Belinda Gallardo, PhD

In 2009 I obtained my doctoral degree in Experimental Sciences and Sustainability by the University of Girona. My PhD dissertation, carried out at the Pyrenean Institute of Ecology (CSIC), dealt with the effects of river regulation and hydrological connectivity on aquatic biodiversity.

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The arrival of the zebra mussel to the Ebro River in 2009 triggered my interest in biological invasions. To learn more about this mollusc, I moved to the University of Cambridge with a Marie Curie IEF fellowship and joined the Aquatic Invasions group of Dr David Aldridge. I progressively expanded the scope of my research to other aquatic invasive species, and then to invaders or terrestrial and marine environments.

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After my Marie Curie fellowship, I had the opportunity to work for Cambridge Environmental Consulting Ltd. (CEC), a University spin-off that provides consultancy services in the environmental sector.

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In 2013 I moved back to Spain with a Severo Ochoa postdoctoral position at Doñana Biological Station (CSIC), where I joined the group of biological invasions led by Dr Montserrat Vilà. The EBD position allowed me to participate in strategic European initiatives on biological invasions such as Alien Challenge, the COST Action devoted to the study of biological invasions in Europe. I also participated as an expert in biological invasions under climate change in international panels that support the implementation of the recent European legislation (Regulation 1143/2014) on invasive species.

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In 2014, I started a Juan de la Cierva postdoctoral fellowship at the Pyrenean Institute of Ecology (CSIC) where I am integrated in the group of Ecological Restoration (Dept. Biodiversity Conservation), and the RESTECO (E40-17R) regional research group. Here, I have lead three national projects as principal investigator, funded by Fundación Iberdrola (20.000€), Programa Estatal de I+D+i Orientada a los Retos de la Sociedad (31.000€) and Fundación Biodiversidad (29.000€), respectively. These projects have allowed me to acquire a high-performance computer server to develop more complex ecological models, and to build my own research team.

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In 2019 I go back to Cambridge to join the Biosecurity Research Initiative at St. Catherine's (BioRISC). This is a unique model of university-policy interface that combines scholarly research and workshops where world experts systematically work through biosecurity governance challenges. The work programme of BioRISC is therefore set and guided by experts with links to Government, with the ultimate goal to address difficult questions that do not currently receive adequate attention. 

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In January 2020 I started a 5-years Ramón y Cajal fellowship at the Pyrenean Institute of Ecology, becoming tenured researcher in 2022. I am Scientific Officer of project InvasiBES (2019-2021). This project is funded by BiodivERsA-Belmont Forum (969.000 €) and counts with the collaboration of top European and North American researchers in the field. Using a combination of scenario planning, ecological modelling and field sampling, the project will explore alternative future scenarios of invasion and their biosecurity implications in Europe. I am also the coordinator of the Research Group in Applied Ecology and Restoration.