CURRENT POSITION

-Associate Professor (Profesor Titular de Universidad) at  Universidad Politécnica de Madrid.

-Sub-head of the Research Centre for the Biodiversity Conservation and Sustainable Development (CBDS), at UPM (Madrid).

PRE-DOCTORAL EDUCATION: 

  • BSc and MSc Forest Engineering (Ingeniero de Montes, 6 year-courses, Technical University of Madrid, 2006) with maximum grade (Sobresaliente).
  • MSc in Restoration Ecology (Inter-University Master thesis with honors; UAH, UCM, URJC and UPM, 2008)
  • BSc. Environmental Sciences (Lic. Ciencias Ambientales. UNED, 2009).
  • Expert degree in Advanced Methods of Applied Statistics (Maximum grade, UNED, 2009).

Research Initiation Grant by the Spanish Ministry of Education (2005-2006) to work on Rangeland Ecology and Management at the Technical University of Madrid (UPM) to work on the effect on red deer browsing on woody plant communities

DOCTORATE:

Ph.D. with European Doctorate Mention and Summa cum laude. Programme in Advanced Forest Research (Technical University of Madrid, Spain, 2011). Extraordinary Doctoral Award and “Ecosistemas” Award for the best PhD summary by the Spanish Society of Terrestrial Ecology. Title: “Animal seed dispersal and predation in temperate forests”.

POST-DOCTORAL EXPERIENCE: 

In 2011, I moved to Doñana Biological Station (EBD, CSIC) to collaborate in a research project about seed dispersal by mammals. Then, I worked as Postdoctoral Researcher on several research projects funded by the Spanish National Parks Agency and the Ministry of Science (2012-2014) where I mostly focused my research on plant-plant interactions (plant facilitation) and the effect of wild ungulates on woody plants. In 2013, I was awarded a Marie Curie International Outgoing Fellowship (IOF) to join Stanford University (USA). There, I developed the research project BIOSTRESS Linking biotic and abiotic stress in the net outcome of plant interactions-. In 2015, I was appointed Lecturer at Stanford University where I have been teaching Plant Biology, Ecology and Evolution as the main instructor and coordinator as well as advising graduate and undergraduate students. During 2017-2020, I was a Ramón y Cajal fellow (Senior Researcher) at Universidad Politécnica de Madrid (UPM). Since 2021, I am an Associate Professor (Profesor Titular de Universidad) at  Universidad Politécnica de Madrid.

INTERNATIONAL STAYS: Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais, Brazil (2017), Stanford University, California, USA (2014-2016; 2022); Centre for Ecology and Hydrology, UK (2010), University of Nevada, USA (2009) and Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences, Uppsala, Sweden (2005).

PUBLICATIONS: Author and coauthor of 70 international peer-reviewed articles included in the Journal Citation Reports (in 24 of them I was the first author, 9 as second author and 18 as the senior author). Five books, 23 book chapters and another 28 publications (non-indexed articles). See publications

RESEARCH PROJECTS: Since 2005, I have participated in 32 Research projects and contracts (6 International, 11 from National Plans and Spanish National Parks, 10 from Autonomous Communities, and 4 from Foundations and TRAGSATEC). Principal Investigator (PI) of 11 of them, including competitive research projects from Ministry of Science,  UE-Marie Curie, UPM, Madrid Region and National Parks-OAPN See current research topics and projects

CONFERENCE PRESENTATIONS: 85 communications in international (58) and national (27) conferences. Convener of “Seed dispersal and frugivory” symposium at the MEDECOS-AEET conference (Seville, 2017) and President of the Organizing Committee for the XI RUSI (Meeting on Iberian  Wild Ungulates) in 2020. Currently organizing (march 2023) the First Meeting of the Wildlife Group from the SECF (Spanish Society of Forest Sciences).

REVIEWER IN SCIENTIFIC JOURNALS and PANELS:  Member of the review panel for the US National Science Foundation (NSF; 2014-2015). Reviewer in 46 JCR scientific journals: Ecology Letters, Journal of Ecology, Evolutionary Ecology, Forest Systems, Acta Ornithologica, Integrative Zoology, Methods in Ecology and Evolution, Forest Ecology and Management, Oecologia, Plos One, Journal of Forest Research, Journal of Applied Ecology, Oikos, Journal of Plant Research, Zoological Science, Acta Oecologica, European Journal of Forest Research, Botanical Sciences, Ecological Research, Animal Behaviour, Mammal Study, Ecosphere, Biological Journal of the Linnean Society, European Journal of Wildlife Research, New Forests, American Journal of Botany, Ecological Engineering, Animal Biodiversity and Conservation, Journal of Environmental Management, Wildlife Research, Zoology, Plant Species Biology, Canadian Journal of Forest Research, Journal of Plant Growth Regulation, Journal for Nature Conservation, Behaviour, Biology Letters, Frontiers in Ecology and Evolution, Functional Ecology, Conservation Letters, Ecological Indicators, Journal of Arid Land, Austral Ecology, Rangeland Ecology and Management, Ecology and Evolution and Forests

TEACHING: Different courses in the degree of Forestry Engineering and Master in Advanced Forest Research since 2008 (Rangeland Management and Agroforestry systems; Management of Protected Species; Forest Ecology and Geobotany; Scientific Research and communication and Forest Resilience). Main instructor and coordinator of BIO44Y (Plant Biology, Ecology and Evolution) at Stanford University (2014-2016). Collaborating with SLU (Sweden) in the SUFONAMA Master degree since 2019.

Major advisor of 3 Doctoral Theses, 27 Graduate theses (PFC or TFC), 1 International Bachelor thesis, and 5 Master Theses at UPM, UAB and Stanford University. Currently co-advising 5 PhD students and 4 Graduate theses. Seminars and courses at EBD (Seville), University of Nevada (USA), Jasper Ridge (Stanford University, USA), Universidade de Aveiro (Portugal, Erasmus+) and Cabañeros National Park.

OTHER MERITS: Second Award in Popularization of Science (FECYT and Ministry of Science, 2008), two awards of best poster presentation. Head of Convention of Biological Diversity (CBD) for the International Forest Student Association (2007-2008). Projects and technical reports in Species Conservation, Game and Wildlife management. UPM Excellence Award for outstanding research trajectory (Research Projection Award 2016) and Medal “Agustín de Betancourt” by the Spanish Royal Academy of Engineering (2017)