Pablo Marquet

Pablo Marquet is a Professor of Ecology at the Pontifical Catholic University of Chile, where he has served on faculty since 1994. He holds additional prominent roles as External Professor and Science Steering Committee member at the Santa Fe Institute (SFI), and President of the Instituto de Sistemas Complejos de Valparaíso (ISCV). His interdisciplinary work bridges ecology, anthropology, and complex systems theory.

Marquet earned his Bachelor in Biology from Universidad de Concepción (Chile) in 1987 and Ph.D. in Biology from the University of New Mexico in 1993, followed by postdoctoral work at Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile. His research spans macroecology, theoretical ecology, conservation, and global change with particular focus on scaling laws, metabolic theory, and climate change impacts.

His lab investigates the emergence of biological complexity through multiple interconnected programs: scaling of abundance in communities, evolution of body size, metapopulation dynamics in changing landscapes, and the intersection of energy use with human social complexity. Recent work integrates cancer ecology with broader ecological theory, examining how stoichiometric niches drive metastatic processes.

Analysis of his 2024-2025 publications reveals dominant themes in metabolic scaling across biological hierarchies (from cells to catchments), thermal response universality in biological systems, and urban metabolism applications. His work consistently applies network theory and power-law dynamics to biodiversity patterns in both natural and human-altered systems, with increasing emphasis on climate change resilience.

Marquet's scientific recognition includes:

• Fellow of the Ecological Society of America
• Member of the Chilean Academy of Science
• Member of the National Academy of Sciences
• Member of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences
• Member of the World Academy of Sciences

He actively mentors graduate students and leads collaborative initiatives including BioFI (Biodiversity Forecasting Initiative) and OcéanIA (AI for ocean-climate modeling). His research informs policy through contributions to the Earth Commission and IPBES-IPCC workshops, with specific focus on Latin American conservation challenges and Chilean sustainability strategies.

Marquet directs research groups at both Pontifical Catholic University of Chile and ISCV, fostering interdisciplinary teams that combine mathematical modeling, field ecology, and anthropological perspectives. His SFI affiliation since the 1990s has been instrumental in developing complex systems approaches to ecological questions, particularly regarding the emergence of social complexity through cumulative cultural evolution.