Biologist and currently at the final part of her Master’s studies at the Graduate Program in Entomology (PPGEnt – CAPES level 7 – the highest possible at the Brazilian Graduate System) at the Universidade Federal de Viçosa (UFV), our BraIN&Phy member, Maria Júlia Corrêa, was as selected as the top candidate (1st place) to pursue a Ph.D. course at the PPGEnt/UFV.
Her undergrate studies were in Biological Sciences at the Universidade Federal de Ouro Preto (UFOP). She always liked to understand the relationship among insects and the environmental pollutants, more especifically regarding the potential morphological, behavioral and survival alterations mediated by these ecological components. At BraIN & Phy Lab, Maria Júlia started as a volunteer intern in November 2019 and in March 2020 began her Master’s course, in which she has been acting in various areas (e.g., the selection of novel biorational products to be used in the control of stored product pests and in the management of mosquito larvae – Aedes aegypti). She has been involved in investigations regarding the pesticide toxicity against agricultural pests but also in the selectivity of such products to non-target organisms. Her main focus of her master’s research, however, is the analysis of heavy metal, cadmium, in tilapia fingerlings, Oreochromis niloticus, and the potential for trophic transfer through the food chain of the giant water bug, Belostoma anurum.
About the Laboratory’s contribution to its achievement Maria Júlia declares “Even with little time in the Master’s, I had professionally developed a lot, and I am grateful to Prof. Eugênio Oliveira for the recognition and opportunities that were granted to me. I would also highlight the relevance of the courses that I pursued during this master degree training. I understand that my performance during the PPGEnt selection also reflects all the scientific and personal experiences and interactions to each of BraIN&Phy members, who are people that shared with me their knowledge about the world of insects. To all of you my gratitude!”
In this selection, where Maria Júlia was successful, the basic scientific paper was about bee behavior, entitled “Intra-specific differences in cognition: bumblebee queens learn better than workers” published in Biology Letters. The final result of the regular selection process of the postgraduate program in entomology – first period of 2022 – can be seen on the website.
We asked her about the expectation regarding the Ph.D. course: “I believe that many things will be different. In the doctorate we have more time to develop new projects and autonomy to guide them as well, in addition to another stage of learning and more intense courses. As the BraIN & Phy is a multidisciplinary team, I believe that new contacts with other research groups will also come in the near future, which will be great! In addition, I aim to do a piece of my doctorate abroad and further complement my training with other visions and other research methodologies. It’s a very important step and I’ll do my best!”
The advice that the newest Ph.D. student leaves for those who plan to enter the Graduate Program is “enjoy most of the experiences that undergraduate studies offer to you, but always remembering your personal limits and dedicating yourself to what chose well what to do. Graduate studies are often arduous, and our emotions become conflicting sometimes, but we have a very important role to play in science, with dedication, humility and perseverance. Generally, we are surrounded by researchers who want to share their experiences, and this will be a huge contribution to our training. My advice is that students get closer to these people, know how to listen and give back what they have learned, so that knowledge is increasingly disseminated in society”.
It is worth to note that on the PPGEnt web page, you will find all the requirements for the selection of the Graduate Studies.
Finally, the entire Brain & Phy team would like to congratulate Maria Júlia again and wish her a brilliant professional career.
BraIN&Phy Lab 