María Escobar González
Qualifications
Degree in Veterinary Medicine (UCO)
MSc in Basic and Applied Research on Hunting Resources (IREC, CSIC-UCLM)
MSc in Exotic Animal Medicine and Surgery (AEVA)
PhD in Biodiversity (UAB)
Contact details
Email: mariaescobarglez@gmail.com / maria.escobar@uab.cat
ORCID ID: 0000-0001-6108-7179
Research Overview
I am currently working as a researcher at UAB and as a Resident of the European College of Zoological Medicine (ECZM), Wildlife Population Health speciality. My research focuses on wildlife health and conservation, including infectious, toxicological and vector-borne diseases, disease ecology and invasive species. I am also involved in projects addressing human–wildlife conflicts (HWC) and health risks in threatened species.
My main research interests include disease ecology, non-invasive monitoring, ecological modelling, and the mitigation of anthropogenic and climate change impacts to support applied conservation and adaptive management. I am currently involved in several research and conservation projects, such as the Pyrenean Cinereous Vulture health monitoring, tick-borne pathogens, and studies on invasive species and carnivore health.
Background
I obtained my Degree in Veterinary Medicine from the University of Córdoba (Spain) in 2016. During my training, I developed a strong interest in wildlife health and conservation through internships in wildlife rescue centres and research institutions in Spain and abroad (UK, Colombia). These experiences provided practical skills in wildlife clinical care, rehabilitation, and fieldwork.
After graduation, I completed a one-year rotating internship in small animals at the UCH-CEU in Valencia and a postgraduate training in Exotic Animal Medicine and Surgery to gain clinical skills. Afterwards, I enrolled in an MSc in Basic and Applied Research on Wildlife, where I specialised in wildlife ecology, epidemiology, and ecotoxicology research methods. My Master’s dissertation consisted of a field evaluation of the use of grit supplementation as a tool to mitigate poisoning from lead shot legacy in waterbirds at the Ebro Delta.
By the end of 2020, I started my PhD in Biodiversity at the Autonomous University of Barcelona (UAB), focused on the ecology and management of urban and peri-urban wild boar populations. During my doctoral research, I gained experience in non-invasive wildlife monitoring using camera traps and remote sensing, as well as ecological modelling, movement ecology, and population management. My work also involved
capture and handling of wild ungulates and rodents, including physical and chemical immobilisation, and the evaluation of population control strategies in human-dominated landscapes. This research addressed key challenges related to human–wildlife conflicts and evidence-based management.
During my last year of PhD, I joined the Wildcom research group, working as a research technician contributing to the surveillance of ticks and tick-borne diseases and assessing the impacts of climate change on wildlife health in Catalonia.
I have international research experience in institutions in the United States, Italy, and Uganda, including collaboration with Budongo Conservation Field Station and Makerere University on conservation research on threatened chimpanzees.
