Adrián Escudero is a Professor of Ecology and the Director of the Global Change Research Institute (IICG-URJC). He is an ecologist interested in global issues related to biodiversity loss, global change, and its more applied aspects, which can be integrated into what is known as One Health, as well as in restoration ecology. He has worked in highly stressful ecosystems, such as high-altitude Mediterranean climate mountains, arid lands—including dry tropical forests—and gypsum soils, one of the most threatened and least understood habitats in our environment.
He has published more than 330 peer-reviewed articles in journals with recognised impact indices. Among these, five papers stand out in the prestigious Science/Nature tandem, along with many others in leading ecology journals (15 in Journal of Ecology, 8 in Ecography, 5 in Ecology, 8 in New Phytologist, and 10 in American Journal of Botany). Convinced that his most significant impact comes through the people he mentors, he has made a strong effort to train new researchers. Specifically, he has supervised 30 doctoral theses, whose authors are now recognised researchers leading their own laboratories.
Among his published books, La Salud Planetaria (Planetary Health), co-authored with Fernando Valladares and Xiomara Cantera and published by Catarata/CSIC, stands out, as well as his most recent work, Global Running: Crónicas de un ecólogo corredor (Global Running: Chronicles of a Running Ecologist), published by Ed. Desnivel.
His most notable professional achievement is the design and active development of the ‘Biodiversity and Conservation’ Unit at URJC, where he was hired in 2001 for this specific mission. What started as a small initiative at the beginning of the 21st century has grown into a prestigious centre, recognised not only in Spain but also internationally. He directed the centre for over 10 years. Currently, the unit has 35 permanent researchers, 40 PhD students, 18 postdoctoral researchers, and 12 research technicians working in a highly collaborative and productive environment, attracting many researchers from outside Spain. The unit secures over €2 million in funding annually and publishes an average of more than 140 research papers per year.
He is currently a University Governing Council Advisor, appointed by the Rector, and a member of his university’s Research Commission.
Over the past decade, he has led more than 15 competitive research projects as Principal Investigator, securing nearly €3.5 million in funding.
