Hi, I’m Jhan! I’m an Afro-Colombian ecologist, and I’m a PhD student in Jonathan Losos’ Lab at Washington University in St Louis. My research is focused on exploring the effect that temperature and climate have on the ecology and evolution of tropical lizards. I was born in Puerto Tejada, Cauca (Colombia), and unlike many of my peers, the story of why I became an ecologist and evolutionary biologist started long before I went to university or even to school. When I was five years old, I went to the most beautiful place I have ever been: my parents and grandparents’ hometown. In this small town called Boca de Patía, which is also in the Cauca region, I saw for the first time a forest – a tropical rainforest – and met many of its unique inhabitants: snakes, poison dart frogs, and many other fantastic animals and plants. After being there I started watching as many nature documentaries as I could, which made me wonder why none of the scientists on these documentaries looked like me.
This photo was taken on a field trip I took with Dr. Kristin Winchell in the Dominican Republic at the Jardín Botánico Nacional Dr. Rafael M. Moscoso.
In this series we share the experiences of ‘globetrotters’ in ecological sciences, who have traveled all over the world during their research career. In this post, Dr Dinesh Neupane discusses with us his experience moving between Nepal and the United States for his Ph.D.
In this series we share the experiences of ‘globetrotters’ in ecological sciences, who have traveled all over the world during their research career. In this post, Dr. Sandra Varga discusses with us her experiences moving from Spain to explore academic opportunities in Finland and the UK.
In this series we share the experiences of ‘globetrotters’ in ecological sciences, who have traveled all over the world during their research career. Dr. Yingying Wang, the current Haldane prize winner, writes about her academic journey from China for her M.S., to the Netherlands for her Ph.D., and finally to Finland for her postdoctoral research.
Many scientists move multiple times throughout their careers, sometimes beginning with leaving home for university, or perhaps for a Ph.D., postdoc, or position at a university, governmental organization, or industry. In this post, Dr. Iain Stott, a Lecturer in Ecology at the University of Lincoln, writes about his experiences moving between the UK, Germany, Denmark, Australia, and Switzerland.
Many scientists move multiple times throughout their careers, sometimes beginning with leaving home for university, or perhaps for a Ph.D., postdoc, or position at a university, governmental organization, or industry. These moves may be domestic, but are also oftentimes international. The experiences resulting from relocation can have both positive and negative aspects, but are often necessary in order to establish oneself as a scientist.
