Johan Espunyes, Researcher

I was born in 1989 in Andorra where I developed my affinity and interest for mountains, nature and their conservation. In 2012, with an exclusive interest in wildlife, I graduated with a degree in veterinary medicine at the UAB. Soon after, I decided to conduct some externships at the Institute of Research in Game Resources (IREC) in Ciudad Real and at the ONCFS in the French Alps where I discovered and get started in the world of research and wildlife management. I also took a course in Wildlife Epidemiology and Disease Control at the IREC.

​

Following these stays I decided to pursue a Master degree in wildlife management and health at the University of Murcia. My Master thesis research focused on the Epidemiology of Pestivirus in wild ungulates and their relationship with livestock in Andalusia. I also worked three summers as a temporary technician in the Wildlife Department of the Andorran Government dealing with wildlife management, conservation and recovery. At the end of my Master degree I decided to return to the UAB and prepare a PhD thesis with the SEFaS.

​

In 2019 I defended my doctoral thesis "Effects of global change on the diet of a mountain ungulate: the Pyrenean chamois". This study was the result of an agreement between the Wildlife Ecology and Health Group and the French National Hunting and Wildlife Agency (ONCFS) in order to improve international collaboration around issues in the Pyrenees.