Miguel Somarriba

Tell us about yourself (Who are you? Where are you from? What is your educational background?)

My name is Miguel Somarriba. I’m from Costa Rica (Central America). Did my BSc in Veterinary Medicine at National University of Costa Rica (Universidad Nacional de Costa Rica) and obtained my MSc in Applied Animal Behaviour and Animal Welfare at the University of Edinburgh.

What is your area of expertise?

My masters provided me with specialized knowledge on animal behaviour and stress physiology. In addition, my dissertation project focussed on the associations between beef cattle stress responsiveness and feed efficiency and methane emissions.

Where does your focus lie within your current project(s)? (related to methane)

The subject of my PhD focusses on understanding the biology of stress and its interaction with individual factors such as genetics, productivity and carbon emissions in farm animals.

What would be the added value for you of joining an international researchers network? (such as the METHAGENE network)

This would be a great opportunity to benefit from the exchange of the most current knowledge on the subject, be part of a collaboration network and gain from the experience of other researchers.

What and/or who inspired you to make a career in science?

I was lucky enough to have multiple great teachers, and later on, the opportunity to meet very dedicated and inspiring researchers at SRUC.
My family, my wife and her family have been the best source of encouragement. Without their support and guidance I wouldn’t be where I am today.

What do you enjoy most about your work?

To collaborate with other and learn something new every single day. That by adding something new to the existing body of knowledge the world becomes a more interesting and better place.

What is your most stand-out or surprising moment in science so far?

When science thought me the importance of never forgetting that “Two heads are better than one”, improve your chance to solve a problem by collaborating with others and doing good research.