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Eder Pérez López’s career journey in plant breeding has taken her to three different countries and multiple academic studies, demonstrating diversity in the field of plant science, understanding that the idea of #RiseAndGrind is not always correct. and solidified his dedication to promoting inclusivity. The healthiest way to approach work.
“I always emphasize the importance of maintaining a work-life balance and encourage my students to avoid working on the weekends if possible,” says the 36-year-old associate in plant pathology at Laval University. says the professor.
He came to Canada from his native Cuba for a six-month internship in 2015, then returned to Mexico to complete his Ph.D. He then moved to the US for a year and settled in Canada in 2018.
“My paternal grandfather was a farmer and my maternal grandfather was an irrigation specialist. My exposure to agriculture in Cuba as a child ignited my passion for plant science and led to his current career. laid the foundation for research interests.”
He currently has five PhD students, one master’s student, three postdocs, and two research engineers. His dedication to mentoring the next generation of scientists is evident as he mentors them in their own research efforts.
His groundbreaking research on clubroot disease allowed him and his team to sequence the genome of the clubroot pathogen, Plasmodia brassicae. This is the first complete genome available worldwide.
His second focus is on leafhoppers and their potential as markers of climate change. Perez-Lopez’s recent publication on using leafhoppers as an indicator of climate change demonstrates his commitment to interdisciplinary research. He emphasizes the importance of this research in understanding the effects of climate change on insect populations.
As a diversity mentor and advocate, Perez-Lopez offers valuable advice to aspiring plant scientists.
“First of all, you always have to be curious. Curiosity is really important,” he says. Emphasize hard work and cooperation, he added. “I don’t consider myself a great person. I just work hard. You have to do the work.”
Perez-Lopez is also active in advocacy for the LGBTQ+ community in the research community. She actively promotes representation and recognition within academia as a co-founder of the online community Pride in Microbiology.
“One of the impetus for my involvement was my undergraduate experience in Cuba, where I witnessed first-hand the difficulties LGBTQ+ students faced in finding academic advisors due to widespread homophobia. ,” he says.
“While my own resilience has protected me from negative influences, I have realized that not everyone has the same level of fortitude. I wanted to demonstrate that it is possible to succeed in academia without having to do anything, and advocate for people who might otherwise be discouraged from pursuing their dreams.”
Contrary to his belief that only scientific merit matters, he came to understand the importance of representation in decision-making processes such as on hiring committees. He added that people naturally gravitate towards people who look like them or think like them, which unwittingly perpetuates prejudice.
“As someone who currently works in faculty recruitment, I have seen firsthand how these biases work and the importance of proactively diversifying such committees to ensure fair representation. I have been observing.”
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