or lab at all times), a fondness he softened by hosting a beer hour every Friday for anyone wanting to join. José Luis was born in Santiago de Chile in 1966 to a Chilean mother and a Spanish father. His years as a child were nomadic, living in Chile, Puerto Rico, Colombia and in various cities within Spain. He studied Chemistry at the Universidad de Murcia, graduating first of his year in Biochemistry and Molecular Biology. After a short stint at Stanford University, José Luis started his PhD at the Centro de Biología Molecular `Severo Ochoa¿ (CBMSO) in Madri