Presentation

I am a biologist interested in understanding how species proliferate and change over time. My work uses molecular tools and fieldwork approaches to investigate evolutionary and ecological patterns and processes at both the individual and population level.

Much of this work has focused on island birds (using extinct and extant taxa) where I investigate the causes and consequences of adaptive (and non-adaptive) genetic variation to understand the mechanisms driving avian radiations.

In addition, I am also interested to investigate the ecological and evolutionary role of microbes (pathogens and microbiome) on their island avian hosts.

However, despite my passion are birds, I acknowledge that invertebrates are really nice models to tackle these questions too. Thus, I am also collaborating with other colleagues at UMIB where continental alpine grasshoppers in the Cantabrian Mountains are the focus of my attention.

I carry out my research mainly focused on the Macaronesian region (Azores, Madeira, Selvagens, Canary Islands and Cape Verde) and nearby continental areas both Iberian Peninsula and north Africa.

However, due to my stonechat dependency I am also expanding my research throughout Europe and Africa as well.

Career

  • Senior Lecture (Associate Professor) in Ecology, University of Oviedo (2021-present)
  • Lecture (Assistant professor) in Ecology, University of Oviedo (2015-2021)
  • Ramón y Cajal Research Fellow, University of Oviedo, Research Unit of Biodiversity (UMIB, UO-CSIC-PA) (2010-2015)
  • Postdoctoral contract (Juan de la Cierva), Island Ecology and Evolution Research Group, IPNA-CSIC, (2008-2010)
  • Spanish Government funded Postdoctoral research associate, University of East Anglia (2005-2007)
  • Research associate, Department of Conservation Biology, EBD-CSIC, (2005)
  • Ph.D. - University of La Laguna, Canary Islands, Spain (2004)
  • BScHon. Biological Sciences. University of La Laguna, Canary Islands, Spain (1996)

Teaching

Courses

I am currently teaching in two undergraduate degrees: Biology and Teaching Profession.

Biology (at Faculty of Biology, Oviedo)

  • Environmental assessment (Practical exercises)

Teaching Profession (at Faculty of Teaching)

  • Environmental Sciences (Theory and Practical)

Research Lines

Projects

Research projects that are currently ongoing.

Latest news

New paper accepted

New paper accepted

Common birds combine pest control and seed dispersal in apple orchards though a hybrid interaction network.

Feb 12th, 2024

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New paper posted

New paper posted

A multiple trait assessment provides insights into the short-time viability of a newly founded population in an endangered island passerine.

Dec 11th, 2023

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New paper posted

New paper posted

Frugivore-mediated seed dispersal in fragmented landscapes: compositional and functional turnover from forest to matrix.

Oct 24th, 2023

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