María Sanz Arnal

I am a biologist with an interest in botany and evolutionary biology, particularly in understanding plant diversity and its macroevolutionary patterns. I started studying the genus Carex (Cyperaceae), using phylogenetic analysis and climatic niche modeling, with special attention to biodiversity data management and curation. I am currently pursuing my PhD thesis at the Universidad Rey Juan Carlos, focused on the evolution of C4 photosynthesis in the genus Cyperus, exploring its origin, diversification, and ecological context. To this end, we will apply different bioinformatic tools for phylogenomic, transcriptomic, anatomical, and ecological analyses. I am especially interested in understanding how plants respond to environmental conditions and the role that physiological adaptations play in their evolutionary success.