I am Paloma Ruiz de Diego, predoctoral researcher at the Royal Botanical Garden of Madrid (RJB-CSIC). My thesis is included within the project “The Odd Man Out” which studies the low diversity of plant species in Tropical Africa compared to other similar regions on the planet. My research focuses on large groups of the Euphorbiaceae family (such as the genera Euphorbia, Croton and Macaranga). In my free time what I like most is mountaineering and traveling. My main hobbies are reading and, in general, any activity or creative project that comes my way (from cooking or pottery to any type of dance).