Ana Carolina Brito, a PhD student from Brazil, spent four months at The Ohio State University continuing her research as a visiting international scholar in 2024. Her research involves investigating biocultural aspects of the development, growth and routines of children aged 0 to two in Belém, Pará. Brito explores the challenges of growing up amid adversity and examines how social, political, economic and cultural contexts impact child-care routines. She compares the development of children who experience adversity with those who do not in one of the largest cities in the Amazon region.
Brito worked with faculty mentor Barbara Piperata, a professor in Ohio State’s Department of Anthropology, who is leading the large, multidisciplinary project called, Eco Culturing the Infant Gut Microbiome, which involves colleagues and students in anthropology, ecology, public health and veterinary medicine, the University of São Paulo and the Federal University of Pará. The Brazilian government supported Brito’s time as a scholar at Ohio State through a program to train high-level human resources by granting scholarships for doctoral students to carry out part of their research abroad.
“My time at Ohio State benefited my research in many ways,” Brito said. During her time at Ohio State, she analyzed quantitative data, organized qualitative data, transcribed interviews, and had access to books and articles, all while beginning to write her thesis. Brito also participated in an enriching medical anthropology course—a rare field of study in Brazil—where she engaged with readings and witnessed important debates. This experience prompted her to reflect on her research.
Brito is currently enrolled at the Federal University of Pará graduate program studying anthropology with an emphasis on biological anthropology. This is the largest public institution in the Brazilian Amazon and the only program that works in three of the four traditional fields of anthropology.
When asked what stood out most about her time at Ohio State, Brito mentioned several highlights. She spoke of walking around campus and enjoying the nature and scenery, but it was the amazing people she met that made her experience truly memorable. "I wasn’t alone," Brito said, “People at Ohio State were patient and supported me in the demands that arose.”
