Renata Schama

Biography

Dr. Renata Schama is an experienced evolutionary biologist with a deep passion for learning and figuring things out. Her curiosity about the workings of the natural world guided her academic journey, starting with a degree in Biological Sciences with a Major in Ecology in Brazil. During her undergraduate years, Dr. Schama crafted her own interdisciplinary minor in Evolutionary Biology, setting the foundation for her future research. She later earned a Ph.D. in Molecular Biology from the Federal University of Rio de Janeiro and a Master’s in Interdisciplinary Data Science from Florida State University.

With a solid track record of publications and international collaborations, Dr. Schama believes that meaningful scientific breakthroughs are built through cooperation, responsibility, and the blending of diverse perspectives. Her work centers on using genetics to better understand biological systems and their evolution across multiple levels – from molecular to organismal, population and species levels – and across diverse taxonomic groups. Renata’s expertise spans gene family evolution, genomics, metagenomics, population genetics, and phylogenetics. Among other interests, Renata studies mosquito vectors of tropical diseases and is interested in figuring out how to curb these debilitating and sometimes deadly diseases through integrative work. For her, addressing today’s challenges—whether scientific or societal—requires the synergy of science, community, and art.

As an educator, Dr. Schama is driven by her passion for the subjects she teaches and the success of her students. She is dedicated to fostering an inclusive learning environment where students feel empowered to explore ideas, make mistakes, and learn from them. Dr. Schama promotes independent thinking and encourages deep engagement, helping her students develop resilience, confidence, and a love for learning.

Beyond her academic work, Dr. Schama embraces her inner geek. She loves science fiction, solving puzzles, and the latest technologies and gadgets. In her free time, she enjoys capturing the beauty of the natural world through photography. She is fascinated by how light and perspective can completely change the mood of a scene, offering new ways to see and feel the world—and teaching us to look beyond the obvious.

Education

Ph.D. in Molecular Biology, Federal University of Rio de Janeiro

M.S. Interdisciplinary Data Science, Florida State University

Selected Publications

Lima, L. F., Torres, A. Q., Jardim, R., Mesquita, R. D., & Schama, R. (2021). Evolution of Toll, Spatzle and MyD88 in insects: the problem of the Diptera bias. BMC Genomics, 22(1), 1–562. https://doi.org/10.1186/s12864-021-07886-7

Gandara, A. C. P., Torres, A., Bahia, A. C., Oliveira, P. L., & Schama, R. (2017). Evolutionary origin and function of NOX4-art, an arthropod specific NADPH oxidase. BMC Evolutionary Biology, 17(1), 92–92. https://doi.org/10.1186/s12862-017-0940-0

Mesquita, R. D., Vionette-Amaral, R. J., Lowenberger, C., Rivera-Pomar, R., Monteiro, F. A., Minx, P., Spieth, J., Carvalho, A. B., Panzera, F., Lawson, D., Torres, A. Q., Ribeiro, J. M. C., Sorgine, M. H. F., Waterhouse, R. M., Montague, M. J., Abad-Franch, F., Alves-Bezerra, M., Amaral, L. R., Araujo, H. M., … Seabra-Junior, E. S. (2015). Genome of Rhodnius prolixus, an insect vector of Chagas disease, reveals unique adaptations to hematophagy and parasite infection. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences – PNAS, 112(48), 14936–14941. https://doi.org/10.1073/pnas.1506226112