📢  Welcome Raquel Viso to the DiCE Team!

We are excited to welcome Raquel Viso Rodríguez as a new PhD student in the DiCE research group at Charles University! Raquel joins us from the University of León, Spain, where she developed a strong background in diatom taxonomy, ecology, and biomonitoring through her work at the Diatom Lab under Dr. Saúl Blanco.

With a master’s degree in Advanced Studies of Flora and Fauna, Raquel has already co-authored a scientific publication and contributed to various diatom-related research and outreach projects. Her passion for diatoms led her from riverine to aerophilic communities, and now—towards polar ecosystems!

Her doctoral project, supervised by Tyler Kohler, will explore diatom diversity and community assembly in Antarctic polar oases, using both morphological and molecular (eDNA metabarcoding) approaches. This exciting work will help uncover cryptic microbial diversity and improve our understanding of how polar freshwater ecosystems respond to climate change.

Welcome aboard, Raquel—we’re thrilled to have you with us on this journey to the frozen frontiers of biodiversity! ❄️🔬🌍