Ana Paula Assis
Life Sciences
Biologist Paula Assis’s research blends science and culture, focusing on the beloved orange thrush, a songbird celebrated in Brazilian music, from the words of Gonçalves Dias to the verses of Chico Buarque and Patativa do Assaré. The project uses quantitative genetics, genomics, and network theory to understand the evolutionary success of the orange thrush in urban environments.
With a degree in biological sciences from the Universidade Estadual Paulista Júlio de Mesquita Filho, this scientist also holds a master’s and Ph.D. in genetics from the University of São Paulo (USP). She has completed three postdoctoral fellowships, two at USP and one at the Montana University System in the United States. In addition to her demanding research career, she is a mother of two and an aspiring marathon runner.
