Sofia Soares
Qualifications
Degree in Veterinary Science
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Position
Internship in Wildlife Population Health 2023-24
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Overview
My main interests are wildlife medicine and conservation, epidemiology, and infectious diseases. Nowadays, the importance of these fields is undeniable. Wildlife serves as a valuable sentinel, signaling changes in ecosystems and the emergence of diseases.
Through the Wildlife Population Health internship, I aspire to deepen my understanding and contribute to the critical research needed to safeguard ecosystems, wildlife populations, and ultimately, human health. Therefore, my goals are to contribute to research projects and participate in fieldwork to further my skills and knowledge.
Background
During my academic years, I had my first contact with wildlife when I volunteered at the Kanchanaburi Safari Park, in Thailand, followed by my time in the Wildlife Clinic, in Belize and at Centro de Recuperação de Animais Selvagens de Santo André (CRASSA). Throughout this time, I have also enrolled in wildlife-related courses and participated in conferences and seminars on this topic.
In my final year of university I embarked on a full year of externships such as in Grupo de Rehabilitación de la Fauna Autoctóna y su Hábitat in Spain (GREFA), in Spain, at The Vale Wildlife Hospital and Rehabilitation Center in the United Kingdom and in Portugal, in Centro de Ecologia, Recuperação e Vigilância de Animais Selvagens (CERVAS), Centro de Estudos e Recuperação de Animais Selvagens (CERAS) and Centro de Recuperação de Animais Selvagens do Hospital Veterinário da Universidade de Trás-os-Montes e Alto Douro (CRAS HV-UTAD). Finally, my last externship was at the Wildlife Center of Virginia, in the United States of America where I conducted research for my thesis on lead poisoning in Bald Eagles.
After my graduation, I started working as a veterinarian at Centro de Recuperação de Animais Selvagens de Montejunto (CRASM), in Portugal, where I had the opportunity to gain more knowledge and experience in wildlife medicine.
