Affiliation: São Paulo State University

Dr. Marcelo S. da Silva received his bachelor’s degree in Biological Sciences from the São Paulo State University in 2009 and he obtained his PhD in Genetics and Molecular Biology from the University of Campinas in 2014, where he elucidated the consequences of oxidative stress in Leishmania and found that this parasite has two distinct modes of nucleus and kinetoplast segregation. During his PhD, he also studied telomere homeostasis at Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS), Paris, France. Dr. da Silva began his work in DNA metabolism of trypanosomatids parasites during his postdoc at Butantan Institute and throughout his brief postdoc at the University of Glasgow, UK. Next, he received a grant from São Paulo Research Foundation for a position as an independent researcher at São Paulo State University. Currently, he heads a team of 4 students. His lab performs studies on DNA metabolism in trypanosomatids, focusing on DNA repair, DNA replication, and cell cycle. It is also worth pointing that Dr. da Silva makes an international effort to bring students from low-income countries to be trained as future independent researchers, which will help develop scientific knowledge worldwide.