CV overview

CURRICULUM VITAE

Additionally, for clarity, I have attached most of my diplomas and certificates, along with a brief explanation in each subsection of this section of my CV.

CV OVERVIEW

I am an evolutionary botanist focused on the study of biogeography, phylogeography, island biology and conservation, from an evolutionary and ecological perspective. I have acquired this experience throughout my years of graduate research, PhD, postdoc and now as an assistant professor at UCM. I obtained an M. Sc. in conservation biology (2010) and a Ph.D. in Ecology and Evolution (Nov. 2015). I performed postdoctoral research at Charles University (Prague, Czech Republic) in 2017 and Stellenbosch University (South Africa) from 2018 to 2020. I have worked at multiple research centers—four in Spain, four across Europe, two in Africa, one in the sub-Antarctic region, and one in Asia—and have led field expeditions (>10) across five continents. This has allowed me to build an extensive international network of collaborators, with whom I actively work and publish, contributing to a strong record of international scientific output.

Over the years, I have achieved high-level scientific contributions, focusing my work on rigorous and internationally recognized journals. I have published 22 JCR articles in Q1 journals within my field over the past 10 years, serving as first, senior and corresponding author (leader) in 10 of them. All these publications have an Impact Factor greater than 3.4. Additionally, I have contributed to 3 book chapters and authored 5 conservation, scientific and technical reports. My publication standards have gained recognition, with approximately 684 citations (511 in the last 5 years), over 40% of which are for works where I am the first author. I hold an h-index of 13 and an i-index of 16. My scientific contributions have been recognized (9 awards, e.g. Postdoctoral Fellow Award for Exceptional Achievement (2019), National Conservation Award César Gómez Campo (2019). I have reviewed 95 articles for 27 JCR journals and contributed to four panels and two Public Agencies.

I have participated in 22 research projects, including 15 competitive projects lasting 3 years or more, and 7 competitive projects lasting 1 to 3 years. In 2016, I managed two research projects through competitive calls, focused on endangered plant species. I have served as Principal Investigator for four outreach and teaching projects: a FECYT Project (2023–2024; Convocatoria de Ayudas para el Fomento de la Cultura Científica, Tecnológica y de la Innovación), two UCM Teaching Innovation Project (2023–2024 and 2024–2025), and a UCM Service-Learning Project (2023–2024).

My teaching background has focused on teaching plant biodiversity, with special emphasis on evolutionary biology, conservation biology and bio/phylogeography. Throughout my career I have taught at 6 universities (Charles U., Stellenbosch U., UCM, Menéndez Pelayo U., U. Politécnica de Madrid, U. of Helsinki) across 12 different courses (e.g. Botany, Evolution, Plant Biodiversity), for a total of 975 hours as the lead professor. From 2020 to 2024, my teaching has been rated with the highest qualification (Excelente) in the DOCENTIA Program. I have a strong ability to engage and mentor students; over the past four years, I have successfully supervised 23 student projects, including 3 Ms. C. theses, 12 Bs. C. theses, 7 Iniciación a la Investigación, and 1 remote internship. I have developed my own course, the Island Phylogeography Course (IPC) which I taught at Charles University and Stellenbosch University (rated 4.9/5).

I am passionate about scientific outreach and possess strong communication skills, having received 2 communication Awards. I have contributed to 30 scientific meetings (14 international), delivering 23 oral presentations. I have been invited to give 6 lectures, including 2 plenary talks, and to lead 4 invited workshops. I am deeply committed to the university’s commitment of disseminating and transferring knowledge to society. I am actively involved in organizing outreach events and botany seminars, and I lead several biodiversity awareness and conservation projects through citizen science initiatives. I serve as an editor for Conservación Vegetal, the only plant conservation journal in Spanish, and have published 9 outreach articles. I oversee the Outreach Working Group of SEBICOP (Spanish Society of Plant Conservation Biology). I am the creator and national coordinator of the Biomaratón de Flora Española, an activity that has been recognized as the largest botany-focused citizen participation event in Spain, with over 7,000 participants across its 4 editions.