I initiated my academic and research career in 1994 at the University of Girona (UdG), thanks to part-time teaching position. I started the Doctorate of the Environmental Biology programme in 1994 and the PhD thesis in 1996, under the direction of Dr. Crisanto Gómez López (UdG) and Dr. Pere Pons Ferran (UdG). The aim of the PhD thesis (defended in 2001) was to evaluated the role of ants, birds and rodents on the frugivory, dispersion and predation of seeds of the European buckthorn (Rhamnus alaternus). During this period I participated in different research projects, three of them coordinated by Dr. Xavier Espadaler (Autonomous University of Barcelona) and Dr. Crisanto Gómez (UdG), dedicating most of my research to the study of plant-animal interactions and the effects of the highly invasive Argentine ant (Linepithema humile) on natural communities. The PhD thesis received the “Àngel Arisó i Campà” award of the Institut d’Estudis Catalans for the best work in the category landscape, environment and urbanism.
The study of biological invasions and myrmecology represent two of the main lines of research of the group GR-PECAT (Ecological Disturbances and Terrestrial Animal Communities), together with ornithology and the effect of wild fires on animal communities. The group received the recognition of a consolidated group by the Agency for Management of University and Research Grants (AGAUR) in 2017. Since 2011, I have also collaborated with Dr. Pere Pons in several projects to study the effects of wildfires in animal communities (birds and cicadas). Since 2019, I have also led three projects on sustainable fishing in protected areas and the corresponding collaboration of the fishing sector, for the conservation of the European shag (DESMARES, DESMARESII and DESMARESIII). Since 2018 I has also been collaborating with Núria Roura Pascual evaluating the effects of different control methods of the Asian hornet in apiaries, and the efficacy of different chemical and ecological products to reduce varroa infection in the apiaries submitted to different pressures of the Asian hornet.
In these last 28 years, I have held 2 part-time and 5 full-time contractual positions. I became a Professor Agregat AQU (a full-time permanent position) in 2010. I have been awarded 6 work triennials, 4 AQU teaching premiums and 2 AQU research premiums. I have directed 6 PhD theses (2005, 2011, 2012, 2013, and 2 other in process), 4 Master thesis and 40 End-of-course thesis. I have also participated in the tribunal of 10 PhD theses. In relation to my research activity, I have been a principal investigator of 2 competitive projects, and also I have participated in 27 projects and research grants with a result of 33 SCI publications, 12 publications in non-indexed journals, 4 book chapters and 20 papers in a total of 11 congresses. I have been 2 autonomous research periods.