Kathrin Barboza Márquez
Kathrin Barboza Márquez | |
|---|---|
| Born | 1983 Cochabamba, Bolivia |
| Occupation(s) | Biologist, mammalogist, educator |
| Known for | Rediscovery of the Bolivian sword-nosed bat; research on bat bioacoustics and conservation |
Kathrin Barboza Márquez (born 1983) is a Bolivian biologist with a focus on bat studies. In 2006, alongside a colleague, she rediscovered a bat species long believed extinct. She was awarded the National Geographic "Young Explorer Grant" in 2010 and became the first Bolivian recipient of the L'Oréal-UNESCO Fellowship for Women in Science in 2012. The BBC recognized her in 2013 as one of the leading ten Latin American women contributing to science.
Biography
Born in 1983 in Cochabamba, Bolivia, Barboza Márquez is the daughter of Mario Pablo Barboza Céspedes and María Alcira Márquez Zurita. She pursued her biology degree at the Universidad Mayor de San Simón (UMSS), specializing in conservation at the Center of Biodiversity and Genetics. After attending a lecture about bats delivered by Dr. Luis Aguirre in 2003, she redirected her academic interests toward bat conservation. Subsequently, she completed a bioacoustics course and received guidance from German ecologist Elisabeth Kalko. Her thesis explored reproductive behaviors of fruit bats, and she participated in a year-long expedition aiming to locate the Nariz de Espada (sword-nosed bat), which had been considered extinct in Bolivia since the 1930s.
Conducting fieldwork near Bolivia’s border with Brazil, Barboza Márquez encountered both physical hardships and emotional strain but ultimately verified the species’ continued existence. The 2006 rediscovery of the Bolivian sword-nosed bat (Lonchorhina aurita) led to its safeguarding within the Ecological Sanctuary of San Juan de Corralito in Santa Cruz Department—the first Latin American reserve devoted exclusively to bat protection. She obtained a Master’s degree in Biology and Conservation of Tropical Areas from Menéndez Pelayo International University through collaboration with Spain’s Higher Council for Scientific Research and Ecuador’s Central University.
Since 2010, Barboza Márquez has delivered international instruction on bat bioacoustics across countries including Bolivia, Brazil, Costa Rica, Peru, Spain, and Uruguay. Her investigations emphasize bats’ ecological importance: insectivorous bats act as natural pest controllers for crops such as agave (used in tequila production), mangoes, bananas, and guavas, while pollinating species facilitate plant reproduction. Her doctoral research involved studying endangered bat populations in Madrid at the Museo Nacional de Ciencias Naturales. Upon returning to Cochabamba, she engaged with initiatives under Conservation of Bats in Bolivia and contributed to the Latin American Network for Bat Conservation.
Barboza Márquez has spoken openly about encountering gender bias as a young female scientist but champions expanded opportunities for women within conservation fields through education and mentorship programs. After the catastrophic fires of 2019 that impacted more than 4.2 million acres—including Bolivia’s Chiquitano forest where she had conducted six years of research—her efforts have concentrated on raising public awareness and gathering data to support biodiversity preservation.
Currently, she holds the position of associate investigator specializing in mammalogy at the Natural History Museum Alcide d'Orbigny and provides instruction on fieldwork techniques, biodiversity surveys, and flora/fauna studies through Natural Zone, an environmental education enterprise.
Beyond her scientific career, Barboza Márquez is an avid Pilates practitioner, dedicating between four to seven hours daily. She also serves as an instructor and board member at Mundo Pilates in Cochabamba, crediting Pilates with aiding her recovery from a back injury sustained during field research. In her free time, she enjoys baking and watching movies.
Accomplishments
In 2007, Barboza Márquez was awarded a grant from the Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute to investigate the influence of forest and island boundaries on bat habitats located on Barro Colorado Island, Panama.
Subsequently, she received the 2009 National Geographic Young Explorer Scholarship, which supported her study of bat echolocation in Bolivia’s Beni Savanna. This work led to the development of one of the earliest echolocation frequency databases for insectivorous bats in that region. Additionally, she co-directed an innovative research project at the Spirit Wildlife Refuge focusing on ectoparasites within bat colonies, documenting more than 20 distinct mite and tick morphotypes.
In 2012, Barboza Márquez became the first Bolivian recipient of the L'Oréal-UNESCO Fellowship for Women in Science. She utilized this fellowship to further her investigations into ultrasound communication among bats, studying their call structures to classify species and interpret behavioral patterns.
The BBC honored her in 2013 by naming her among Latin America’s top ten female scientists.