Who is the researcher? Leonardo de Aro Galera

Leonardo, a collaborating researcher at SOHMA and CCarbon/USP – Center for Carbon Research in Tropical Agriculture, has stood out for his research on soil health and regenerative agriculture in Brazil. Supported by a scholarship from CNPq, he currently coordinates the project “Impacts of Regenerative Agriculture on the Mechanisms and Processes that Control Soil Health in Brazil.”

The initiative brings together a large nationwide database and aims to develop soil health indices adapted to Brazilian agricultural conditions. The project also incorporates advanced techniques, such as synchrotron microtomography and artificial intelligence, to evaluate soil aggregate structure and carbon, nitrogen, and phosphorus stocks.

With a strong academic background and international experience, Leonardo holds a Ph.D. in Earth System Sciences from Universität Hamburg. He also earned a degree in Agronomic Engineering from Escola Superior de Agricultura Luiz de Queiroz and a master’s degree in Chemistry in Agriculture and the Environment from Centro de Energia Nuclear na Agricultura. During his undergraduate studies, he completed an exchange program at Wageningen University & Research.

Throughout his career, the researcher has participated in scientific experiences across different environmental contexts. During his doctoral studies, he joined an expedition to Qeqertarsuaq, where he collected soil and permafrost samples. He also served as an expert reviewer for the Synthesis Report of the Sixth Assessment Report of the IPCC and participated in the United Nations Climate Change Conference 2022, held in Bonn in 2022.