Victoria Sork is interested in the ecology and evolutionary biology of temperate and tropical tree populations, particularly with respect to contemporary gene movement through pollen and seed dispersal and to historical gene movement. She applies information on ecological and evolutionary processes to environmental questions, such as the design of reserve networks and the conservation of tree species, in light of climate change and landscape alteration. Currently, she is focusing on California oaks, and she has worked on temperate and tropical forest tree species in the United States, Central and South America, and Africa. Professor Sork’s research integrates traditional evolutionary biology with environmental questions into an emerging field of evolutionary conservation science with the ultimate goal of translating science into policy.

My research uses genomics and quantitative genetics to fundamentally change tree breeding. With revolutionary changes in DNA sequencing technology and analytical methods, we are finally poised to realize genomics’ potential in animal and plant breeding.

I’m a tree ecophysiologist. The main focus of my research is about how/why/when
trees die in the face of climate change, particularly under heatwave and drought conditions.

2019-2022: PhD in plant biology / ecophysiology under the direction of Dr. Herve
Cochard and Dr. Jose M. Torres-Ruiz at the PIAF Laboratory - University of Clermont
Auvergne - France

• 2021-2022: Fulbright Research Scholar at the Holbrook Laboratory (University of
  Harvard)
• 2023-2025: Post doc at Ecophyslab – University of Florida under the supervision of Dr.
  William M. Hammond
• September 2025-onward: Researcher at the PIAF Laboratory – INRAE France

I performed my PhD at the Museum of Natural Sciences--CSIC, and obtained my doctorate degree at Rey Juan Carlos University (URJC) in 2008, with cum laude qualification, European Doctorate mention and Extraordinary Doctorate Award. Then, I was awarded a 3-year Marie Curie International Outgoing Fellowship (European Commission), to carry out a 2-year postdoctoral research stay at Wesleyan University (CT, USA) and a 1-year stay at the MNCN (CSIC). In May 2012, I joined the URJC Área de Biodiversidad y Conservación with a Juan de la Cierva postdoctoral fellowship; in 2016 I obtained a Ramón y Cajal fellowship. All the fellowships that I have enjoyed in my scientific career have been obtained in highly competitive research programs. In 2021, I became Associate Professor of Ecology at URJC.  My lines of research mainly focus on the evolutionary ecology of plants. In particular, my research deals with the ecological and evolutionary effects of global change (mainly habitat fragmentation, climate change, invasive species) in Mediterranean plants, with an interest in the evolutionary potential of plant populations. I use an interdisciplinary approach, combining field studies, ecophysiology, quantitative genetics, population genetics and molecular tools.   I have published 66 articles in SCI journals in top journals including Ecology Letters (2), New Phytologist (2), Ecology (2), Journal of Ecology (4) and Global Ecology and Biogeography (2). I am the first author in 26 of them, and three of them are invited review articles. Up to date, they have received >3000 citations in the Web of Science (>4900 in Google Scholar), h-index 25 (30 in GS). I have 33 months of experience in international stays in diverse institutions (USA, Scotland, Estonia), where I have established long-term collaborations with international researchers, as reflected in the diversity of the co-authors of my publications. I have also published several articles in scientific and popular journals such as Investigación y Ciencia, and several book chapters. I have been invited to present my research at two international conferences. I have also given 10 oral presentations, 7 of them at international congresses and one at a national congress. I am the co-author of another 7 presentations at national and international conferences, and I have presented a total of 14 posters. I have also been part of the scientific committee of several international conferences. In addition, I have been invited to present seminars in conferences, workshops and seminar cycles held in different international research institutions.   I have participated in 14 research projects of national and international funding, being the principal investigator of four of them, funded by MINECO, the British Ecological Society, the AEET and the URJC, and I have been member of the External Advisory Board of a H2020 consortium. To date, I have reviewed more than 110 papers for 28 SCI journals. I am a regular reviewer of research grants and scholarships, for both national and international research agencies. Since 2012, I teach several classes at URJC at the Bachelor and Master levels, accumulating more than 800h of teaching experience. I have supervised three doctoral thesis (plus one more currently ongoing), 4 master¿s theses (TFM) and 6 bachelor¿s theses (TFG). I have also been a member of 9 PhD defense panels, at both national and international institutions. I regularly participate in outreach and dissemination activities.

I manage NatureScot's (SNH) Evidence and Reporting, and Terrestrial Vascular Plant teams. This includes conservation of wild plants, and development and production of indicators such as Ecosystem Health Indicators and Convention on Biological Diversity reports. This work relies heavily on citizen science. I work with colleagues on conservation of genetic diversity, urban biodiversity and evidence-based conservation.

My first collaboration with RBGE was as part of the team developing a world first genetic diversity indicator for wild species. We used a scorecard approach for wild species of cultural and socio-economic importance to promote long-term conservation of genetic diversity.

I am interested forest management, and in particular opportunities for multiple benefits from woodlands: economic, social and biodiversity conservation. I have also study the interaction between non-native species and novel pests and pathogens. Our work analyses the implications of introducing additional tree species for commercial or conservation purposes.