Marta Rafael

Marta Rafael is conducting a Ph.D. in Biodiversity, Genetics and Evolution at the University of Lisbon, starting in 2025, within the Tropical and Mediterranean Biodiversity group (TMB) of CE3C. She is conducting the project entitled "Conservation and ecology of chiropteran in the Iberian Peninsula: environmental contaminants and pathogens", under the supervision of Hugo Rebelo from the Faculty of Sciences of the University of Lisbon, Isabel García Fernandez and Monica Martinez from the Institute for Game and Wildlife Research (IREC) of the University of Castilla-La Mancha. The project aims are: to determine bats' exposure level to environmental contaminants; identify and characterise the prevalence of relevant pathogens and ecto- and endo-parasites present in the different bat populations; characterise bat populations' immunity, oxidative stress and genotoxicity; evaluate the association between environmental contaminants, pathogens/ectoparasites and bats' immunity and its correlation with environmental characteristics.