Biosketch
I am originally from Haiti. After initially completing an agricultural engineering degree (Université d’Etat d’Haïti), I obtained a Master's degree in Tropical Ecology (2020) and then a PhD (2025) at the University of the French West Indies (Université des Antilles). My research focuses on the evolution and conservation of biodiversity in the Caribbean region, particularly focusing on herpetofauna.
The Aquatic Herpetofauna in the Caribbean Islands (Doctoral Thesis Research topic)
For my doctoral thesis, I studied freshwater turtles in the Caribbean Islands, particularly the species belonging to the genus Trachemys. My research focused on both the conservation of endemic species (e.g. T. decorata, which is endemic to Hispaniola) and biosecurityfighting against Invasive Alien Species (e.g. the red-eared slider, T. scripta, and the Puerto Rican slider, T. stejnegeri, which is listed on the IUCN Red List on its natural range but as an IAS in the French West Indies). Through multidisciplinary approaches (genetics, population monitoring, diet studies, socio-economic surveys and bibliometric analyses), my work aims to propose sustainable solutions for the better conservation of endemic species in the region, in line with the specific realities of each island and the needs of local communities, particularly in Haiti and the French West Indies.
Research topic: Caribbean biogeography (ANR SUBUTTEC project)
I am currently hired as postdoctoral researcher at IRD, working on the ANR-funded project called SUBUTTEC (SUBduction Triggered Terrestrial Evolution in the Caribbean). The project's objectives are to (i) understand the biogeographical dispersion mechanisms of clades of interest (both terrestrial and aquatic) and (ii) test different hypotheses of species dispersion across the entire insular Caribbean region, including both the Greater and the Lesser Antilles. The project is aiming at (i) better understanding the interactions between the tectonic movements of the plates and the dynamics of biodiversity, and (ii) inferring conservation strategies for Key Biodiversity Areas (KBAs) in the Caribbean, which is classified as a Global Biodiversity Hotspot.
