S2E9: Invertebrates, museums, windsurfing and more with Dr. Gonzalo Giribet

In this episode, we’re hearing from Dr. Gonzalo Giribet, who is a Professor of Organismic and Evolutionary Biology and the Curator of Invertebrates and Director of the Museum of Comparative Zoology. Gonzalo received his bachelor’s degree and his PhD from the University of Barcelona, then did his postdoc at the American Museum of Natural History in New York. While there, his postdoc advisor convinced him to apply for a faculty position at Harvard, which he got, and he has been at Harvard ever since. Gonzalo was an early adopter of the idea of molecular phylogenetics, which he has used to help clarify our understanding of the invertebrate tree of life.

In this episode, we chat about:

• What a postdoc at a museum is like and the types of research you can do at a museum
• What a science museum curator does (and doesn’t do)
• Underrated invertebrates, including velvet worms
• How studying rare animals has enabled Gonzalo to travel the world
• Gonzalo’s vision for the future of Harvard’s Museum of Comparative Zoology
• Some of the pros and cons of studying non-model organisms
• The value of being disciplined with how you use your time
• Finding a project you’re really passionate about
• Windsurfing!

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