Susana Caballero Gaitan

My research interest has been focused on the use of molecular techniques to describe the population structure, conservation genetics and evolutionary processes of different groups of aquatic vertebrates. The aim of this research is to obtain key information for several vulnerable or endangered species and communities to improve their management programs. I have been working on several species such as humpback whales, sharks, ornamental and commercially important fish, marine and riverine turtles, manatees, bottlenose dolphins, Amazon River dolphins and the South American coastal and riverine dolphins, the tucuxi and the Guiana dolphins. I have lectured in several national and international courses on aquatic mammals and I have participated in a number of specialized conferences at international level.  I completed my Ph. D. in Ecology and Evolution at the University of Auckland in 2007, conducted postdoctoral studies from August 2006 to November 2008 at The University of Waikato in Hamilton, New Zealand, and started as Assistant Professor at Universidad de los Andes in January 2009. I was promoted to Associate Professor in October 2012. I started as Assistant Professor at Nova Southeastern University in August 2024.  I have been visiting researcher at the University of Auckland (February 2000), the University of California, Berkeley (May 2000), Edith Cowen University, Perth, Western Australia (June 2003) and Universidad Federal de Minas Gerais, Brazil (October 2004), Oregon State University (June 2011, August 2026 and January 2019), San Francisco State University (October 2016), Universidad Federal do Amazonas (November 2016), Universidad Interamericana de Puerto Rico (July 2021) and Florida International University (May 2022). One of the strengths of my research is the collaborative bonds with leading conservation NGO´s both in Colombia and international. I am a member of the Latin American Conservation Genetics Network (Red Latinoamericana de Genética para la Conservación-ReGeneC) and the Society for Marine Mammalogy. I am one of the scientific advisors of Colombia to the International Whaling Commission (IWC) and a member of the river dolphin specialist group at the Small cetacean Subcommittee of the IWC. I am a member of the IUCN cetacean specialist group and the IUCN Sirenian specialist group.  I conduct research in the Antarctic Peninsula in collaboration with Hurtigruten Expeditions cruise line.  I am the founder of a small non-profit working on science, education and communication in Colombia, Fundación Isla de Agua (www.isladeagua.org). I have supervised a number of students on their B. Sc. (65), M. Sc (25). and Ph. D. (5) thesis research in a variety of universities in different countries.  I currently teach undergraduate courses on marine biology, oceanography and elasmobranch biology, as well as graduate level courses on elasmobranch biology, conservation genetics and marine mammal study techniques and observation.