Associate Professor in the Department of Clinical and Toxicological Analysis at the Faculty of Pharmacy at UFRJ. She holds a Bachelor’s degree in Biological Sciences from the State University of Rio de Janeiro (1999), a Master’s degree in Microbiology from the State University of Rio de Janeiro (2002), and a PhD in Sciences (Biophysics) from the Federal University of Rio de Janeiro (2005). She completed her postdoctoral research at St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital, where she focused on Immunology, with an emphasis on NOD proteins, Toll receptors, and the role of adjuvants. She studies the immune response against Corynebacteria and other pathogenic bacteria members of the Actinomycetales group. Her research also investigates the biological role of natural products against pathogenic bacteria and in the regulation of the immune response. She has experience in the fields of Microbiology and Immunology, working on the following topics: bacterial virulence factors, host-parasite interaction, and vaccine development.