Karla Santos
About Karla Santos
Karla Santos serves as the Senior Scientific Manager for R&D at Benson Hill, where she has worked since 2019. With over eight years of experience in plant breeding and related fields, she is dedicated to developing talent in plant biology and improving scientific processes.
Work at Benson Hill
Karla Santos has been serving as the Senior Scientific Manager in the R&D Crop Accelerator at Benson Hill since 2019. Based in St. Louis, Missouri, she has contributed to the company's research and development initiatives for five years. In this role, she focuses on advancing crop improvement strategies and enhancing the efficiency of scientific processes.
Education and Expertise
Karla Santos holds a Ph.D. in Agronomy and Molecular Crop Breeding from Universidade Federal de Uberlândia, which she completed from 2010 to 2015. She also earned a Master's degree in Genetics and Plant Breeding from Universidade Federal de Lavras, studying from 2008 to 2010. Additionally, she obtained a Bachelor's degree in Biology from the same institution, completing her studies from 2004 to 2008. Her educational background supports her expertise in plant breeding, phytopathology, and plant transformation.
Background
Before joining Benson Hill, Karla Santos worked as a Graduate Research Assistant at Universidade Federal de Lavras from 2004 to 2010, where she gained six years of experience. She further advanced her research career at Universidade Federal de Uberlândia, serving as a Graduate Research Assistant for four years from 2011 to 2015. Her academic and research experiences have shaped her professional journey in the field of plant biology.
Achievements
Karla Santos has accumulated over eight years of experience in areas such as plant breeding, phytopathology, and plant transformation. She has developed expertise in conducting field trials, working in wet lab environments, and managing greenhouse operations. Additionally, she is passionate about developing and coaching individuals in plant biology and is enthusiastic about implementing process improvements and automation in scientific research.