Get to know... Carla Ragonezi

Carla Ragonezi has been a researcher at ISOPlexis - Centre for Sustainable Agriculture and Food Technology at the University of Madeira since 2018 and an Integrated Member of CITAB since 2020. With a degree in Biological Sciences (PUC-MG, Brazil - 2006) and a PhD in Biology from the University of Évora (2013), she has built an academic career marked by interdisciplinarity between biology, the environment, and agriculture. Her scientific activity focuses on the analysis of agroecosystems, with an emphasis on the interactions between the microbiome and crops, the genetic diversity of varieties, and the development of more resilient and sustainable agri-food systems. In parallel, she participates in teaching activities and student supervision. 

Her research is motivated by an interest in natural systems and their application to challenges related to agricultural sustainability and climate change. Her international experience, between Brazil and Portugal, has contributed to an integrative and collaborative scientific perspective. Currently, she coordinates the isUP-AgrO project, aimed at strengthening ISOPlexis capabilities in the context of sustainable agriculture and food technology research, within an institution located in an outermost region (Madeira, Portugal), with specific challenges and opportunities within the European framework. Involved in knowledge transfer activities, she collaborates with farmers, producers, policymakers, and other stakeholders, promoting the link between research and its practical application.