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PhD student (since April 2025)
I’m from Panama, where I completed a bachelor’s degree in biology and then a master’s in environmental microbiology at the University of Panama. My path has taken shape between the field and the lab, particularly through several internships at the Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute (STRI). That’s where I discovered that the leaf is a fascinating habitat, and I’ve never left it since. For my undergraduate research project, I studied the ecology of Leptolejeunea elliptica, a tiny epiphyllous liverwort. I observed it on Barro Colorado Island, located in the Panama Canal and considered a true natural laboratory for understanding tropical ecology. During my master’s, I focused on the diversity of bacteria associated with the leaves of Zamia pseudoparasitica, an epiphytic gymnosperm endemic to Panama that lives in the canopy of tropical forests. So I spent a good part of those years… perched in the trees! I also took the opportunity to set up cameras in the canopy to find out which animals dare to eat its seeds, which are toxic, and help disperse them.
Until the start of my PhD, I spent several years working as a naturalist guide on Barro Colorado Island and elsewhere in Panama. This work allowed me to take science beyond the scientific community and share it with all kinds of audiences, from elementary school students to retirees discovering the tropics for the first time. More than just a job, sharing my knowledge and watching people marvel at nature became one of my favourite things to do.
Today, I’m still loyal to leaves! I combine my background in plant biology and environmental microbiology to study the bacteria living on the surface of soybean (Glycine max) leaves. Because of climate change, droughts are becoming more frequent and more intense, and soybean is among the most vulnerable major crops. Plant-associated microorganisms can help plants better tolerate these stresses. Yet research has focused mainly on roots and soil, and the phyllosphere remains largely unexplored territory. My goal is to design a synthetic microbial community (SynCom) derived from the soybean phyllosphere that can improve plant resilience to drought. To build it, I carried out a meta-analysis using sequencing data already published around the world. I also went into the field to collect samples from soybean farms in the Eastern Townships (Estrie) and build my own collection of bacteria isolated directly from leaves. The most promising candidates will then be combined and put to the test in the greenhouse under water stress. Ultimately, I hope to contribute to the development of bio-inoculants adapted to local production systems and to a more climate-resilient agriculture.
Outside the lab, my great passion is soccer, which I’ve been playing since I was little. And when I’m not on the field, I talk. A lot. About science, but also about anything and everything, in Spanish, in English and now a little in French (I’m working on it!).
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