Pablo José Varas Enríquez
Doctoral Student
Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology
Department of Human Behavior, Ecology and Culture
Deutscher Platz 6
04103 Leipzig
E-mail: pablo_varaseva.mpgde
Research Interests
With a background in biological anthropology and evolutionary ecology, I have developed an interest in the reproductive strategies of humans (and other organisms) from an evolutionary perspective. This has motivated me in trying to understand how different social and environmental factors relate to different strategies within and among populations. Through my PhD research, under the supervision of Dr. Dieter Lukas, Dr. Heidi Colleran, and Dr. Monique Borgerhoff-Mulder, I aim to understand how the resource transfers during the life cycle influence different life-history traits that shape the reproductive timing and investment among individuals, in order to understand the mechanisms behind the diversity of life-history strategies in humans. I am a member of the Comparative Behavioral Ecology Group and the Max Planck Research Group BirthRites.
Curriculum Vitae
Education
| 2019-present | PhD Candidate Department of Human Behaviour, Ecology, and Culture, Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology |
| 2017-2019 | MSc in Biological Sciences: Ecology and Evolution Institute for Biodiversity and Ecosystem Dynamics, Faculty of Science, Universiteit van Amsterdam Supervisors: Dr. Daniel Kissling, Dr. Hal Caswell, Dr. Nicolás Montalva Rivera |
| 2018 | Professional degree in Physical Anthropology Department of Anthropology, Faculty of Social Sciences, Universidad de Chile |
| 2008-2012 | Bachelor’s degree in Anthropology with major in Physical Anthropology Department of Anthropology, Faculty of Social Sciences, Universidad de Chile |
Research Experience
| 2019 | Guest researcher Society and Health Research Center, Universidad Mayor Supervisors: Dr. Nicolás Montalva Rivera, Dr. Dieter Lukas, and Dr. Martijn Egas Review literature to address the evidence of competition and cooperation across the human life cycle and their influence in life-history traits |
| 2018-2019 | MSc student researcher Theoretical Ecology Group, Institute for Biodiversity and Ecosystem Dynamics, Faculty of Science, Universiteit van Amsterdam Supervisors: Dr. Hal Caswell, Dr. (c) Silke van Daalen, and Dr. Isabel Smallegange Explore the relationship between stochasticity and the patterns of different demographic outputs among plants and animals through the fast-slow continuum. Use of programming language and statistical software R, and the COMPADRE and COMADRE databases. |
| 2018 | MSc student researcher Laboratory of Biogeography and Macroecology, Institute for Biodiversity and Ecosystem Dynamics, Faculty of Science, Universiteit van Amsterdam Supervisors: Dr. Daniel Kissling and Dr. Hal Caswell Analyse the relationship of macroecological drivers in the number of surviving offspring and its variability on contemporary human populations. Use of programming language and statistical software R, and ArcGIS for spatial data. |
| 2016-2018 | Guest researcher Section for Ecoinformatics and Biodiversity, Aarhus Universitet Supervisor: Dr. Jens-Christian Svenning, Dr. Nicolás Montalva Rivera, and Dr. Daniel Kissling Explore spatial and geographical patterns of reproductive behaviour in contemporary human populations |
| 2015-2018 | BSc student researcher Department of Anthropology, Universidad de Chile Supervisors: Dr. Nicolás Montalva Rivera, Dr. Luseadra McKerracher, Dr. Miriam Pérez, Dr. Sergio Flores Analysis of the relationship between socioeconomic conditions and the variation of reproductive behaviour in contemporary female population from Chile. Use of programming language and statistical software R |
| 2014 | Research assistant Faculty of Science, Universidad de Chile Supervisor: Dr. (c) María José Herrera Cortisol collection from hair samples and application of psychological tests |
| 2013 | Research assistant Department of Anthropology, Faculty of Social Science, Universidad de Chile Supervisor: Dr. (c) Constanza Silva DNA collection from saliva samples and application of socioeconomic surveys |
| 2012 | Research assistant Faculty of Science, Universidade do Sao Paulo Supervisor: MSc Tamara Pardo Dietary data collection from interviews and creation of methodological and ethics tools. |
| 2012 | Research assistant Department of Anthropology, Faculty of Social Science, Universidad de Chile Supervisor: Dr. Sergio Flores Bioanthropological, health and diet data collection from human remains at the R. P. Gustavo Le Paige’s Museum. |
Work Experience
| 2016 | Assistant Ethics Committee for Research, Faculty of Social Science, Universidad de Chile |
| 2016 | Physical anthropologist El Olivar site, route 5 |
| 2010-2016 | Professional support in codification Social Research Center, TECHO |
| 2010-2013 | Outreach facilitator Faculty of Social Science, Universidad de Chile |
| 2012 | Professional internship Archaeological Research Institute and R. P. Gustavo Le Paige’s Museum, Universidad Católica del Norte Supervisor: Dr. Mark Hubbe |
| 2011 | Physical anthropologist El Olivar site, Brillamar |
| 2011 | Conservation assistant Archaeological Research Institute and R. P. Gustavo Le Paige’s Museum, Universidad Católica del Norte Supervisor: Dr. Mark Hubbe |
Teaching Experience
| 2015 | Undergraduate Teaching Assistant Evolution II Department of Anthropology, Faculty of Social Science, Universidad de Chile Supervisor: Dr. Sergio Flores |
| 2013 | Undergraduate Teaching Assistant Human Ecology Department of Anthropology, Faculty of Social Science, Universidad de Chile Supervisor: Dr. Luis Flores |
| 2012 | Undergraduate Teaching Assistant Human Ecology Department of Anthropology, Faculty of Social Science, Universidad de Chile Supervisor: Dr. Luis Flores |
| 2012 | Undergraduate Teaching Assistant Introduction to Physical Anthropology Department of Anthropology, Faculty of Social Science, Universidad de Chile Supervisor: MSc Sebastián Krapivka |
| 2012 | Undergraduate Teaching Assistant Introduction to Scientific Method Department of Anthropology, Faculty of Social Science, Universidad de Chile Supervisor: Dr. Germán Manríquez |
| 2011 | Undergraduate Teaching Assistant Introduction to Scientific Method Department of Anthropology, Faculty of Social Science, Universidad de Chile Supervisor: Dr. Germán Manríquez |
| 2010 | Undergraduate Teaching Assistant Evolution I Department of Anthropology, Faculty of Social Science, Universidad de Chile Supervisor: MSc Sebastián Krapivka |
| 2010 | Undergraduate Teaching Assistant Biology Department of Anthropology, Faculty of Social Science, Universidad de Chile Supervisor: Dr. Eugenio Aspillaga |
Awards, scholarships, and grants
| 2017-2019 | Scholarship holder BECAS Chile – Chilean government |
Publications
Peer-reviewed journal articles
P J Varas Enriquez, L J McKerracher, M G Elliot; Pre-eclampsia and maternal–fetal conflict,
Evolution, Medicine, and Public Health, Volume 2018, Issue 1, 1 January 2018, Pages 217–218, https://doi.org/10.1093/emph/eoy029
Conferences
| 2020 | Varas Enríquez, P. J., Svenning J-C., Montalva Rivera, N., Kissling, W. D. “Macroecology of the variability of surviving offspring in contemporary human populations from the Global South” Lighting Talk Evolutionary Demography Society Annual Meeting, Røros, Norway |
| 2019 | van Daalen, S., Varas Enríquez, P. J., Caswell, H. “Variance matters: a comparative analysis of lifetime reproduction” Poster British Ecological (BES) Society Annual Meeting, Belfast, Northern Ireland |
| 2018 | Varas Enríquez, P. J., Svenning J-C., Montalva Rivera, N., Kissling, W. D. “Macroecology of mean surviving offspring in contemporary human populations from the Global South” Lighting Talk Chilean Society of Biological Anthropology (SOCHIAB) Annual Meeting, Santiago, Chile |
| 2018 | Varas Enríquez, P. J., Svenning J-C., Montalva, N., Kissling, W. D. “Macroecology of lifetime reproductive success in contemporary human populations from the Global South” Lighting Talk Macroecology SIG Conference of the British Ecological Society (BES), St. Andrews, Scotland |
| 2016 | Varas Enríquez, P. J., Montalva Rivera, N., Flores Carrasco, S. “Socioeconomic groups and reproductive strategies: a cohort study of women from 1963-1968, Chile” Talk Chilean Society of Biological Anthropology (SOCHIAB) Annual Meeting, Quillota, Chile |
| 2013 | González Zarzar T., Santana Sagrado F., Cañas Encina P., Bucchi Morales A., Varas Enríquez P. J., Maturana Fernández A., Flores Carrasco S. “Tiwanaku’s influence in quality of life of San Pedro de Atacama’s populations” Poster National Conference of Biological Anthropology, Buenos Aires, Argentina |