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 Tofanelo Vanin

 

Biology is amazing by itself. With so many possibilities of tools and subjects of study, it is easy to aim for big projects. For example, why not look at Brazil from space and tell everyone how mangrove forests, complex and extremely important ecosystems, are occupied? That is my idea. With the use of preprocessed image databases from the Landsat series and machine learning methods, I aim to classify and check the main mangrove suppressors in Brazil in the last 20 years. Distributed along the Brazilian coast, mangroves fulfill different ecological functions for coastal dynamics, fauna and traditional communities. I believe that our results will help conservation efforts of this environment so that future generations can have the pleasure of getting to know it. (As an undergrad researcher, Gabriel was supported by a CNPq-PIBIC and FAPESP).

 

 

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 awarded a FAPESP PhD. fellowship awardee)

 

 

Miguel Piovesana Pereira Romeiro

I have many interests within biology, and most relate to evolutionary processes and the many facets of ecology, whether at macro- or micro- scale. For the last few years, I’ve been enthralled by the world of ants, and have studied the natural history of Camponotus renggeri and C. rufipes in the past.

Now, I seek to understand how different variables – such as heterozigosity, habitat quality and colony structure – may drive fitness in individual queens of ants. As of late, I’ve also been getting more and more interested in different types of data analysis, and I’m currently studying the use of Structural Equation Modelling (SEM) to unveil causal processes. I believe that by using different and  complementary methods and a good dose of curiosity and creativity, research can achieve new horizons. (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.

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.

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).

 

 

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