André Vicente Liz and Dorothy Akoth win the GBIF Graduate Researchers Award 2023.
André Vicente Liz, Galician doctoral student at the Center for Research in Biodiversity and Genetic Resources (CIBIO-InBIO) of the University of Porto, and Dorothy Akoth, master’s student at the Faculty of Natural Sciences of the Makarere University of Uganda, are the winners of the GBIF Graduate Researchers Award 2023.
The jury of experts has awarded André, who was nominated by the Portuguese delegation at GBIF, for his work of integrated analysis of genetic and spatial distribution patterns of 107 species of vertebrates living in the Sahara-Sahel desert.
André is the second student nominated by Portugal to win the award (previously called the “GBIF Young Researchers Award”) and the fourth Spaniard to achieve it, after Nora Escribano and Julen Torrens Baile, both from the University of Navarra, who won it in 2017 and 2021, respectively, and Armand Rausell Moreno, from the Menéndez Pelayo International University (CSIC-UIMP ), who won it in 2022.
More information about the award for André at GBIF.org.
Dorothy Akoth has deserved the award for her research in improving knowledge of the distribution and threat status of 110 species of native fish not belonging to the iconic Haplochromini cichlid tribe, characteristic of Africa Oriental.
More information about the award for Dorothy at GBIF.org.
About the prize
Since its inception in 2010, the GBIF Graduate Researchers Award (formerly the GBIF Young Researchers Award) has promoted and encouraged innovation in biodiversity-related research using data mediated through the GBIF network.
Jury of the Young Researchers Award 2023
- Enrique Martínez Meyer : President of the Jury, GBIF Scientific Committee | National Autonomous University of Mexico, Mexico
- Thais Guedes: University of Campinas Institute of Biology, Brazil
- Gonzalo E. Pinilla-Buitrago: University of Connecticut, United States
- Andrés Lira-Noriega: Institute of Ecology, Mexico