Maira Smith is a biologist (University of São Paulo), with a Master’s in Ecology (National Institute of Amazonian Research) and a PhD in Sustainable Development (University of Brasília). She has academic experience in ethnobotany and historical ecology, conducting research at the interface of biodiversity and culture. She has been an Indigenous affairs specialist at the National Foundation of Indigenous Peoples (FUNAI) since 2012, working to protect traditional knowledge associated with genetic heritage, among other areas. She currently serves as General Coordinator and Vice President of the Genetic Heritage Management Council (CGen) at the Ministry of Environment and Climate Change (MMA).