Hi, I'm Alicia Mastretta-Yanes. I'm starting a new position as Senior Research Leader of the Nature-based solutions (NbS) team at Kew Royal Botanic Gardens, UK, and I'm open for enthusiastic people who would like to become part of the team. I'm happy to support early career scientists willing to pursue their own interests that fit within the umbrella described below. While I don't have a predefined, funded project, I'm enthusiastic about mentoring applicants for fellowships such as Marie Curie Postdoctoral Fellows , Newton Fellowships , UK Future Leaders Fellowships , or similar funding to come to Kew, to be based either at Kew Gardens (London) or at Wakehurst (countryside, 1 hr from London). Our team focuses on how genetic and epigenetic diversity can be incorporated into Nature-based Solutions to build more resilient landscapes and the human communities that depend on them. A key goal is to couple genetics and *omics research with participatory approaches that involve local communities and land managers in evaluating the ecological effectiveness of our methods. We bring together expertise in population genomics, participatory methods, and seedling ecology, and we collaborate with social scientists to understand and integrate the social benefits of these approaches. Our work addresses questions such as how the genetic diversity of habitat-forming plant species can support ecosystem management in human-impacted areas, and how effective population size (Ne) influences trait variability that aids adaptation to environmental change. We also support efforts by Parties to monitor genetic diversity under the Global Biodiversity Framework, contributing to the development of indicators that can be estimated with or without DNA-based data. My own work focuses on conifer trees and crop wild relatives, but proposals involving any plants or fungi are welcome. Research on any ecosystem is encouraged, though I'm particularly interested in work based in biodiversity hotspots, where research and conservation efforts are urgently needed. We value diverse perspectives and strongly encourage applications from individuals of all nationalities, identities, and life paths. As a woman and Mexican scientist living in the UK, I'm happy to share my experience navigating international challenges. I'm especially keen to encourage applicants from Latin America but I'm equally excited to collaborate with researchers from around the world. Kew's Science strategy (2020-2025) is currently under revision in preparation for the next five years, but it's still a good reference for understanding Kew's mission, priorities, and direction. I also recommend having a look at the Kew Manifesto for Change (https://www.kew.org/about-us/our-mission-and-priorities). If these ideas and values resonate with you, there's a good chance we'll work well together. If you're motivated and have a bold idea go for it. I'd love to hear from you. *Contact me at **A.MastrettaYanes@kew.org* Cheers, Alicia Mastretta-Yanes Senior Research Leader Ecosystem Stewardship Kew RBG PS: By "early-career scientist," I mean anyone who has finished their PhD a few years ago, has done a postdoc, hasn't done a postdoc (for any number of reasons), or is still finishing their PhD but thinking ahead. Life paths are non-linear and diverse don't worry too much about labels. If you think you might be eligible for one or another funding scheme in the up-coming 2 years feel free to reach out. Alicia Mastretta (to subscribe/unsubscribe the EvolDir send mail to golding@mcmaster.ca)