Heriberto López Hernández

In December 2008 I obtained my PhD in Biology at the University of La Laguna, specializing in entomology under the supervision of Professor Pedro Oromí. After several contracts as a postdoctoral researcher at the Institute of Natural Products and Agrobiology (CSIC), in 2018 I obtained a tenured position as Senior Specialized Research Assistant at said institution. A large part of my research and technical work has been focused on the study of threatened invertebrate species, dealing with issues related to their distribution, ecology, biology, threats and conservation status. At the same time, another significant part of my scientific work has been devoted to the study of invertebrate biodiversity in island environments, including those with a life form limited to the subterranean environment. This has allowed me to discover dozens of new species in the Macaronesian region - mostly beetles -, and to contribute to the description of some of them. In addition, during these years I have been able to receive training in Molecular Ecology, by undertaking various work placements and specialisation courses at different institutions. I have been involved in several research projects in which this discipline has been applied to discover the origin, relationships and diversity of the invertebrate fauna to island environments. Other research projects or technical assistance in which I have participated are directly related to entomology. Therefore, I have relevant knowledge and experience of general entomology and of that related to island invertebrate fauna, as well as experience with the techniques, procedures, software and instruments used in a Molecular Ecology laboratory.