Ximena Bernal
Dr. Ximena E. Bernal is a Professor of Biology at Purdue University and a Research Associate at the Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute.
She is also the Director of the Research Excellence, Access, and Learning (REAL) Scholars Program and co-leader of the Biodiversity Research Community at the Institute for a Sustainable Future at Purdue University. Dr. Bernal holds a master's degree in Behavior and Physiology from Los Andes University in Colombia, and a Ph.D. in Ecology, Evolution, and Behavior from The University of Texas at Austin. Her main area of expertise is animal communication, and her research focuses on understanding the ecology and evolution of eavesdropping behavior. By investigating sensory pollutants, her work also examines how humans impact animal communication networks. Dr. Bernal has published over 70 peer-reviewed studies and two book chapters and has been a guest speaker in several podcasts. She is also passionate about promoting equity and inclusion and has led the conversation about the role of machismo in excluding Latin-American women from science.