Rúben Heleno

My main research interest is in using complex species-interactions networks to frame important conservation problems at the community level. Such trophic or mutualistic networks offer an holistic view-point to evaluate the causes and consequences of disturbances, such as the impact of biological invasions or biodiversity-loss, on important ecosystem functions, particularly seed-dispersal and pollination. A second passion is uncovering the rules guiding island colonisation and community assembling. I’m an Associated Professor at the University of Coimbra and PI of the Community Ecology Lab (CFE-UC) since 2016. I have supervised 6 postdocs, 10 PhD students and 12 MSc students, and authored 88 SCI papers (35 as leading or senior author, including contributions in Nature, Nature Communic., PNAS, TREE, and Ecol. Lett.. I’ve participated in 17 funded projects (2 as PI, 1 as co-PI) in Galapagos, Mozambique, São Tomé, Spain, Seychelles, and Portugal, which attracted >2.6MEuros in national, Spanish, German and European funding. I’ve been invited as keynote speaker in 8 large international meetings (BES, EEF, SPEA/SEO, BOU, AEET/SPECO, EMAPI), acted as evaluator for French, Spanish, Dutch, Hungarian and European funding agencies, integrated 18 PhD juries, 20 MSc juries, reviewed for 42 ISI journals and became Associate Editor of Functional Ecology (British Ecological Society). I’m an elected member of the Scientific Councils of my department, member of the coordination team of the Associate Laboratory TERRA – Laboratório para a Sustentabilidade do Uso da Terra e dos Serviços dos Ecossistemas , and member of the IUCN Red List Authority for Birds and Species Survival Commission. I’m deeply committed with science outreach, having participated in 5 TV and 3 radio shows, 6 online communication videos, several popular media articles, and demonstrating in dozens of science engaging activities with school groups. I have participated in the organization of 5 large international congresses, with a particular emphasis for the 1st International Symposium on Ecological Networks organized by me in Coimbra in 2013. I’ve been regularly teaching on several 1st, 2nd and 3rd cycle courses since 2012, by imparting lectures on Community ecology, Island biogeography, Ecological network analysis, and Functional ecology. I’m currently the coordinator of the Masters in Ecology of the University of Coimbra.