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Biography

I am an Agronomic Engineer with post-graduate training in Soils & Plant Nutrition. I am currently a visiting scientist within CSIRO Agriculture & Food working on a GRDC-funded project designed to improve crop yields and mitigate the effects of constraints in sandy soils. In my previous role, I have served as a member of an interdisciplinary research team that managed and conducted experimental work under laboratory, glasshouse and field conditions to develop novel fertiliser formulations, assessing its agronomic and environmental performances.

Before moving to Australia in 2013, I completed my post-graduate training in the field of soil science and plant nutrition at the University of Sao Paulo, Piracicaba, Brazil. My master’s research investigated the interference caused by gypsum on phosphorus bioavailability. During my doctorate research, I manufactured phosphate fertilizers varying in solubility and investigated their agronomic performances in laboratory, glasshouse and field trials. In addition to the university based work, my research experiments and analyses were carried out in collaboration with Mato Grosso Research Foundation (MT, Brazil) and Centre for Nuclear Energy in Agriculture (SP, Brazil), together with collaborators at Argonne National Laboratory (IL, USA) and Kansas State University (KS, USA), where I spent a doctorate “sandwich” program (2011-12). Prior to this, I obtained my Agronomic Engineering degree from the Sao Paulo State University, Botucatu, Brazil, where I was awarded scholarships to perform scientific research during 3 years of my course.

My research interests include relevant topics of the agricultural production, particularly soil science, plant nutrition, fertilizer technology, nutrient cycling, isotope techniques, root & plant phenotype, crops, forest & pasture management, land use change, scientific writing.

Academic Qualifications

  • 2009-13

    PhD - Soils & Plant Nutrition
    University of Sao Paulo / Kansas State University

  • 2007-09

    MSc - Soils & Plant Nutrition
    University of Sao Paulo

  • 2002-06

    BS - Agronomic Engineer
    Sao Paulo State University

Achievements and Awards

  • 2006-2006

    Outstanding in Research
    Foundation for Research on Agricultural and Forest Sciences

  • 2012-2012

    IPNI International Scholar Award
    International Plant Nutrition Institute

Current Roles

  • Visiting Scientist / CSIRO - Agriculture & Food
    Various field-based trials carried out to identify the main soil constraints limiting crop yield in Southern Australia. Several management strategies are under evaluation to address these issues and to mitigate the effects of sandy-soil constraints, aiming to close yield gaps and increase profitability. This is a GRDC-funded project.

  • Research Scientist / University of Adelaide - Fertiliser Technology Research Centre
    Studies focused primarily on understanding the fundamental processes controlling fertiliser efficiency in soils from around the world. A combination of chemical, spectroscopic, and radio-isotopic techniques is used in these investigations, as well as glasshouse and agronomic field trials.

Professional Areas