Dr Ricardo Azevedo, Associate Professor in the Department of Genetics at the University of Sao Paulo, talks about studying at Lancaster and why he loves to keep coming back.

"I arrived in Lancaster in August 1998 and completed my PhD in the Department of Biological Sciences in August 1992, working under the supervision of Prof. Peter John Lea and Dr. Richard John Smith. I lived in Flat 5, Furness College for 3 years and my wife Jacqueline attended courses in the Adult College in Lancaster. Our daughter was in the University Pre-School and then Ellel St John`s CE Primary School, and our son was born at the Royal Lancaster Infirmary in 1990. Our daughter has recently obtained a PhD at the University of Birmingham. In 1993, I was offered a position in the Department of Genetics, University of São Paulo, Brazil, where I am now a full Professor working in the field of agricultural sciences.

But my links with Lancaster University have lasted. In December 1996, I came back for a 12 month period to carry out research with my former supervisors and since then I have visited Lancaster regularly. I was a Visiting Research Fellow in the Department of Biological Sciences between 2001-2009 and my research activities have involved grants from the British Council and Brazilian funding agencies (Fapesp, CNPq) to work in collaboration with Peter Lea and John Smith until 2010. During this period, Peter and John have visited Brazil a number of times. I have also sent PhD students under my supervision to spend 4-18 months periods in Lancaster as part of this collaboration. I have published over 50 research papers with my colleagues in Lancaster.

In 2009 and 2013, I was elected Fellow of the Brazilian Academy of Sciences and Fellow of the World Academy of Sciences, respectively. I have also been involved with scientific editing as a member of the Editorial Board of several journals, including Annals of Applied Biology as senior editor, and in 2012, the launching of a new journal, Food and Energy Security, with Lancaster University colleagues Martin Parry and Bill Davies (LEC). Both journals are published by Wiley in collaboration with the Association of Applied Biologists (AAB).

Lancaster feels like home to my wife and I and it is always special when we visit the University and the city when we enjoy meeting up with old friends.

#LoveLancaster