I obtained my undergraduate degree in Marine Biology in my native Colombia, where I studied heart function of dolphins for my Honors Thesis. After I graduated, I joined the R/V Odyssey, a 98 foot ketch doing research on marine mammal populations around the Galapagos Islands.

I worked and lived on board for over a year, first in the Galapagos Islands and then in Coco's Island. I came to the USA to pursue a PhD., and after being accepted at Cornell University in the Neurobiology and Behavior program, I decided to switch from working on marine mammals, to working with birds.