I've been at The Ohio State University since the fall of 2021, when I joined Claudia Turro's lab in the Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry. After receiving my master's in pharmaceutical sciences from the University of São Paulo, I decided I wanted to work on more fundamental aspects of designing metallodrugs for cancer treatment.
Last June, I participated in the Gordon Research Conference – Metals in Medicine, where I had the opportunity to discuss my work with experts in this research field. The conference brought together the top scientists from different countries. It was amazing to exchange ideas with professors I had admired but only knew through their publications. Having their insights and knowledge contributing to my work during the poster presentation was beyond any of my expectations, and it was interesting to observe how those brilliant minds could have such different and helpful points of view on the same subject.
I received the "Outstanding Poster Award" from the chairs and vice-chairs of the conference. I greatly appreciated the recognition of my dedication to a subject I am passionate about, and I hope I can make a difference in cancer treatment improvements over my career, bringing a better quality of life for those who need to undergo these treatments.
Under the excellent mentorship of Dr. Turro, I was able to access cutting-edge techniques and strategies to improve promising ruthenium complexes that can be activated by light to trigger the therapeutic effect on cancer cells. For the past three years, I made my PhD one of my priorities, and this award gave me extra motivation to put even more dedication toward the final years of my doctoral degree.