Ingrid C. Romero

• Postdoctoral Research Fellow in Natural History, Smithsonian Institution

I am a Colombian biologist and micropaleontologist. Throughout my career, my research interests have been focused on the study of microfossils to have a deeper understanding of paleo-ecological changes through time, as well as to understand the role that climatic and geological events have in these changes. My research has also been focused on studying the evolution of different lineages of plants, mainly in the tropics. Microfossil records, such as pollen and spores, are considered one of the most continuous proxies for evaluating changes in plant communities through different periods of time.

During my career, I had the opportunity to work on a Miocene geological section from the Colombian savannas. From this study, the major findings indicated two major marine incursions in northern South America during the early and middle Miocene.

I also have worked with computer scientists to integrate super-resolution microscopy and machine learning models in the identification of pollen species. This study demonstrated that the combination of both techniques provides more information about the evolution of plants than previously recognized and suggests that the fossil pollen record is more diverse than previously expected.

One of my goals as a scientist is to transmit the knowledge that I have acquired during my career to future students in science, as well as to inspire new generations to pursue STEM careers, especially in paleontology.

• –present Postdoctoral Research Fellow, Smithsonian Institution

• University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, PhD/ Plant Biology

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