It was while working on a scientific initiation project as an undergraduate student in the early 1970s that Bluma Guenther Soares identified with the profession of scientist. And for this reason, throughout her career as a researcher, she has always found great motivation and satisfaction in acting as a supervisor, especially for scientific initiation students.
Bluma Guenther Soares was born in Rio de Janeiro city, but she spent her childhood and adolescence in Barra do Piraí, in the interior of Rio de Janeiro state. At the age of 18, she moved to the capital to fulfill her dream of studying Chemistry at the Federal University of Rio de Janeiro (UFRJ). She completed her undergraduate degree at the Chemistry Institute of that university in 1973. The following year, she enrolled in a master’s degree in Organic Chemistry, also at UFRJ, and completed it in 1978.
In 1979, Bluma began her teaching career as an adjunct professor at UFRJ. At the same time, in 1981, she began her doctorate in Polymer Science and Technology, also at UFRJ. In 1987, she defended her dissertation on cationic polymerization.
Between 1992 and 1993, during her postdoctoral studies at the Université de l’Etat a Liège, in Belgium, the scientist worked for the first time with conductive polymer composites, a topic in which she continues to work to this day.
Between 1998 and 2004, Bluma was coordinator of the Postgraduate Program in Polymer Science and Technology at UFRJ. In 2005, she became a full professor at UFRJ. In 2010 and 2016, she was a visiting researcher at the Institut National des Sciences Appliquées (INSA) in Lyon, France.
In 2014, she was one of ten female scientists from Brazil honored with the Capes-Elsevier Award for their outstanding scientific production. In 2020, her name appeared in the ranking published in the journal PLOS Biology among the 2% of researchers in the world in her field with the greatest impact on publications.
Over 50 years of scientific activity, she has authored more than 370 scientific articles. With over 11,000 citations according to Google Scholar, Bluma currently has an H index of 54 and is a CNPq research productivity fellow at the highest level (1 A). In addition, she has supervised 60 scientific initiation projects, 74 master’s degrees and 49 doctorates to date.
At 73 years of age, the scientist has no less than 25 students under her supervision in her laboratory at the Macromolecule Institute Professora Eloisa Mano (IMA) at UFRJ and teaches undergraduate and graduate courses at the university. In addition, she is a member of the editorial board of several journals and is part of the board of directors of the Brazilian Polymer Association (ABPol).
At the XXII B-MRS Meeting, which will be held in Santos (Brazil) from September 29 to October 3 of this year, Bluma Guenther Soares will receive the José Arana Varela Award, which is granted annually by B-MRS to an outstanding researcher in Brazil. On the occasion, the honoree will give a plenary lecture on ionic liquids in polymeric materials and nanocomposites.
Learn more about this prominent scientist from our community in this interview she gave to the B-MRS Bulletin.
B-MRS Newsletter: Tell us what led you to become a scientist.
Bluma Guenther Soares: I was still in high school when I fell in love with science classes. I decided then that I would study Chemistry at the National School of Chemistry. The motivation to become a scientist came later when I began my scientific initiation internship at the Organic Chemistry Department of the IQ/UFRJ.
When I finished the basic cycle at the College (Chemistry and Chemical Engineering at UFRJ had the same basic cycle) I requested to transfer my student registration to the Chemistry Institute. My professional path was the same as always: I enrolled in the Master’s degree program at the Organic Chemistry Department of the IQ/UFRJ. During my Master’s degree, I realized that I wanted to follow an academic path and approached the head of the department to teach classes in the department without a contract – and without a salary, of course.
He encouraged me and I began teaching Organic Chemistry from that moment on. In 1979 I was hired as a professor by the Organic Chemistry Department. I then started my PhD in Polymer Science and Technology at the Institute of Macromolecules.
B-MRS Newsletter: Think about the scientific discoveries and advances in which you have participated throughout your career and briefly describe those that you consider most relevant or interesting.
Bluma Guenther Soares: As previously mentioned, I began my career as a researcher in the area of Organic Chemistry and joined the Polymer Group, coordinated by Professor Eloisa Mano. After finishing my PhD, and based on student demand, I began working in the area of polymer applications.
When I went to do my postdoctoral internship in Liège in 1992, the project was to be the synthesis of block copolymers, that is, organic chemistry applied to polymers. When I got there, the supervisor, Professor Jerome, changed my project to the development of electrically conductive polymer composites. It was truly the greatest challenge of my life, because I had no knowledge whatsoever about the physics involved in this area. I had to study a lot. Therefore, the discoveries involving materials that absorb electromagnetic waves were of great relevance.
Another discovery of great impact was the verification that some ionic liquids could act as non-covalent agents on carbon nanotubes and improve their dispersion. This discovery also resulted in the preparation of anticorrosive coatings involving epoxy resin and hybrid material containing polyaniline and carbon nanotubes, whose dispersion was aided by the ionic liquid.
B-MRS Newsletter: From the point of view of training researchers, creating laboratories, scientific dissemination and other aspects of a researcher’s career, what are your achievements that have had the greatest impact and/or that have given you the greatest satisfaction?
Bluma Guenther Soares: In my opinion, training human resources is always what gives us the greatest satisfaction. And every publication made with master’s, doctoral and scientific initiation students is of great importance to me.
I would like to highlight my work in advising scientific initiation students. Since I became excited about a career as a scientist after my scientific initiation internship, I am concerned with providing good guidance and inspiring these students, thus contributing to creating a critical mass of researchers in Brazil.
B-MRS Newsletter: In your profession as a professor and researcher, have you encountered many difficulties related to being a woman and/or being a mother?
Bluma Guenther Soares: Although I began my professional career in the 1970s, I never encountered any difficulties, either during my undergraduate studies or later as a professor and researcher, due to the fact that I was a woman. In these places, there was no discrimination because I was a woman.
In fact, I had some difficulties because I had to balance my professional life with a marriage and three children. For example, I ended up having to postpone my postdoctoral project in Liège, because I had to balance it at the best time. My male friends went abroad to do their doctorates and postdoctoral studies more easily than we women did. But we managed to balance the double shift well.
B-MRS Newsletter: Leave a message for our readers who are starting a career as scientists in Brazil or are considering this possibility.
Bluma Guenther Soares: As a message, I would like to say that studying new things is very challenging and tiring at times. Therefore, the first point is to know how to choose your field of activity so that research is truly a pleasure. When choosing a career that fascinates you, young people cannot be discouraged by the first difficulties.
Just to tell you a little story, I lived in Barra do Piraí when I was in middle school and high school – what we called the “science course” at that time. The only science course was at night, and the Chemistry teacher didn’t know Chemistry. He was a doctor. I had to study alone for the entrance exam to the university. It was very difficult, but I couldn’t let the opportunity pass me by because I didn’t have a teacher. We don’t have good teachers, we have good books.
Good luck to everyone and don’t forget to pursue your dreams.
Anna Paula
Entrevista inspiradora. A Bluma foi minha orientadora e fez uma diferença enorme na minha jornada científica . Trabalhar com ela sempre foi muito motivador, a sua empolgação com a pesquisa é contagiante.