Our Team

Our diverse team brings together expertise in computational biology, molecular ecology, environmental genomics, and biodiversity informatics. We foster a collaborative environment where researchers at all career stages contribute to cutting-edge science.

Principal Investigators & Faculty

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Dra. Maria Silva Santos

Principal Investigator & Associate Professor
PhD in Biochemistry (2010, USP). Specializes in computational biology and bioinformatics with focus on biodiversity conservation in Caatinga biome. Published over 45 peer-reviewed articles.
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Dr. Carlos Eduardo Mendes

Assistant Professor
PhD in Molecular Biology (2015, UFRJ). Research interests: molecular ecology, population genetics, and evolutionary biology. Coordinates field studies in Piauí's protected areas.
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Dra. Ana Paula Rodrigues

Postdoctoral Researcher
PhD in Environmental Sciences (2020, UNICAMP). Expertise in bioinformatics, next-generation sequencing, and ecological modeling. Currently investigating endemic species adaptation to climate change.

Graduate & Undergraduate Researchers

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João Pedro Santos

PhD Candidate
MSc in Molecular Biology (2022, UFPI). Thesis focus: phylogenetic analysis of Caatinga flora using molecular markers. Skills: PCR, DNA sequencing, phylogenetic reconstruction.
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Beatriz Oliveira Costa

PhD Candidate
MSc in Computational Biology (2021, USP). Research: machine learning applications in biodiversity prediction models. Developing novel algorithms for species distribution modeling.
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Rafael Almeida Ferreira

Master's Student
Biology graduate (2023, UFPI). Master's project: molecular characterization of medicinal plants from Cerrado-Caatinga transition zone. Laboratory skills: DNA extraction, gel electrophoresis, qPCR.
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Juliana Martins Souza

Master's Student
Environmental Engineering graduate (2023, UFPI). Researching bioremediation potential of native microorganisms in contaminated soils. Techniques: microbial culture, molecular identification, bioinformatics analysis.
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Lucas Gabriel Lima

Undergraduate Researcher
Biology undergraduate (4th year). Scientific initiation project on genetic diversity of endemic reptiles. Learning molecular techniques and statistical analysis for conservation genetics.
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Camila Fernandes Rocha

Undergraduate Researcher
Biotechnology undergraduate (3rd year). Working on bioinformatics pipeline development for metagenomic analysis. Interested in microbial ecology and environmental DNA.
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Pedro Henrique Araújo

Undergraduate Researcher
Computer Science undergraduate (3rd year). Developing web-based tools for biodiversity data visualization and analysis. Skills: Python, R, JavaScript, database management.
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Mariana Costa Silva

Undergraduate Researcher
Biology undergraduate (2nd year). Interested in plant ecology and ethnobotany. Assisting with field collections and herbarium curation. Learning plant identification and preservation techniques.

Interested in Joining Our Team?

We welcome applications from motivated researchers at all career levels. Explore opportunities to contribute to biodiversity science.

Learn About Opportunities