Graduated in Chemistry in 1973 from the Faculty of Philosophy, Sciences, and Letters of Ribeirão Preto, São Paulo. Earned a PhD in Sciences, specializing in Organic Chemistry at the Institute of Chemistry, University of São Paulo, on March 20, 1978, under the supervision of Prof. Otto R. Gottlieb. Completed postdoctoral research at the University of Strathclyde, Glasgow, Scotland (1986–1988) working with Peter G. Waterman. She has been a professor at the Federal University of São Carlos (UFSCar) since 1976 and has published over 300 articles in specialized journals. She served as Director of the Natural Products Division of the SBQ from 2006–2008 and 2018–2020 and was the Chemistry Area Coordinator at FAPESP from 2010–2017. She has received the highest awards from SBQ for her contributions to Natural Products Chemistry: the Professor Otto Richard Gottlieb Medal in 2017 at the 6th BCNP and XXXII RESEM, and the Simão Mathias Medal at the 45th SBQ in 2022. Additionally, she was honored with the National Award in Chemical Ecology – Prof. José Tércio Barbosa Ferreira at the Brazilian Meeting on Chemical Ecology (EBEQ). Her research focuses on Natural Products Chemistry, with emphasis on bioactive natural products, chemical ecology, insect-plant interactions, and graft chemistry based on biosynthesis.