Selma Kosmas

Selma Kosmas is a PhD Student affiliated with the Centro de Investigação em Biodiversidade e Recursos Genéticos (CIBIO-InBIO) at Universidade do Porto, Portugal. She is currently employed as a Lecturer in the Department of Wildlife Management and Ecotourism at the University of Namibia, on study leave to pursue her doctoral research in Biodiversity, Genetics, and Evolution (BIODIV). Her work focuses on applying non-invasive molecular genetics to assess carnivore diets and inform conservation strategies in southern African ecosystems.

Her research interests span biodiversity conservation, mammal ecology, and advanced genetic techniques for wildlife monitoring. Key projects involve evaluating the population status of cheetahs (Acinonyx jubatus) and African wild dogs (Lycaon pictus) in Angola, particularly their distribution and interactions in natural ecosystems. A notable publication in Oryx (2020) highlights her contributions to revising the IUCN ranges of these species in Angola.

Her fieldwork includes camera-trapping surveys in Bicuar National Park and Cuatir Private Reserve, generating critical data for conservation planning. She collaborates with international teams under the UNESCO Chair Life on Land and receives funding from the Portuguese Foundation for Science and Technology.