Rómulo Sacramento Sobral. Completed the Doutoramento in Ph.D. in Sciences, Speciality in Biology in 2017 by Universidade do Minho Escola de Ciências, Mestrado in MSc in Molecular Genetics in 2010 by Universidade do Minho Escola de Ciências and Licenciatura in BSc in Biology in 2006 by Universidade do Porto Faculdade de Ciências. Research career focused on deciphering how changes in conserved molecular networks can drive the emergence on new developmental traits in model (Arabidopsis and Antirrhinum) and non-model species (Quercus and Castanea)My path as a researcher can be divided into distinct periods, dedicated to different research projects. The first line of work was initiated in 2010, before my Ph.D. and was integrated in the project PTDC/AGR-GPL/098873/2008 and PTDC/BIA- PLA/1402/2014. I was involved in the elucidation of the molecular and biochemical mechanisms supporting the antagonism controlling flower asymmetry in Antirrhinum majus and to determine the origin and evolutionary establishment of a transcriptional module controlling flower asymmetry. During the execution of this work I implemented techniques new to the lab, such as gel-shift, co-immunoprecipitation, bimolecular fluorescence complementation, western-blot and yeast two-hybrid. The work included several publications, two as first author (Plant J. 2013, 75, 527-538; Mol. Bio. and Evo. 2018 35, 2873–2885 and Front. Plant Sci., 2019 fpls.2019.01359). This period enabled me to learn and perfect a wide range of experimental techniques that greatly contributed to bring innovation to the project developed during my Ph.D. During my Ph.D., initiated in 2013, I study molecular mechanisms involved in the unisexual flower development of Quercus suber. This work was under the scope of two projects that I was part of (PTDC/AGR-GPL/118508/2010-FCOMP-01-0124-FEDER-019461 and PTDC/AGR-FOR/3356/2014) and was integrated in the strategy of the Cork Oak national Consortium. During my Ph.D., I implemented Chromatin immunoprecipitation, RNAseq and qPCR analysis in the lab, and I also optimized techniques, such as immunolocalization, to Q. suber, a poorly studied species. Part of my Ph.D. was spent in Prof. Coimbra’s lab (FCUP), which was fundamental to answer specific questions regarding the involvement of Arabinogalactanic proteins in Q. suber unisexual flower development. During my Ph.D. I participated in eight publications (five as first author) in international peer-reviewed journals (BMC Genomics 2014, 15: 371; Frontiers Plant Science 2014, 5: 1–16; Annals Botany 2015, 115: 81–92; Annals Botany 2016, 117: 949–961; Frontiers Plant Science 2016, 7: 1–5, Scientific Reports 2017, 7: 68–73 and Int. J. Mol. Sci. 2020, 21, 3783). An eighth paper, that unveiled the flowering induction mechanisms of the Q. suber flowers, has been recently published (Tree Phys 2020 40: 1260–1276). Following this fruitful experience, I designed a project focused on the mechanisms controlling flower and fruit development of Castanea sativa. I am currently the junior researcher in this project. I have also help design a COST Action Proposal OC-2020-1-24270 " Management of mULTI-service Chestnut ecoSystems ". Besides authoring several scientific publications and presenting my work at several national and international scientific meetings, I was also the co-supervisor/supervisor of 6 BSc, 5 MSc students, I organized/tutored advanced Workshops/outreach activities, was a Monitor and Lecturer of different MSc courses at the Department of Biology of the University of Minho and was a peer-reviewer in several scientific journals.