Jose was born in Mérida, Yucatán México, but grew up in Monterrey, the second largest city in the country. After earning a degree in Veterinary Medicine from the Universidad Autónoma de Nuevo León, he moved in 2006 to College Station because his wife enrolled in a PhD program at Texas A&M. He started working in the service area of the GI lab but after 1 year enrolled himself in a PhD program at Texas A&M. His research focuses on gastrointestinal microbiota. Jose loves writing philosophy, enjoys watching his son grow, and hopes to get better grades than his bright wife.