Dr Belen Fadrique

Belen is a University Research Fellow in Geography and Planning, School of Environmental Sciences, in the Faculty of Science and Engineering.

What attracted you to apply for a University of Liverpool Research Fellowship?

After spending several years moving between countries, I was seeking stability and an opportunity to pursue my research projects. This fellowship provided the ideal chance to establish myself, build my own lab, and lay the foundation for a long-term research career.

I was looking for an environment that offered both strong support and collaborative opportunities, while still allowing the independence to shape my own research direction. Equally important to me was working in an inclusive, diverse community where work-life balance is genuinely valued.

The School of Environmental Sciences offered all of these qualities, making it the right place for everything to come together.

What is your research about and what types of scientific techniques do you make use of?

I am a tropical forest ecologist focused on understanding and providing evidence for the impacts of climate change on tropical forest composition. My research primarily explores altitudinal migration - the upward shift of tropical tree species in response to rising temperatures as they seek suitable environmental conditions.

To investigate these dynamics, I work with climate datasets, long-term vegetation time-series, and field-based experiments. My work aims to answer key questions such as: How will tropical forests - the planet’s most carbon-rich and biodiverse biome - respond to climate change? And what will future montane forests look like?

What or who first inspired you to be interested in your research subject?

My initial inspiration to become a tropical ecologist came when I first visited the Amazon as part of a student-led expedition. The overwhelming diversity of Amazonia sparked my curiosity and working towards understanding and conserving Earth’s most vital ecosystems became a life goal.

Later, while living in the tropics, I experienced first-hand the confrontation between conservation and development, and the thread that climate change represented to tropical forests, which further inspired me to pursue a research career in tropical biodiversity and conservation.

What are you most proud of achieving during your research career so far?

I am most proud of being where I am, doing what I am doing. Becoming a tropical ecologist was a “silly dream”, not really on the cards for me. I take the greatest pride in consciously choosing my own path, making sure that every decision was made because I really wanted to do that, as opposed to letting myself being carried away, choosing the easy or expected path.

Pursuing a Master's, PhD, and further research career is too much effort to do it on something that you are not passionate about!

Which other subjects are important for your research?

Addressing such broad research questions requires an interdisciplinary approach. While my core expertise lies in forest ecology, my work also draws heavily on plant physiology, climatology, and hydrology. On the technical side, fields like big data analytics, computer science, and remote sensing are essential to the success of my projects.

I engage with many of these disciplines through collaborations, as I believe that a strong, diverse network of collaborators is fundamental to the success of any research project.

What is the key to running a successful research project?

I’ll have much more to reflect on in a few years, but for now, I will focus on collaboration and commitment. I’m a strong advocate for building collaborative partnerships, but I believe they must be thoughtfully established from the outset. This means choosing the right collaborators, fostering inclusivity, clearly defining needs and expectations, maintaining open and regular communication, and ensuring mutual benefits and shared outcomes.

Equally important is a strong sense of commitment to the project - having the perseverance to navigate bureaucracy, adapt to delays, and respond to unexpected changes. Adaptability is essential to a project’s success, especially when you can do it with a smile on your face!

Finally, never underestimate the value of an effective finance support team!

How do you plan to develop your research in the future?

I am enthusiastic about the opportunity to establish my own lab guided by the principles I value, such as inclusivity and equality, and to create a supportive and collaborative environment. I am particularly eager to engage in formal mentorship and to grow my research group by welcoming PhD students, postdoctoral researchers, and technicians.

I aim to actively involve local field teams and to recruit students from nationalities and backgrounds underrepresented in ecology, with the goal of building a diverse and inclusive team. While my project is grounded in a strong network of collaborators, it also presents numerous opportunities to forge new partnerships.

I am also committed to advancing Open Science through the development of accessible databases and methodologies.

What advice would you give to someone considering a career in research?

In the early stages of your career, it's important to explore different paths to discover what truly interests you and what doesn’t. While adaptability and openness to new opportunities are valuable, it’s equally important to be thoughtful and selective, rather than jumping into something just because it’s readily available.

I also feel that being a researcher is so much more than doing research! It includes teaching, mentoring, administration, public speaking, outreach… I would encourage anyone considering this path to reflect on what aspects of this profession genuinely appeal to them and consider whether it is the best choice.

Learn more about Belen Fadrique