Dr Santi Rodriguez, 1971-2024

Santi Rodriguez was born in Barcelona in 1971. He was educated at the University of Santiago de Compostela, Spain and graduated with a degree in Biology in 1991, a Masters in Cytogenics and Population Genetics in 1995 and a PhD in Human Population Genetics in 1999.

Santi started his academic career at the same university, then moved to the UK in 2002. He worked at the University of Southampton before arriving at Bristol in 2006, becoming part of the new MRC Centre for Causal Analyses in Translational Epidemiology. He contributed valuable research to the Centre and the subsequent MRC Integrative Epidemiology Unit, focusing on complex genetic contributions to common diseases, including mitochondrial DNA copy number, telomere length and copy number variants. 

Santi was a generous colleague, contributing to the school's genetics short course programme, supervising eight PhD students - all of whom went on to have successful careers in academia or industry - and providing personal tutoring to dozens of medical students.

In 2018, Santi became the academic lead for student choice projects in the new undergraduate medical curriculum, a role in which his gentle leadership really stood out. Two years later, he deepened his commitment to teaching by becoming the co-lead for the Year 1 undergraduate medical curriculum. This coincided with the COVID-19 pandemic. However, never one to shy away from a challenge, Santi threw himself into adapting the entire teaching programme to online and blended learning, prioritising the welfare of students throughout.

Santi was deeply committed to offering the best pastoral support for Bristol students; he sat on multiple committees, created a team of Teaching Associates and, ever generous with his time, provided untold hours of support (both personal and academic) to many students.  Santi's passion for medical and population genetics never left him; more recently he had been working on ensuring it was being integrated into the undergraduate medical curriculum in a more comprehensive manner.

Santi died in Weston Hospice after a brief illness on 19 March 2024. He leaves his beloved wife, Mary and son, Carlos. He will be buried next to his father in Paradela, Spain. Santi was enormously proud of his Galician culture. Not only did he write multiple pieces on population genetics, he also published in the Virtual Library of Galicia, honouring the life and poetry of his father and his paternal homeland.

Numerous colleagues had the deep privilege of working with Santi - he will be hugely missed by so very many. We share memories of him as gentle and kind, with a deep compassion for others and an infectious smile. Listening to him talk about his family, music, his academic interests or teaching was always a joy. Santi's sense of humour and ability to get the best out of others will be acutely missed.

Santi's legacy will live through the hundreds of students who will become our caring doctors and researchers of tomorrow.