Keynote speakers
Nuno Borralho 🇵🇹
Title: The global importance of eucalyptus and the role of science to sustain it
Affiliation (until June 2023): Raiz Forest and Paper Research Institute, Director of Forestry Research and Consultancy, Portugal.
Current affiliation: Consultant in Forest Genetics and Breeding
Short CV
Nuno Borralho has a MSc in Forestry from University of Lisbon, and a PhD in Forest Genetics from the University of Oxford. He started his career, over 30 years ago, as a tree breeder and geneticist, then as lecturer and researcher in forest genetics and breeding at the University of Tasmania, and more recently as head of the forestry research at RAIZ Institute as well as a consultant in several international programs and initiatives. His interests as researcher and consultant have covered many aspects of eucalypt genetic improvement, especially in the development of appropriate objectives, advanced quantitative genetic methods, and the development of robust decision rules in breeding, conservation and deployment programs.
Jeremy Brawner 🇺🇸
Title: Breeding for biotic and abiotic stresses
Affiliation: Department of Plant Pathology, University of Florida, USA
Short CV
Jeremy Brawner has a MSc in Genetics from University of Florida, USA, and a PhD in Statistics/Quantitative Genetics from the University of Queensland, Australia. He joined the faculty of the UF Department of Plant Pathology in 2019, with responsibilities in research and extension on Tree Health Genetic Resources. His research program is focused on developing disease tolerant tree crops and his extension program delivers these varieties to a range of stakeholders. He works with forest and tree crop managers in Florida, the USA, and abroad to develop more efficient disease screening and breeding programs.
He has a extensive experience, as researcher and consultant in several institutions, international programs, and private companies, among which are: University of the Sunshine Coast (AUS); Australian Centre for International Agricultural Research (ACIAR); Horticulture and Forestry Sciences, QLD Government (AUS); CSIRO Plant Industry (AUS); Queensland Forestry Research Institute (AUS); Cooperative Forest Genetics Research Program (USA); CAMCORE, North Carolina State University (USA); INTA/CIEF (Argentina); Gentree PTY (AUS) & PhytoPath Inc. (USA); MarGen Limited (NZ & AUS); Arborgen (NZ & AUS); Forestal Mininco (Chile); Forestal Yguazu (Paraguay & Argentina); Forestal Oriental (Uruguay); Shell CAPSA (Argentina).
Dario Grattapaglia 🇧🇷
Title: Molecular and genomic technologies
Affiliation: EMBRAPA and University of Brazilia (Brazil), and North Carolina State University (USA)
Research scientist at EMBRAPA Brazilian Corporation of Agricultural
Research and adjunct professor at the University of BrasÃlia and North Carolina State University. Forest engineer with a Ph.D. in Genetics from North Carolina State University in 1994. Works on forest and fruit tree genetics and genomics applied to breeding practice and population genetics and conservation of tropical trees.
Project leader of the Genolyptus network and co-PI of the Eucalyptus Genome Sequencing Project. Fellow of the Brazilian Academy of Sciences
Rafael Rubilar 🇨🇱
Title: Environmental, social and economic benefits
Affiliation: Department of Silviculture, Faculty of Forestry Sciences, University of Concepción. Forest Productivity Cooperative. Chile.
Dr. Rafael Rubilar is a professor and researcher at the Faculty of Forestry Sciences at the University of Concepción and an adjunct professor at North Carolina State University and Virginia Tech, in addition to serving as Co-Director of the Forest Productivity Cooperative. This Cooperative is a collaborative non-profit organization with members and studios in Chile, Argentina, Brazil, Colombia, Uruguay and the United States, developing advanced research in sustainably managed plantation forestry. Dr. Rubilar carries out several long-term studies on water, nutritional and forest carbon sequestration sustainability, and has more than 100 publications in international journals, has published 3 book chapters and 1 book on plantation forestry issues, with emphasis on soils, nutrition, management, productivity, water relations and forest sustainability.
CLAUDIO BALOCCHI 🇨🇱
Title: Sustainable Wood Supply: Genetic Diversity Strategy to keep Forest Productivity under a Climate Change Scenario
Affiliation: Bioforest S.A./Arauco. Chile.
Dr. Claudio Balocchi has a MSc and PhD in forest genetics from North Carolina State University. He is a senior researcher and Genetic Division manager in Bioforest, a private research company owned by Arauco, one of the largest forest companies in Chile, and also own forest plantations in Argentina Brazil and Uruguay. His research program is focused on forest genetics, biotechnology, and propagation, with emphasis in operational applications for a wide range of species like: Pinus radiata, Pinus taeda, Eucalyptus globulus, E. nitens, E. grandis, E. urophylla, E. dunnii and many hybrids of these main species..