Bárbara Santos

I am an evolutionary ecologist working at the intersection of community ecology, microbiome research, and molecular biodiversity assessment. My research focuses on how species interactions, microbial communities, and environmental pressures shape ecological networks and evolutionary processes, with an emphasis on amphibians and other non-model vertebrates.

I combine field-based ecology with molecular approaches such as metabarcoding and population genetics to study trophic interactions, host–microbiome–pathogen dynamics, ecotoxicological responses, and biodiversity change. My work integrates ecological network analysis and quantitative methods to understand better the structure and resilience of complex, understudied systems.

I have conducted research across diverse environments, including tropical systems in Madagascar, Guinea-Bissau, and Cabo Verde, temperate regions across Europe, and desert ecosystems in Saudi Arabia and North Africa.

I hold a Master’s degree in Ecology, Biodiversity and Ecosystems from the University of Aveiro and a PhD in Genetics and Metabarcoding from the University of Porto (2021).

I am currently a researcher at CIBIO/BIOPOLIS (BIODESERTS group), where I focus on the interactions of ecological communities at trophic, symbiotic, parasitic, and zoonotic levels, and how these are influenced by habitat type and quality, environmental and climate changes and human activities.