Gonzalo Giribet (Burgos, 52 years old) collected snails at the age of four or five when he went on vacation to the capital of Burgos and seashells when he went down to the beach of Vilanova i la Geltrú, where he grew up. His passion for mollusks led him to study zoology at the University of Barcelona and to further his studies at the American Museum of Natural History in New York, after completing his doctorate. At the end of the 90s, he thought it would be for two years and then return to Spain. But he got involved, first as an assistant professor and then as full professor (equivalent to professor) of zoology at Harvard UniversitySince 2021, he has been the director of Harvard's Museum of Comparative Zoology and responsible for its invertebrate collection. As a researcher, he has focused his work on incorporating genetics and its tools into the study of invertebrates. Last week he was in Madrid, participating in the first international directors' forum of natural science museums organized by the BBVA Foundation and the National Museum of Natural Sciences (MNCN-CSIC). The focus of the debate is the role of museums in research and knowledge dissemination in the face of the climate and biodiversity crises.
