The Global Biodiversity Information Infrastructure (GBIF), a network of countries and international organizations that seeks to support scientific research, promote biological conservation and foster sustainable development, has awarded the international prize for young researchers to Nora Escribano. She is a student at the University, pursuing her PhD at the Faculty of Science thanks to a scholarship from the Friends Association.

The Young Researchers Award, an award of 5,000 €, aims to enable doctoral students to prepare a data article that fully describes the data set and its publication in an open access journal.

Nora has developed her thesis based on 1,776 samples of macroinvertebrates (invertebrates larger than 0.02 cm) obtained and analyzed by researcher Javier Oscoz. These samples are kept in the Zoology Museum (MZNA), which is part of the Natural Sciences Museum of the University.
 

What does your thesis consist of?

One of the objectives of my thesis is to explore how the informative value of biodiversity records degrades as they age. Records are the who, where and when a living thing was observed, captured or sampled. These data are the starting point for research, however, the "older" a record is, the more outdated the information it provides may be. Therefore, we must explore how to maximize the use of this information to obtain reliable results.

 

Why did you decide to address this issue?

During my career I collaborated as a student intern in the Environmental Biology department. And thanks to Carmen Escala, professor, and David Galicia, my current thesis director, I found my passion in the study of small mammals. On the other hand, Arturo H. Ariño, also my thesis director, introduced me to the world of massive biodiversity data analysis.

 

What do you seek to achieve with the development of your work?

I would like my work to shed light on maximizing the use of biodiversity data. I also want to continue increasing the information about the small mammals of Navarra.

 

As a scholarship recipient, what would you say to the Friends of the University who have contributed to the funding of your scholarship?

Thank you very much for your support. Without your collaboration, young people like me have been able to dedicate ourselves to what we are passionate about: research. I feel fortunate and grateful for the opportunity that the Association of Friends of the University of Navarra gave me. Know that your grain of sand counts, and that you are helping to train excellent researchers in a scenario where it is increasingly difficult to dedicate oneself to research. In my case, I have been able and continue to dedicate myself to what makes me happy.

 

Zoology Museum of the University of Navarra

The Museum of Zoology (MZNA) -integrated in the Science Museum of the University of Navarra- was founded in 1980 as a repository for zoological materials derived from the research and teaching activities of the Department of Environmental Biology (previously Department of Zoology and Ecology). MZNA stores several million specimens in its air-conditioned facilities and is open to researchers from all over the world, making loans and accepting deposits as well as managing and maintaining the Natural History Collections of the Science Faculty of the University of Navarra.