Dr María Serrano obtained the PhD degree (1990) in Biology. She has been teaching at the university from 1990 and reached the Professor staff in Plant Physiology in 2009. 

She has participated in 24 research projects,12 of them supported by CICYT (Spanish Government)  (acting in 2 of them as Main Research), in 6 research projects supported by Generalitat Valenciana (acting in 1 of them as Main Research) 4 research projects supported by the European Commission 1 of them supported by Región de Murcia and 1 supported by Bankaja, in the last one acting as Main Researh.The line of research in these projects was to improve nutritional, sensory and functional quality of fruits and vegetables, making emphasis on the maintenance of bioactive compounds and antioxidant activity during maturation and after post-harvest storage and use of eco-innovative technologies to maintain quality and safety of plant products. She has been involved in 49 Research Contracts with National and International companies in which they have provided solutions to specific problems faced by the companies of the horticultural sector. 

She has published 149Papers in international scientific journals with Impact Factor, included in JCR in Plant Science, Agriculture Multidisciplinary, Horticulture and Food Science and Technology categories from 1989 to present time, 95 of them in journal in Q1 positions, 26 in Q2, 24 in Q3 and 4 in Q4. She has also published more than 30 articles in journal without Impact Factor. She has been author and / or editor of 6 Books and has published 12 Chapters inInternational Scientific Books. She has presented 131 Communications International Conferences and National Congresses. Within these Congresses, she has participated as Organizing Committee Scientific Committee and Moderator Roundtable, being President or member of the Organizing and Scientific Committees in 7 of them. 

She has supervised 8Doctoral Theses, being 1 of them International Thesis and defended in English. He is External evaluator for 6 National and International Agencies and reviewer of 50 International Journals with Impact Factor (JCR) as well as reviewer for several on-line journals. She is member of the Editorial Board of Postharvest Biology and Technology, International Journal of Molecular Science, Journal of Applied Biology and Biotechnology and Plant and Editor of International Journal of Agronomy. 

She is member of the Spanish Society for Horticultural Science (SECH), Spanish Society of Plant Physiology (SEFV) and of the International Society of Horticulture (ISHS).