Biologist Fabio Mendonça Gomes dedicated five years to studying mosquitoes abroad. His research, partially conducted at the National Institute of Health in Washington and Johns Hopkins University in Baltimore, aims to comprehend why certain mosquitoes contract parasites when they consume blood while others remain unaffected.

A native of Rio de Janeiro, Gomes obtained his master’s and doctorate degrees in biophysics from the Carlos Chagas Filho Biophysics Institute at the Federal University of Rio de Janeiro, where he also completed his undergraduate studies. His post-doctoral research included a stint at the National Center for Scientific Research in France. After five years, he returned to Brazil, driven by his desire to watch the Flamengo soccer team play on their home turf. When he’s not immersed in his lab work, Gomes enjoys exploring new restaurants, reading history and science fiction books, and watching soccer matches.