Maria Mercedes Roca

Dr.  Mercedes Roca is  Professor of Biotechnology, formerly at the Tecnológico de Monterrey, Mexico and  currently with Consult MRS, (Multiple Risk Solutions) and Senior Fellow at the Institute for Science on Global Policy. Dr. Roca has an BSc. in microbiology  from King´s College London and a PhD. in plant pathology from University College London, with a specialization in virology.

Dr. Roca  worked in agriculture (1992 –  2010) in Mauritius, Mexico, Bolivia, and Honduras developing and managing projects in Integrated Pest Management with small farmers. While at Zamorano University in Honduras  (1998- 2014) she developed courses and managed research projects  in plant pathology,  agricultural biotechnology and environmental biotechnology. She was a founding members of the National  Biotechnology and Biosafety Committee of Honduras  and advised the Honduran Government, who  authorized the first commercial planting of GM maize in 2003.

She has worked extensively on  developing  technical material and implementing training courses in GMO risk assessment and risk management for Central American regulators and  Mexican biotechnology students  and was an active member of the Risk Assessment  AHTEG group to the Secretariat of the Cartagena Protocol, part of the  UN Convention of Biological Diversity