Carola Gomez Rodriguez

Dr. Carola Gómez-Rodríguez is an Associate Professor of Ecology at the University of Santiago de Compostela (USC), affiliated with the Department of Functional Biology and the Cross-disciplinary Research Center in Environmental Technologies (CRETUS). She leads the BiBiCI research group (Biodiversity, Biogeography, and Integrative Conservation) and the GID-BioR teaching innovation group. Her work focuses on macroecological mechanisms shaping biodiversity patterns, integrating molecular, ecological, and phylogenetic data. She has held roles such as Associate Editor for the Journal of Animal Ecology (2017–2025) and contributed to science communication through outreach initiatives like madresBDV and educational resources in R programming for biodiversity analysis. Previous affiliations include the Natural History Museum (London), University of Vigo, and Doñana Biological Station.

Education: PhD in Environmental Sciences (University of Salamanca, 2009), supervised by Dr. Carmen Díaz-Paniagua and Dr. Javier Bustamante. Postdoctoral research at University of Vigo (2009–2011) and Natural History Museum, London (2013–2015).

Research Interests: Biodiversity dynamics, ecological processes, trait-based ecology, phylogenetic methods, and the impact of climate change. Key projects include analyzing dispersal limitations, genetic diversity congruence, and community turnover across spatial and temporal scales.

Grants & Leadership: Coordinator of CRETUS-funded BiBiCI group (Xunta de Galicia), member of British Ecological Society Grants Committee (2018–2024). Active in gender equality initiatives at CRETUS and the School of Biological Sciences.

Teaching: Ecology courses (USC), including Ecology II, Analysis of Biological Diversity, and master-level modules on biodiversity origins and patterns. Developed Biodiversidad con R for R programming in ecological analysis.

Outreach: Hosted radio segments on biodiversity, created educational videos on biogeography and ecology, and co-founded madresBDV to highlight women in science. Resources include e-learning modules on biodiversity metrics and identification guides for invertebrate fauna.