Raul Costa-Pereira
Life Sciences
Ecologist Raul Costa Pereira explores an intriguing aspect of biodiversity: the differences among individuals. After spending considerable time observing piraputanga fish underwater in the pristine streams of Bonito, Mato Grosso do Sul, Raul discovered that despite their apparent similarities, each individual in nature is unique. Much like humans, each individual fish, jaguar, or even dragonfly possesses its unique habits and characteristics. This diversity among individuals has captivated Raul since his undergraduate studies.
Born in Osasco (SP), Raul identifies himself as a native of Mato Grosso do Sul. He holds a Ph.D. in Ecology and Biodiversity from the State University of São Paulo (UNESP-Rio Claro). Before relocating to Campinas (SP), he researched ecology and evolution in the United States, New Zealand, Canada, and Portugal. Although he admits that he started his career in biology only after realizing his limitations on the soccer field, Raul now serves as a professor at the State University of Campinas (UNICAMP). At the institution, he leads the Laboratory of Ecology of Individual Variations (LEVIn) and is a full professor in UNICAMP’s Graduate Program in Ecology.
Projects
The project aims to explore the potential universality of ecological interactions, integrating ecologists and theoretical physicists to understand how these interactions shape complex systems. Despite existing studies, an integrative approach that considers fundamental principles of different types of interactions between organisms is needed. The proposal aims to initiate this exploration through an interdisciplinary collaboration network to discover general laws governing biodiversity.
