Programa de Pós-Graduação em Bioquímica – Graduate Program in Biochemistry

The PPGBQA is deeply invested in cultivating the next generation of scientists and professionals committed to society and capable of generating and disseminating knowledge in Biochemistry. Our Doctoral and Master’s degree programs are focused on developing scientific capacities and pedagogical competencies, allowing the students to work in teaching and research centers and companies in Biochemistry and Molecular Biology. In addition, we value the training of highly qualified professionals with social, environmental, and ethical commitment.

Since its formation (2008), the PPGBQA had a total of 82 master’s and 79 doctoral graduates, counted from the first defense in 2011 until December 2020. The demand for admission to the PPGBQA has grown due to the increased visibility of our faculty, the promotion of important events such as the Current Topics in Biochemistry (in 2018 and 2019), and the commitment to the training and supervision of undergraduate students. We encourage our students to participate in collaborative projects and activities outside of the classroom. These activities enhance training, develop leadership skills, build community, foster diversity, and promote personal growth and social responsibility.

Meet some of our alumni:

– TANARA VIEIRA PERES (Master’s degree in 2011 and postdoctoral research in 2017/2018). In her postdoctoral studies at Albert Einstein College of Medicine, she investigated the participation of signaling pathways in Mn neurotoxicity in Caenorhabditis elegans. Between 2017 and 2018 she was a postdoctoral fellow at PPGBQA and implemented the C. elegans model. She is currently at Imperial College London.

– JEAN BORGES BERTOLDO (Doctoral degree in 2013) – He is currently a Researcher at Universitaetsklinikum Halle, Martin-Luther-Universitaet Halle (Germany), receiving funding from the German government (DFG, EFRE). His research group is focused on molecular oncology and medicinal chemistry in cancer.

– DANIELE KUNZ (Master’s degree in 2014, Doctoral degree in  2017) – She currently works as an associate researcher at the University of Cambridge (UK). During her doctoral studies, she developed a new method for analyzing insect intestines in vitro, which led to discoveries about the biochemical pathways involved in the internalization of toxins. Later, she worked at CSIRO in Australia, using molecular tools to identify genes involved in resistance to pesticides in insects and other agricultural pests. Her research is currently focused on understanding the role of biochemical responses to mechanical forces during the early development of the avian embryo and morphogenesis.

– ANDIARA ESPINDOLA DE FREITAS (Doctoral degree in 2014 and postdoctoral research in 2017-2019) – She is currently an Assistant Project Scientist in the Division of Biological Sciences at the University of California, San Diego, United States. Her research is focused on the characterization of synaptic changes and plasticity in neuropsychiatric diseases.

– BRUNA LENFERS TURNES (Doctoral degree in 2019) – She is currently a researcher hired at the Harvard Medical School (Boston, United States) to coordinate the pain and behavior laboratory associated with Dr. Clifford Wolf’s group.

– DANUSA MENEGAZ (postdoctoral research) – She currently works as an electrophysiologist at the Max Planck Institute of Psychiatry in Munich, Germany.

– ANA PAULA COSTA (postdoctoral research in 2016-2018) – She currently holds a postdoctoral position at Columbia University, United States.

– JOSIANE BUDNI (Doctoral degree in 2012) – She is a Professor and Researcher at the Universidade do Extremo Sul Catarinense (UNESC-Brazil) since 2013. Her research group is focused on the pathophysiological mechanisms of Alzheimer’s disease, sleep disorders, and aging processes. She was awarded the L’Oréal-ABC-UNESCO Award for Women in Science 2019.

– PAULO CESAR LOCK SILVEIRA (Doctoral degree in 2013) – He is a Professor and Researcher at the Universidade do Extremo Sul Catarinense (UNESC-Brazil). In 2021 he was awarded the Innovation Award “Professor Caspar Erich Stemmer” (FAPESC) with the startup Regenera.

– DEBORA KURRLE RIEGER VENSKE (Doctoral degree in 2014) – She is currently a Professor and Researcher at the Universidade Federal de Santa Catarina (UFSC – Department of Nutrition) and the coordinator of the Translational Nutritional Neuroscience Research Group.

– GABRIELLA MULLER (Doctoral degree in 2014) – CEO and founder of the company Levteck Tecnologia Viva, which works on the qualification of brewery workers, the management and propagation of yeast strains, the installation of microbiology laboratories in breweries, and contamination research.

– FILIPE MARQUES GONÇALVES (Dotoral degree in 2019) – Medical Science Liason at Sanofi Genzyme (SP).

– PRISCILA GRAZIELA ALVEZ MARTINS (Doctoral degree in 2015) – Senior Research Scientist at Life Length, Colmenar Viejo, Madrid, Spain.