Ecologist and
sometimes photographer
"The question is not what you look at, but what you see"
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Henry David Thoreau
Simon
Castillo
WHO AM I?
Benvenuto!
Hello, I'm Simon Castillo, PhD student at Catholic University of Chile. My current interests are related to biology (theoretical as well as applied), in particular, biological invasions, and landscape ecology. My current research focus is on the understanding of cancer in an ecological and evolutionary context.
Simon Castillo
spcastil@uc.cl
PhD student
Ecology Department at P. Catholic University of Chile
PHOTOGRAPHS
A SHORT WAY IN SCIENCE
SOME SHOTS TO CHILEAN WILDLIFE
PhD student
This year I began my PhD in Biological Sciences mention Ecology at Pontical Catholic University of Chile. I'm part of Marquet Lab, an interesting, and broad-scope, research group in Ecology. Currently I'm working on my thesis proposal, hope to have an update soon.
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PhD Ecology
March 2016 - Today
Technical support
I did my professional practice at Omora Ethnobotanical park (Navarino Island 52°S). After that, I worked as technical support at Wankara lab. Undoubtedly , the most exciting experience in my life so far, beyond to live a year at the southernmost town, also because I went to Antarctica!!
Into the wild II: sub-Antarctic forest
2014 - 2015
Field technician
During my undergraduate I also worked during the summer breaks doing carnivore monitoring in the fresh Temperate forest! I assisted in camera-trap setting and living capture with Tomahawks traps .
Into the wild I: Temperate forest
2011 - 2013
I did my undergrad thesis at Bozinovic's lab of Ecological and Evolutionary physiology (Catholic University). My research, TBH the research were I participated, aimed to understand physiological and behavioral responses of animal organisms to environmental variability. In my thesis I worked with an intertidal snail and its huddling behavior under extreme thermal conditions.
Into the lab I: Ecophysiology
2011 - 2014
Bachelor in Biological Sciences
It was March of 2009, when I crossed the doors of the Pontifical Catholic University of Chile to begin with my scientific formation. I studied Biological Sciences with concentration in Natural Resources and Environment. I moved through different field within Biology, I was interested in Cellular Biology, Physiology and molecular biology and finally, I arrived to the Ecology department.
Undergraduate
2009 - 2013
At Navarino Island
At Yendegaia National Park, Chile, December 2014.
At Las Chinchillas Natural Reserve, Chile, October 2015.
Current project
My thesis project is about cancer and ecology. I'm convinced that ecology and evolution have a lot to say regarding the oncological process. Mentored by Pablo Marquet (Ecology @PUC) and Juan Keymer (Ecology and Physics @PUC) we're approaching cancer research from an integrative view.
Also these days we are collaborating with physiologists from Gareth Owen' lab (PUC, Chile) trying to understand a bit more of cancer evolution and its adaptive landscape
Last pub!
July 2017
Ecology. DOI: 10.1002/ecy.1873
Thanks for visiting!​​
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Simon P. Castillo
Department of Ecology, P. Catholic University of Chile.
Libertador Bermardo O'higgins 340, Edificio 210, Santiago Chile