Vania Azevedo

Dr. Vania Azevedo is Director of the CGIAR Genebanks Accelerator. 

Dr. Azevedo, a Brazilian national, brings over 18 years of experience in conserving, characterizing, and using plant genetic resources. From 2021 to 2025, she led the Biodiversity and Genebank team at CGIAR’s International Potato Center in Peru, overseeing 100+ staff across three sites. She strengthened in situ and ex situ conservation, expanded cryopreservation efforts, promoted genebank use through AI, and supported Latin American collections at the new Cryo Vault. Previously, she led genebank operations at ICRISAT (2018–2021) across India, Zimbabwe, and Niger, and earlier coordinated Brazil’s national genebank network at EMBRAPA, representing the country at the FAO Commission until 2018.

Since 2021, she has advised the Brazilian Government on access and benefit-sharing. Dr. Azevedo holds a PhD in Molecular Biology, dual degrees in Biology and Business Administration, and has authored over 80 peer-reviewed publications. She also delivered a TEDx talk on securing the future of crops like potatoes.