Omar R. Lopez Alfano

Omar R. Lopez Alfano serves as the Director de Ciencia at the Inter-American Institute for Global Change Research (IAI) since August 2024, following a significant tenure as an Associate Researcher at the Smithsonian Institution since August 2005. Specializing in plant physiological ecology, Omar focuses on water relations, salinity tolerance of tropical tree species, and the ecology of mangroves and wetland ecosystems. Additional roles include Investigador Asociado at the Instituto de Investigaciones Cientificas y Servicios de Alta Tecnologia, where research emphasizes ecological physiology and forest dynamics, and Professor Especial TP III at the Universidad de Panamá, teaching general botany and systematic botany. As Secretario Técnico del Sistema Nacional de Investigación within SENACYT, Omar has contributed to enhancing research excellence in Panama. With previous experience as an Academic Director for the School for International Training and as a postdoctoral researcher at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, Omar holds a Ph.D. in Biology from the University of Utah and a Bachelor’s degree in Botany from the Universidad de Panamá.