André Guilherme Madeira 

 

I’m interested in the application of bioinformatics in the elucidation of different evolutionary processes, from molecular to species evolution. With the amount of molecular data available at an increasingly higher pace, bioinformatics is an unavoidable way of dealing with it, be it in the construction of phylogenetic trees, molecular structure modeling or evolutionary scenarios evaluation. I seek to study these tools to answer evolutionary questions at different levels. Currently, my interests are focused on the species delimitation of a mangrove genus, using molecular markers to evaluate how hybridization and geographic isolation led to the distribution we have today. (André was supported by two FAPESP undergraduate research fellowships and one MSc. fellowship).

 

Erick Willy Weisenberg

I am profoundly interested in the macro- and microevolutionary processes working in time and space, and how they have shaped the biodiversity we observe today. My current study will describe how different lineages of Pimenta pseudocaryophyllus, a widely distributed plant, evolved, specifically in Cerrado and Atlantic Rainforest. I aim to use it as a model system to unveil past intra- and inter-biome connections and to perform a taxonomic revision of this specie and its varieties. Because this species is used by local traditional communities, it is a currently threatened species. Thus, I will work hard to provide solid results to support evidence-based conservation and management efforts.

 

 

 

Gabriel Souza de Lima

 

As an undergraduate student with a love for insects and a growing passion for dipterology, particularly focusing on forensic flies, their taxonomy, and ecology. I am currently developing a research project in which we aim to describe how two different environments influence the composition of forensic fly communities and the abundance of the invasive blowfly Chrysomya albiceps compared to other species in these settings. My advisors are José Cláudio Von Zuben, UNESP in Rio Claro, and Gustavo Maruyama Mori, UNESP in São Vicente. (Gabriel is supported by a PIBIC undergraduate fellowship).

Gabriel Tofanelo Vanin

 

I have interests in evolutionary questions and in how we can unveil the mysteries of the past. Currently, I am focused on the adaptive processes taking place in the mangroves from northern coast of Brazil, ranging from the Amazon to the semi-arid northeast. I am using a combination of molecular and morpho-physiological approaches to understand how mangrove species occur and thrive in contrasting environmental conditions despite the absence of barriers to gene flow between populations. I hope that my findings may elucidate some of the evolutionary and ecological processes and of the genetic basis that allow them for key mangrove plant species. (As a PhD researcher, Gabriel is supported by FAPESP. Gabriel's Lattes CV)

 

 

Henrique Silva Florindo

 

I am deeply interested in understanding multifactorial ecological processes and their drivers through statistical and mathematical tools. As an undergraduate student, I had the opportunity to participate in scientific research investigating the reproductive ecology of ant queens and its relationships with genetic, environmental, and social factors. During this process, I studied different statistical approaches, such as linear regressions and Structural Equation Modeling, and was fascinated by the ways in which they allow researchers to address a plethora of unsolved questions in ecology and evolutionary biology. I intend to expand my knowledge on quantitative ecology to investigate wide scale processes on coastal ecosystems. (As an undergraduate researcher, Henrique was supported by two PIBIC fellowships).

 Marcio Camargo Araujo João

 I am broadly interested in the selective processes that operate on crustacean species and how ecological and evolutionary insights can be applied for the conservation of tropical and subtropical biodiversity. Specifically, I'm focused on species that have recently adapted to terrestrial environments, including semi-terrestrial mangrove species (e.g. Ocypodidae family) and insular terrestrial species (e.g. Gecarcinidae family). Throughout my undergraduate and master's studies, I examined fundamental reproductive aspects that are the first steps toward managing fisheries and conserving crab species. Currently, my PhD thesis explores the evolution of insular species, specifically those in the genus Johngarthia. These species are endemic to oceanic islands, occupying unique niches in these environments while navigating increasing human encroachment. To achieve my research goals, I will use oceanographic models and molecular and phenotypic data to understand the connectivity of the yellow land crab across the Atlantic islands.Research Gate. (Marcio was supported by two FAPESP undergraduate and a MSc. research fellowships, and by CNPq in PhD, and he is co-advised by GM)

Marina Soares Lopes

 

The desire to know how life has developed and evolved on Earth is something that always comes to mind. In my view, the only way to answer all my questions is through science and that is why being directly involved in it is so important to me.
My project aims to identify and describe the phenotypic variation between two different populations of Rhizophora mangle from Northern Brazil. Using a common garden experiment and morphometrics data, I will contribute to a larger scientific enterprise whose findings can be useful to understand local adaptation of this specie and the response of mangroves to a changing environment. (Marina is supported by a PIBIC-Júnior fellowship).

Michele Fernandes da Silva

 

I have a deep interest in understanding how evolutionary processes generate and shape the spatial distribution and genetic structuring of natural plant species in time and space. Additionally, I like to work on research aimed at the conservation of tropical species. In a scenario of rapid global climate change, I also feel motivated to understand the relationships between spatial and environmental heterogeneity imprints in the genomes of species. My current interest is in the mangrove ecosystem, a curious environment because it is composed of few trees that are highly specialized in living in an environment stressful to other plants. In my project, through molecular, environmental and bioinformatics tools, I seek to understand how landscape elements contribute to the structure of the genetic diversity of two species of the genus Avicennia, widely distributed along the South American coast. ResearchGate, GoogleScholar, Twitter. (Michele is a PhD. candidate at University of Campinas, co-advised by Gustavo. She was a FAPESP PhD. fellowship awardee)

 

Miguel Piovesana Pereira Romeiro

I am a Master 's Student in the Department of Ecology at São Paulo Universidade (USP) supervised by Dr. Flávia Marquitti and Dr. Gustavo Mori, supported by a CAPES fellowship. During my Master 's, I am using different modeling approaches to understand how global climate changes may shift the ranges of Western South Atlantic mangrove forests. As an undergrad, I used field observations and statistical modeling to study the natural history and reproductive ecology of ants (supported by three CNPq-PIBIC and one FAPESP fellowships). My passion for biology lies in the diverse ecological, genetic and evolutionary processes, from macro- to micro-scales." (As an undergrad researcher, Miguel was supported by three CNPq-PIBIC and one FAPESP undergraduate research fellowships)

Rodrigo Francisco Justino

I am deeply concerned about biodiversity conservation, and I understand that it is only possible through knowledge, environmental education, and social justice. So, I dedicated myself to education and research on biodiversity at the community level as an undergrad. Given its importance for conservation, I am currently interested in understanding the factors that shape populations and species at the genetic level. In my current master’s study, I will use genetic and genomic data to describe population genetic structure and infer dispersal and connectivity of diverse lineages of  mangrove trees. Complementarily, I will use biophysical oceanographic simulation to better understand the relationship between oceanic processes and propagule dispersal traits of mangrove trees over long distances. (Rodrigo is supported by a FAPESP MSc. fellowship)

Gustavo Maruyama Mori

 

I am broadly interested in how microevolutionary and ecological processes originate and maintain the genetic variation observed in wild populations. I have been focusing primarily on mangrove trees as model systems because these tough organisms are highly adapted to live where sea and land meet, a habitat where few other plants manage to occupy (see Research interests). My research interests, however, go beyond mangrove forests, reaching organisms from the Atlantic rainforest and the Brazilian savanna ranging from trees to ants. This huge life forms variety provides a rich and challenging matter to study due to the many different processes that occur at distinct time and space scales. And this is what drives my curiosity. GoogleScholar - ResearchGate - FAPESP

 

Mariana Vargas Cruz

I am inspired by understanding the genomic basis that shape phenotypic diversity and fascinated about mechanisms evolved in plants that allow them to survive under harsh environmental pressures. My PhD research is on the variability of functional traits of Neotropical mangrove tree species influenced by the adaptation to contrasting environments in natural populations. Since this is a very complex subject, to reach this goal, I use a wide variety of data sets, from environmental data to ecophysiology and genomics data. (Mariana was a PhD. candidate at University of Campinas advised by prof. Anete Pereira de Souza, with a FAPESP PhD. fellowship)

Maria Constance de Almeida

I aim to understand how organisms change and evolve in time and space using genetic data. At the moment, as part of my undergraduate research, I use bioinformatic tools to identify signals of natural selection in red mangrove along the Brazilian coast, assembling evolutionary scenarios and population genetic inferences. I hope to support the conservation of mangroves, and to understand how organisms are responding to changes in the environment. (Maria Constance was supported by a PIBIC fellowship).

Marianne Azevedo - Silva 

I seek to understand how genetic diversity is maintained in natural biological systems at fine scales, owing to its underlying ecological and microevolutionary processes. I also keep my focus on conservation genetics, trying to make genetic diversity information available for environmental protection and management. Currently, I am researching the influence of landscape features on the dispersal of two carpenter ant species from one of the world's most threatened biome, the Brazilian savanna. I also have collaborated in other projects as the study of the genetic variation of bee-pollinated plants  in response to altitude and bee community composition and the genetic differentiation of amphipods depending on their macroalgae host and rafting dispersal. ResearchGate. (Marianne defended her PhD at University of Campinas, under the advisory of prof. Paulo Oliveira. She was a FAPESP PhD. fellowship awardee. She currently a postdoc fellow at University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, US).

We always welcome productive and pleasant collaborative work!

 

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