Liemnys Vázquez Moreno

I graduated with a Bachelor's degree in Biology from Marta Abreu Central University of Las Villas (Cuba) in July 2020. During my undergraduate studies, I contributed to teaching activities through an agreement between the university and local elementary schools, where I taught Biology to eighth-grade students. I also served as an assistant in various academic activities and biological fieldwork conducted by first-year Biology students. As a result of this scientific collaboration, a research article was published, of which I am a co-author.
During my undergraduate training, I participated in several research projects focused on the conservation of endemic Cuban plant species. Consequently, my undergraduate thesis examined the phenology and reproductive limitations of an endangered species found in serpentine thorny xeromorphic shrublands. Throughout these years, I developed a strong interest in reproductive biology and conservation, which I further pursued through my thesis research. In recognition of this work, I received the Young Researcher Award, granted by Cuba’s Ministry of Science, Technology and Environment (CITMA).

After graduation, I worked as a lecturer at Carlos Rafael Rodríguez University of Cienfuegos (Cuba), where I taught second-year students enrolled in the Bachelor's program in Biology Education. This experience allowed me to develop knowledge and skills in higher education pedagogy and teaching methodologies. Subsequently, I joined the Flora and Fauna Enterprise of Cuba, an organization dedicated to biodiversity conservation and ecotourism. There, I was responsible for overseeing and monitoring rehabilitation, restoration, and coastal ecosystem flora monitoring projects, while also preparing management plans and operational plans for protected areas.
My experience in conservation and ecological restoration motivated me to pursue a Master's degree in Applied Ecology at the Austral University of Chile, supported by a scholarship from the Chilean Agency for International Development Cooperation (AGCID). My master's research was conducted within the framework of the public-private initiative “Evaluation of Passive Restoration Measures – Viña Caliterra.” In this thesis, I evaluated the influence of standing burned trees on seed rain as a post-fire restoration mechanism in Chilean sclerophyllous forests and shrublands. I completed the program in October 2024 with highest distinction. I am currently working on the preparation of a scientific manuscript derived from this research in collaboration with my master's thesis supervisors.
In March 2025, I began a Ph.D. program in Science, specializing in Ecology and Evolution, with the goal of continuing to investigate the ecological and evolutionary mechanisms that determine the success of post-fire vegetation regeneration. I successfully completed the first semester of the program and am currently developing my doctoral research proposal.