Graduate Research Assistant

Ph.D. Candidate

Focus

Fungal pathogens secrete a plethora of effector proteins into living host tissues, where they induce accessibility of
the plant cells by suppressing resistance and promoting susceptibility. The hemibiotrophic fungus Colletotrichum
graminicola infects maize leaves and stalks and has a major destructive potential. My research focuses on
understanding the mechanisms that regulate the production and secretion of fungal effector molecules and other
secreted proteins like cell wall degrading enzymes in planta. I am using cytological methods to study the ability of a
non-pathogenic mutant with a defect in a component of the secretory system to produce fluorescently-labeled
effector and enzyme molecules that are important for establishing biotrophy and transitioning to necrotrophy. The
ultimate goal is to target the highly conserved secretory process to develop a broadly effective method for
management of biotrophic and hemibiotrophic fungal pathogens of crop plants.

Teaching & Extension Experience

• Mentor a high-school student in lab (2019-present)
• Developed and delivered a virtual short course in Plant Pathology for a middle-school vocational agriculture class (2020)
• Wild Edible Plants, Lexington Community Garden, KY (2020)
• Mushroom Hike and Talk, Blackacre Nature Preserve, Louisville, KY (2020)
• Plant Diseases in your Garden, Blackacre Nature Preserve, Louisville, KY (2020)
• Guest lecturer at Colégio Marista Dom SIlvério, taught
• Science to high school youth (2013)

Associations, Service & Leadership

• Graduate Student Congress (GSC) Representative of the Department of Plant Pathology, University of Kentucky ( 2020-present)
• International Students Concerns Committee, University of Kentucky (2020-present)
• Letters to a Pre-Scientist (2020-present)
• Skype a Scientist (2020-presentAPS Infographics International Year of Plant Pathology, USA (2020)
• Judge at the 17th Annual Central Kentucky Regional Science and Engineering Fair, USA (2020)
• Judge at the Science Fair Prep Volunteer Initiative, USA (2020)
• APS Infographics International Year of Plant Pathology, USA (2020)
• Academic Program Committee, University of Kentucky (2019-present)
• Advocate: Discrimination & Sexual harassment, University of Kentucky (2019-2020)
• Co-founder and Vice-President of the Women in Plant Pathology Collective (2019-present)
• Nerd Squad - National Girls Collaborative Project, USA (2019)
• Vice-President at the Association of Plant Pathology Scholars, Universidade Federal de Viçosa, Brazil (2016-2018)
• Plant Pathology in the Community of Viçosa, Brazil (2018)
• Member of the American Phytopathological Society
• Member of the Brazilian Society of Plant Pathology
• Founder of Plant Path Detective - Scicom Initiative
• Museum of Natural Sciences, Brazil (2012-2014)
• Plant Pathology in the Community of Viçosa, Brazil (2018) 
• Member of the American Phytopathological Society
• Member of the Brazilian Society of Plant Pathology

Certifications

• N10 Spray license (#60417), Kentucky Department of Agriculture Division of Environmental Services

Awards & Recognition

• Southern Division American Phytopathological Society (SD-APS) Travel Award, USA (2020)
• Graduate Student Travel Grant (GSC), USA (2020)
• First place in the Biomaker Battle Competition, Brazil (2017)
• Merit Award Distinction from the Regional Council of Minas Gerais State, Brazil (2015)
• Academic Excellence Award in English as a Second Language (ESL) Bridge, Canada (2015)
• Science Without Borders Brazil-Canada Travel Grant (2014-2015)
• Peking University-Santander Universidades Top China Travel Award (2012)

Publications & Presentations

Publications

• Belisário, R., Ball, J., Tew, L., & Vaillancourt, L. (2021). A short course in plant pathology for middle school. Manuscript under review.
• Belisário, R., Aucique-Pérez, C. E., Abreu, L. M., Salcedo, S. S., Marlon, W. M., & Furtado, G. Q. (2020). Infection by Neopestalotiopsis spp. occurs on unwounded eucalyptus leaves and is favored by long periods of leaf wetness. Plant Pathology, 69(2), 194–204.
• Borges, L. S., Rios, J. A, Aucique-Pérez, C. E., Belisário, R., Duarte, H. S. S., & - Furtado, G. Q. (2019). Standard area diagram set to assess rust severity on eucalyptus leaves. Forest Pathology, 49(3).
• Belisário, R., Borges, L. S., & Furtado, G. Q. (2018). First report of Colletotrichum karstii causing anthracnose on Annona muricata in Brazil. Plant Disease, 102(11).
• Milagres, C. A., Belisário, R., Silva, M., Lisboa, D., Pinho, D., & Furtado, G.Q. (2018). A novel species of Diaporthe causing leaf spot in Pachira glabra. Tropical Plant Pathology, 43, 460–467.

Presentations

• Belisário, R. (2021). The universe of plant-pathogen molecular interaction. In: Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais, Brazil. Virtual oral presentation.
• Belisário, R., Vaillancourt, L. (2020). Secretion of effectors by a signal peptidase mutant of the maize anthracnose pathogen Colletotrichum graminicola. In: 2020 APS Southern Division Meeting, Charleston, South Carolina, USA.
• Belisário, R., Aucique-Pérez, C. E., Abreu, L. M., & Furtado, G. Q. (2019). Infection by Neopestalotiopsis spp. occurs on unwounded eucalyptus leaves and is favored by long periods of leaf wetness. In: Plant Health APS Meeting, Cleveland, Ohio, USA.
• Borges, L. S., Belisário, R., Azevedo, D. M. Q., Barreto, R. W., & Furtado, G. Q. (2017). Diversity of mycoparasites associated with Myrtaceae. In: 50º Congresso Brasileiro de Fitopatologia, Uberlândia, Minas Gerais, Brazil. Poster presentation.
• Milagres, C. A., Belisário, R., Azevedo, D. M. Q., Borges, L. S., & Furtado, G. Q. (2017). Epitypification, molecular, and morphological characterization of Pseudobeltrania cedrelae. In: 50º Congresso Brasileiro de Fitopatologia, Uberlândia, Minas Gerais, Brazil. Poster presentation.