Silvina C. Pessino

Biochemist, graduated in 1989 from National University of Rosario (UNR). PhD in Biochemistry (1995, UNR). Postdoctoral stay at IBERS (Institute of Biological, Environmental and Rural Sciences, Aberystwyth, Wales, UK) (1995-1998). Mother language: Spanish. Foreign languages: English (advanced); French (intermediate). Research focus: molecular mechanisms controlling the sexuality/apomixis transition and its use in plant breeding programs. Current positions: Principal Investigator of the National Council for Scientific and Technological Research, Argentina (CONICET) (positions from doctoral fellow to PI). Plant Reproductive Development Group leader. Full Professor, Chair of Organic Chemistry, Faculty of Agricultural Sciences, National University of Rosario (UNR) (positions from practice assistant to FP). Permanent Lecturer of the UNR Agricultural Sciences PhD Program and the binational Argentine-German Molecular Biosciences and Biomedicine PhD program (Max Planck Institut/University of Göttingen/UNR). Category I in the Rewards to Research Program (UNR). Author/co-author of more than 50 research articles on the molecular basis of apomixis published in international scientific journals. Author of 3 chapters in international books and 13 in national ones. Co-author and editor of 1 national university text. Author of 23 educational videos (lectures). Author of 17 dissemination activities (written or spoken press). Author of 4 children’s books with educational content and scientific dissemination, which are being used in many primary schools of Rosario. Author of 1 scientific biography. Supervisor/co-supervisor of 9 PhD thesis, 1 master thesis and 8 pre-grad theses. Supervisor of the construction of the Argentinian soybean germplasm genetic bank currently used by the Rosario Board of Trade (Arbitrator Chamber). Author of the first frame genetic map of Ilex paraguariensis (yerba mate) and 32 transcriptome sequence databases from gramineae reproductive organs (available at NCBI). Lecturer in 8 oral presentations at international meetings and 13 at national ones. Invited plenary lecturer at the 26th International Conference on Sexual Plant Reproduction Apomixis Satellite Meeting in Prague (June 2022). Author of 45 contributions to international meetings and 63 to local ones. Argentine counterpart coordinator of 5 scientific projects funded by the EU (MSCA Horizon 2020 RISE) (Acronyms: PROCROP, MAD and POLYPLOID), the International Foundation for Science and MINCyT-ECOS Sud. Coordinator of 9 scientific projects funded by ANPCyT, CONICET and INYM. Member of other 25 granted scientific projects (4 of them international). Guest Editor of Plants (MDPI, Switzerland). Reviewer of articles for Plant Breeding, Crop Science, BMC Plant Biology, Euphytica, Plant Cell Reports, BMC Genomics, BMC Evolutionary Biology, Genome and BMC Genetics. Coordinator of the Program Board at the International Plant Molecular Biology Congress 2015, Foz do Iguazu, Brazil. Organizer/chair in several international scientific events (REDBIO, ALAG, AGA). Reviewer of NSF (National Science Foundation, USA), ANPCyT, CONICET and several national universities. Member of the Evaluation Committee of the UNR Teaching Career (2012 and 2013). In several periods, member and/or coordinator of CONICET Evaluation Commissions. Elected faculty member at the Board of Directors of FCA UNR (2011-2015), reappointed to serve one more term in the period 2015-2019 (FCA UNR). Elected member of the IICAR-CONICET-UNR Board of Directors (2019-2023).