Coordinator
Ana Carolina Luchiari, Ph.D
I'm a Bachelor (2001), Master (2003), and Ph.D. (2007) from the Federal University of São Paulo, with a thesis on Fish Behavior and Physiology. I held some academic positions in Brazil (UERN, UFPB) before joining UFRN (2010), for which I have been adjunct professor in the Department of Physiology and Vice-Coordinator of the Postgraduate Course in Psychobiology.
My research has focused on the biological and neural mechanisms of behavior. For the past 9 years, I have been concerned with the development of new behavioral testing tools for zebrafish and behavioral psychopharmacological approaches to study issues such as the mechanisms of alcohol and other drug abuse, as well as learning and memory. I have supervised undergraduate and graduate students. Everyone is encouraged to publish their work in peer-reviewed scientific journals and present their results at national and international conferences. Many students have already done this and we could create a strong group for research in zebrafish behavioral neuroscience.
Post doctoral
Msc Heloysa Araújo
Hi! I am a biologist and Master in Psychobiology (UFRN). Since 2008, I have been developing studies related to ecological and behavioral aspects of reef fish species. I currently work with maidens (Stegastes fuscus) focusing on behaviors related to territoriality, aggressiveness, and learning, in order to develop my doctoral thesis. Along with this project, I also work on other projects related to physical exercise and enrichment in zebrafish.
Msc João Paulo Mamede
Hi! I am a biologist and Master in Psychobiology (UFRN). Since 2008, I have been developing studies related to ecological and behavioral aspects of reef fish species. I currently work with maidens (Stegastes fuscus) focusing on behaviors related to territoriality, aggressiveness, and learning, in order to develop my doctoral thesis. Along with this project, I also work on other projects related to physical exercise and enrichment in zebrafish.
Msc Thalles Silva-Pinto
Hey guys! I am a biologist who loves fish and reef environments! I have a master's degree in Zoology, from the Federal University of Paraíba (UFPB), in which I studied feeding/social behavior and use of the habitat of budiões, in their natural habitat. After that, I worked with the conservation of protected areas of coral reefs in the state of Rio Grande do Norte, Brazil. I am currently a Ph.D. student in the Psychobiology Program at Fish Lab - UFRN and my project aim to investigate the effects of Oxybenzone - an organic component of many sunscreens and various other cosmetics - on the behavior of fish using zebrafish.
Msc Luiz Fernando Rodrigues
Hi! I am a biologist and Master in Psychobiology (UFRN). Since 2008, I have been developing studies related to ecological and behavioral aspects of reef fish species. I currently work with maidens (Stegastes fuscus) focusing on behaviors related to territoriality, aggressiveness, and learning, in order to develop my doctoral thesis. Along with this project, I also work on other projects related to physical exercise and enrichment in zebrafish.
Mix Silva
I'm a Biologist, graduated from UFRN, and I'm taking a Master's Degree in Psychobiology. At graduation, I worked as a scientific initiation scholarship holder here at Fish Lab, in the line of research on drug effects, such as the action of Alcohol, Caffeine, Ayahuasca, Nicotine and Fluoxetine on location preference behavior (CPP: Conditioned Place Preference) using zebrafish. In my Master's, I'm researching the effects of music on zebrafish anxiety-like behavior, and behavioral differences between males and females.
Master's degree
Mix Silva
I'm a Biologist, graduated from UFRN, and I'm taking a Master's Degree in Psychobiology. At graduation, I worked as a scientific initiation scholarship holder here at Fish Lab, in the line of research on drug effects, such as the action of Alcohol, Caffeine, Ayahuasca, Nicotine and Fluoxetine on location preference behavior (CPP: Conditioned Place Preference) using zebrafish. In my Master's, I'm researching the effects of music on zebrafish anxiety-like behavior, and behavioral differences between males and females.
Igo Sousa
Oiê! Sou bióloga pela UFRN e, atualmente, mestranda pelo PPG em Psicobiologia - UFRN. Durante a iniciação cientifica participei do desenvolvimento de pesquisas sobre aprendizagem, memória, efeitos das mudanças climáticas e efeitos da poluição sonora no peixe donzela (Stegastes fuscus). Minha pesquisa de mestrado busca entender os efeitos da oxibenzona (um dos componentes dos protetores solares e outros cosméticos) na cognição e comportamento do peixe donzela.
Igo Sousa
Oi pessoal, este sou eu: piauiense de nascença, biomédico (UFDPar) e mestrando em Psicobiologia (UFRN). Tenho interesse nas áreas de genética, biologia molecular e estudos do comportamento. No mestrado, meus estudos estão voltados para identificação de bioindicadores (moleculares, séricos e comportamentais) das desordens do espectro alcoólico fetal em modelo Danio rerio (zebrafish).
Igo Sousa
Olá, pessoal! Sou bióloga pela UFRN e, atualmente, mestranda pelo PPG em Psicobiologia - UFRN, com linha de pesquisa na área de Estudos do Comportamento. Faço parte da equipe do FishLab desde 2022, onde iniciei a carreira científica e pude colaborar em pesquisas acerca da aprendizagem e memória em zebrafish. Hoje, minha pesquisa está voltada aos efeitos deletérios da exposição ao álcool nas fases iniciais do zebrafish, avaliando como essa exposição afeta o comportamento ao longo do desenvolvimento e como os efeitos podem ser carregados por gerações.
Igo Sousa
Olá! Possuo bacharelado em Ciências Biológicas pela Pontifícia Universidade Católica de Minas Gerais e atualmente sou mestranda pelo Programa de Pós-graduação em Psicobiologia pela UFRN. Minhas áreas de interesse são estudos do comportamento, drogas de abuso e transtornos neuropsiquiátricos; no FishLab busco compreender os efeitos da exposição embrionária ao álcool, utilizando o zebrafish (Danio rerio) como modelo animal para Transtornos do Espectro Alcoólico Fetal.
Undergraduate students
Matheus Neves
Hi guys!!! I am a undergraduate student in biological sciences at the Federal University of Rio Grande do Norte and I am interested in the study of animal behavior. I've been part of the Fish Lab since August 2017. I'm currently part of the research using zebrafish (Danio rerio), specifically with the effect of alcohol and caffeine on individual differences and the effect of alcohol exposure on associative learning.
Jessica Ferreira
I am a undergraduate student in Biology at the Federal University of Rio Grande do Norte (UFRN) and also a fish lover! I've been taking care of zebrafish, killifish, and damsel fish at the Fish Lab for some time, but my main research focus is how music affects damsel fish learning behavior.
Bruna Beatriz
Hi guys! I am a undergraduate student in Biology at the Federal University of Rio Grande do Norte and I am currently participating in a study analyzing the effects of oxybenzone, one of the components of sunscreen, on the behavior of zebrafish. As oxybenzone is often released into the environment, it's important to know how it affects wildlife!
Matheus Neves
Hi guys!!! I am a undergraduate student in biological sciences at the Federal University of Rio Grande do Norte and I am interested in the study of animal behavior. I've been part of the Fish Lab since August 2017. I'm currently part of the research using zebrafish (Danio rerio), specifically with the effect of alcohol and caffeine on individual differences and the effect of alcohol exposure on associative learning.
Jessica Ferreira
I am a undergraduate student in Biology at the Federal University of Rio Grande do Norte (UFRN) and also a fish lover! I've been taking care of zebrafish, killifish, and damsel fish at the Fish Lab for some time, but my main research focus is how music affects damsel fish learning behavior.
Bruna Beatriz
Hi guys! I am a undergraduate student in Biology at the Federal University of Rio Grande do Norte and I am currently participating in a study analyzing the effects of oxybenzone, one of the components of sunscreen, on the behavior of zebrafish. As oxybenzone is often released into the environment, it's important to know how it affects wildlife!
Partnerships
We are pleased to collaborate with high-level researchers in Brazil and also in the world.