Name: Dr. Gonzalo Collado

Actual occupation: Assistant Professor

Institution: Facultad de Ciencias, Universidad del Bío-Bío, sede Chillán

Research on: Phylogenetic and phylogeographic reconstruction of Mollusk

Research Interest:

Gonzalo has focused his academic interest in different aspects of phylogenetic and phylogeographic reconstruction in malacology, with a special emphasis on the Andean Altiplano malacological fauna. In 2004 he realized his thesis under my lead, resolving the phylogenetic relationship on marine mollusk of the genus Tegula. Then in 2007, I lead his doctoral thesis in evolutionary biology of Andean Altiplanos mollusk of the genus Biomphalaria, and during the last three years I have collaborated as a sponsor for his postdoctoral research, that is focused on investigating speciation process of the Andean Altiplano’s snails of the genus Heleobia. In 2014, Gonzalo and I have leaded a master thesis together about the population genetics of the snail Heleobia ascotanensis. All of the data obtained from this research has given us academic opportunities to participate in presentations in numerous important congresses, various publications and with no doubt the opportunity to be awarded different projects for each academic stage (CONICYT-Doctorado, FONDECYT-Postdoctorado, FONDECYT–Iniciación). In my judgment Gonzalo is one of the most important malacologist in Chile, not only for his scientific achievement, but also for his collaboration as an editor for the journal Amici Molluscarum of the Sociedad Malagológica de Chile, always trying to give this journal a high academic level. Finally, Gonzalo in these last two years has actively collaborated in the creation of Fundación Chile Natura, which focuses on aspects of conservation and scientific dissemination, institution in which Gonzalo has acted as a founder. As a result of the academic collaboration, Gonzalo and I have written 2 no ISI and 11 ISI publications.