Embrapa researcher assumes presidency of the Brazilian Society of Phytopathology

For the first time since it was created in 1966, the Brazilian Society of Phytopathology (SBF) will be chaired by a mostly female team. In addition to president Juliana de Freitas-Astúa, a researcher at Embrapa Mandioca and Fruticulture, the following make up the board for the period 2021-2025: vice-president Rosana Blawid (Federal Rural University of Pernambuco), treasurer Thaís Santiago (University of Brasília), director- administrative Alexandre Mello (Embrapa Hortaliças, DF) and secretary Maria Balbi (State University of Londrina), who was invited to remain in the position.

“The composition of the SBF board was not based on gender, but on the affinity between people who had a similar vision for our Society. I know that the high number of women ended up attracting attention, but I hope that the day is near when women and men are equally represented in the leadership of scientific societies, universities, public and private companies, without this being a reason to mention it. When that day comes, I will be happy. But for now, it is still necessary to talk about it, it is important that it is publicized”, she highlights.

Juliana intends to continue in the line of work of the previous administration, chaired by Eduardo Mizubuti, professor at the Federal University of Viçosa (UFV). “The previous board managed to attract students, young researchers and people who were a little removed from SBF. The website became much more attractive and informative and the Society's publicity was expanded on social media. Our idea for SBF to remain increasingly relevant to the scientific community and the population in general is to strengthen committees and working groups, promote and support activities such as workshops and webinars, which have been important during the pandemic and are here to stay, and bring us closer to the production sector, regulatory agencies, public policy makers and national and international scientific societies, not only in phytopathology, but also in related areas”, he explains.

SBF is headquartered in Brasília and is responsible for publishing the renowned magazine Tropical Plant Pathology (TPP) and the Annual Review of Plant Pathology (RAPP) and holds, every two years, the Brazilian Congress of Phytopathology (CBF), together with the local event committee.

Careers 

Juliana Astúa has a degree in Agricultural Engineering from the University of São Paulo (USP), a master's degree in Phytopathology from USP, a PhD in Phytovirology from the University of Florida and a post-doctorate from USP. She has been a researcher at Embrapa Mandioca e Fruticultura since 2002, working in collaboration with the São Paulo Agribusiness Technology Agency (APTA). She is responsible for the advanced field at Embrapa Mandioca e Fruticultura in the capital of São Paulo.

He was president of the International Organization of Citrus Virologists (IOCV) from 2013 to 2016, and since then, he has been a member of the board of this organization. He is co-chair of the study group on the Rhabdoviridae family of the International Committee on Taxonomy of Viruses (ICTV) and a member of the international panel to develop protocols for the diagnosis of citrus leprosis for the International Plant Protection Convention (IPPC/FAO). Since 2018, she has been a visiting professor at Southwest University (Chongqing, China).