JBRJ Postdoctoral Researcher receives the 2026 Augustin-Pyramus de Candolle Prize in Geneva

Dr. Catarina de Carvalho, a postdoctoral researcher supported by a FAPERJ Nota 10 fellowship and supervised by Dr. Domingos Cardoso at the Research Directorate of the Rio de Janeiro Botanical Garden (Dipeq/JBRJ), has been awarded the 2026 Augustin-Pyramus de Candolle Prize, granted by the Société de Physique et d’Histoire Naturelle de Genève (SPHN) in Switzerland.

The award ceremony took place at the Jardin Botanique de Genève on June 11, 2026. On the occasion, Catarina delivered the lecture “Systematic Studies on the Dipterygeae Clade (Leguminosae, Papilionoideae)”, presenting her systematic research on the Dipterygeae clade, a group of plants within the legume family that holds significant taxonomic, evolutionary, biogeographical, and economic importance.

Established in 1841, the Augustin-Pyramus de Candolle Prize is one of the most prestigious and long-standing international awards in Botany. Its purpose is to recognize the author or co-authors of the best monograph on a plant genus or family, highlighting scientific excellence, taxonomic depth, and the systematic contributions of the awarded work. Throughout its history, the prize has honored major achievements in plant systematics and remains a distinction of great prestige within the international botanical community.

Catarina’s research on the systematics of Dipterygeae has been developed since her doctoral studies at the National School of Tropical Botany (ENBT/JBRJ) under the supervision of Dr. Haroldo Cavalcante de Lima and Dr. Domingos Cardoso. Her postdoctoral work continues this research trajectory, focusing on the integrative taxonomy and molecular phylogeny of the Leguminosae family.

For Catarina, the award represents an important milestone in scientific recognition.

“Being awarded the De Candolle Prize is a great honor. The ceremony was very moving, and I felt truly recognized. It was an acknowledgment of the work I have been doing in integrative taxonomy. I felt that I am on the right path,” she said.

She also emphasized the importance of the Rio de Janeiro Botanical Garden and the National School of Tropical Botany in her professional development:

“The Rio de Janeiro Botanical Garden and the National School of Tropical Botany were extremely important for my training as a systematist, as they gave me the opportunity to engage with a research network renowned for its work on Leguminosae. In addition, the courses offered there greatly helped me conduct my doctoral project and the research projects I carry out today.”

Researcher Domingos Cardoso noted that Catarina de Carvalho’s award also reinforces the leading role of the National School of Tropical Botany and the Rio de Janeiro Botanical Garden in training PhD researchers and advancing high-quality research in plant systematics, integrative taxonomy, and biodiversity conservation.

“More than an individual achievement, this award celebrates a scientific trajectory that has flourished through solid academic training, collaborative networks dedicated to the study of Leguminosae, and a commitment to Brazilian botany,” he concluded.