IGC Fellow, Angie Estrada was awarded the SENACYT-IFARHU Doctoral Fellowship 2016. She will receive three years of support to continue her graduate education in the Department of Biological Sciences under Dr. Lisa Belden’s supervision.

SENACYT (National Secretariat of Science, Technology and Innovation) is Panama’s government authority in charge of planning and implementing the national strategy of science and technology. It is the equivalent to the NSF in the United Sates. SENACYT supports outstanding Panamanian students who are pursuing undergraduate, graduate and post-graduate degrees in fields of science at internationally recognized institutions.

Angie’s dissertation focuses on seasonal variation of disease and skin bacterial communities in tropical lowland amphibians. Her main interest is advancing the application of scientific research into a holistic conservation research program for amphibians in Panama. Angie seeks to challenge the existing contrasts between basic and applied research in conservation in Latin America. She believes the effort will require an interdisciplinary approach, combining ecology, social sciences, policy, and science communication to address these pressing issues in the region.