Edlley Max Pessoa holds a Bachelor's in Biological Sciences and a PhD in Plant Biology from the Federal University of Pernambuco (UFPE), with a research stay at Kew Royal Botanic Gardens (UK). He was a Senior Researcher at the State University of Maranhão (2018–2019) and an adjunct professor at the Federal University of Mato Grosso in 2024. He is now an adjunct professor at the Federal University of ABC and a permanent member of the Postgraduate Programs in Biodiversity, Environment and Health, Plant Biology, and Evolution of Diversity. He is an area editor of the international journal Phytotaxa and has published 95 papers. His current research is focusing on Neotropical Orchidaceae and other Angiosperm families.