Catalina Pimiento

Dr. Catalina Pimiento is an Associate Professor in Biosciences at Swansea University, with a PRIMA Fellowship from the Swiss National Science Foundation. She holds dual affiliations with the Paleontology Institute and Museum at the University of Zurich and the Museum für Naturkunde Berlin. Her research focuses on marine megafauna ecology and evolution using fossil records, emphasizing shark diversity dynamics, extinction mechanisms, and conservation applications. She advocates for transformative science education and women in STEM.

Research: Specializes in integrating deep-time data into conservation strategies, functional diversity of marine megafauna, and shark evolution. Key projects include MEGACENE (2018–2020) and SHARKS-XT (2020–2025), addressing conservation vulnerabilities and evolutionary pathways. Recent work explores climate legacies on extinction patterns and elasmobranch phylogenetic conservation.

Awards: Recipient of PRIMA Fellowship (Swiss National Science Foundation).
Teaching: Leads modules on tetrapod evolution (BIO229) and scientific research methods (BIOM25B), emphasizing data analysis and innovative learning tools. Published on blended learning strategies in paleontology education.

Grants & Collaborations: Managed £112,401 (MEGACENE) and CHF 1,417,655 (SHARKS-XT). Collaborates globally on projects like the extinct marine megafauna synthesis (2024) and primate niche dynamics (2024).

Public Engagement: Authored book chapters, blogs (Nature, The Guardian), and educational resources on fossil sharks and marine conservation.