I earned my PhD from the University of São Paulo in Brazil studying the population dynamics of orchid bees in different areas in the Atlantic Forest. I am an expert in molecular biology and have worked with bees for over 10 years, with additional experience in developmental biology and the mechanisms that regulate metamorphosis. I started my career focusing my research on honeybee Apis mellifera, and I aimed at elucidating the mechanisms that regulate metamorphosis in A. mellifera. My focus then shifted to understanding of how evolutionary history and life-history traits influence bee population stability in different landscapes. In order to evaluate the dynamic population of orchid bee (Hymenoptera: Apidae: Euglossini) in different areas in the Atlantic Forest, I evaluated the different aspects: ecological and, especially, morphological and genetics by geometric morphometrics and Population Genetics analysis.
In 2018, another challenge, I joined Prof Hollis Woodard lab at UCR and started to study the mechanisms controlling larval development and ultimate body size, which are crucial for the organization of bumble bee societies. My current research focuses on understanding how early development influences the quality of workers and their pollination services. I use field- and lab-based behavioral assays, physiology, and behavioral transcriptomics to understand how sensory differences are shaped by development in bumble bees. |