VANESSA MARIANO

I have always had a strong interest in ecology and conservation biology. I have a Bachelor degree on Biological Sciences at Universidade Federal de São Carlos, Sorocaba, Brazil. My research experience started as an undergraduate student, when I was a research intern in the Animal-Plant Interactions Lab (PI: Dr. Alexander V. Christianini). This opportunity was an important step in my career since it confirmed my interests in scientific research, ecology, and conservation biology. During my Master's in Biological Diversity and Conservation, I researched the limitations on seedling recruitment, seed rain and seed dispersal, and predation in a Neotropical savanna (Cerrado), which is a biodiversity hotspot. At that time, I started to understand how ecological processes are complex and interesting - and how important they are to our planet. During my Ph.D. in Ecology and Natural Resources, I investigated the effects of biotic and abiotic factors on plant responses to anthropogenic disturbances. At that time I was also a Visiting Researcher at State University of New York at Stony Brook (PI: Dr. Jessica Gurevitch) and Universidade Federal de São Carlos, Brazil (PI: Alexander V. Christianini), evaluating the effects of anthropogenic disturbances on seedling survival and seed dispersal and predation.