In conversation with Thaís Boufleur

Hello {{first_name | everyone}}!

Through the newsletter, I’ve had the chance to speak with remarkable scientists from around the world. Many of these conversations have offered valuable insights into how people build careers in plant pathology.

I’m incredibly excited to bring you today’s conversation, a one-on-one with Thaís Boufleur, a professor at the University of São Paulo, and leader of the Laboratório de Manejo Sustentável de Doenças.

I had the pleasure of meeting Thaís several years ago during her time at the Australian National University. We’ve since crossed paths at ICPP, and continued to collaborate on myrtle rust research. Most recently, she agreed to be interviewed for the Robigalia newsletter.

This was a conversation I drew enormous inspiration and motivation from, and my key takeaways were:

1. Embrace discomfort as a growth strategy

Thaís deliberately chose new pathogen systems and techniques with each career stage, viewing each challenge as essential for development rather than a risk to avoid.

2. Build skills beyond the bench early

Thaís systematically developed competencies in teaching, grant writing, and administration during her PhD and postdoctoral training, skills that made her competitive for a professorship at a young age.

3. Commit fully without a backup plan

Her "no Plan B" philosophy meant working unfunded for six months and maintaining laser focus on her goal of becoming a professor, demonstrating that sometimes success requires closing off other options to channel all energy toward a singular vision.

4. Cultivate support networks as actively as research collaborations

From mentors who taught her how to teach, to a partner who visited her across continents, to supervisors who gave her opportunities beyond her experience level, Thaís credits her success to actively nurturing both professional and personal support systems that sustained her through the challenges.

Enjoy this one-on-one, and as always, feedback on the newsletter content and format is welcome. Simply hit reply to this email or vote on the poll at the bottom of the email.

Two years. That's all it took for Thaís Regina Boufleur to leap from postdoc to professor at one of Brazil's leading agricultural universities, a transition that typically takes researchers a decade or more. Now, in her early 30s, she leads a thriving lab of ten researchers, has already secured major funding, and is pioneering sustainable plant disease management research in Brazil. Her secret? An unwavering focus that some might call extreme.

This singular vision crystallised during her master's degree, transforming an initially uncertain student into one of the youngest professors in her department. While many early-career researchers hedge their bets with backup plans, Thaís took a radically different approach.

Her laser focus wasn't born from certainty but from its opposite. As an undergraduate student in biotechnology, Thaís had been deeply unhappy, feeling trapped by what seemed like limited options.

The turning point came through a plant pathology internship.

What began as an escape route became a calling. Moving from a tiny city of 4,000 people to pursue her studies, she threw herself into internships, doing far more hours than required, participating in tutoring programmes, and absorbing everything she could about plant pathology.

During her master's work on Phytophthora in capsicum at the University of São Paulo's agricultural campus in Piracicaba, something clicked.

But knowing the destination didn't make the journey straightforward. Thaís deliberately chose challenge over comfort at every turn.

After completing microscopy-focused work during her master's, she pushed to work with genomics and transcriptomics during her PhD, despite having no experience. Her supervisor, Professor Nelson Massola, was sceptical.

The gamble paid off. Working with Colletotrichum on soybeans, she collaborated with international researchers, learned cutting-edge techniques, and even discovered multiple Colletotrichum species in the field, leading to comparative genomics studies.

Her appetite for challenge only grew. For her postdoc, she switched to myrtle rust, a biotrophic pathogen on trees with a notoriously complex genome.

This decision meant working unfunded for several months, testing the support of family and friends who worried about her lack of a backup plan.

Thaís wasn't just collecting diverse research experiences. She was executing a methodical strategy to prepare for a professorship in Brazil, where academics must excel in five areas: research, teaching, extension, administration, and securing funding.

Thaís sought out every opportunity to build complementary skills. She learned teaching from Professor Armando Bergamin, who became a crucial mentor.

She gained grant-writing experience by helping her postdoc supervisor craft funding applications.

She learned administration by helping run the lab during her postdoc. Each skill was deliberately acquired, even when it meant working beyond expectations.

The international experiences in Spain and Australia added another layer to her preparation, building her network and exposing her to different research cultures. These connections would prove invaluable later, with collaborations continuing even after she became a professor.

When a position for sustainable plant disease management opened at her university, a new research line in Brazil, Thaís was ready. The selection process itself was a marathon. Applicants had to write a comprehensive personal and professional curriculum explaining every career choice.

The week-long evaluation included a written exam on an unknown topic with just 24 hours to prepare, a teaching demonstration for undergraduates, and interviews covering all five areas of academic responsibility.

The intensity of the selection process took its toll. After securing the position, Thaís found herself in and out of the hospital for weeks as her immune system crashed from the months of preparation and weeks without proper rest.

Yet even this setback couldn't dim her satisfaction.

She had achieved her goal.

The personal cost of this focused pursuit extended beyond physical exhaustion. Moving from her small hometown at age 20, spending months abroad away from her partner, and prioritising career over comfort required understanding from those around her.

Her partner visited her in Spain and Australia, her family supported her unconditionally despite being the first generation to pursue higher education, and her supervisors provided mentorship beyond academic guidance.

Now, two years into her professorship, Thaís leads a lab of ten researchers focused on sustainable disease management, working both on myrtle rust on Eucalyptus and soybean diseases. Brazil is the world's largest soybean producer, making her research directly relevant to national agricultural priorities.

She's securing funding, publishing papers, and building the research programme she envisioned. But perhaps most importantly, she's passing forward the mentorship she received.

Her approach to mentoring reflects lessons learned from her own journey.

For those considering a similar path, Thaís doesn't sugarcoat the challenges but remains encouraging.

Thaís‘ story demonstrates that success in academia isn't just about brilliance or luck.

It's about maintaining focus when working without funding, embracing discomfort to grow, building skills beyond the bench, and nurturing the relationships that sustain you through the challenges.

For those truly called to this path, as Thaís discovered, every challenge becomes part of the journey towards making that singular vision a reality.

Thaís is open to taking on students, noting that all courses are conducted in Portuguese. Be sure to connect with her on LinkedIn and follow her updates on Instagram.

Don’t forget you can support Robigalia through Patreon. The purpose of Robigalia is to build a global community of plant pathologists and support early-career researchers. Your ongoing support will provide the resources needed to ensure the newsletter's continued success.